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The 5 Best Versions of Joker in Video Games, Ranked – IGN – IGN


Batman’s arch-nemesis, The Joker, has been depicted in numerous forms of media since his introduction in the original Batman #1 comic in 1940. In addition to the comics, Joker has appeared in movies -including the most recent Joaquin Phoenix film – and many animated and live-action TV series. While there are some iconic versions of the Clown Prince of Crime throughout the gaming pantheon, some of them have gotten much bigger laughs than others. Here are the five best versions of Joker throughout the years in video games.

The 5 Best Versions of The Joker in Games

Click through the gallery above, or scroll down the page for the full list.

5. LEGO Batman series

The Clown Prince of Crime has appeared in every iteration of the LEGO Batman series of games, beginning with the first in 2008. As something of a rarity in Batman games, Joker is actually a playable character in the LEGO series, complete with signature abilities and costumes. After breaking out of Arkham Asylum in the first game, he teams up with Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, and other dastardly villains to spread Joker Gas around Gotham City.

Joker is also a main character in the spin-off LEGO DC Super-Villains, and once again leads a group of criminals such as Scarecrow, Clayface, The Riddler, and others to take down the newly-formed Justice Syndicate.

4. Injustice

The Injustice games may appear to be your standard fighting games on the surface, but scratch deeper and they weave some wild stories. In Injustice: Gods Among Us, Joker plays a central role by tricking Superman into killing his pregnant wife Lois Lane, eventually driving him insane and turning him evil.

Joker appears in Injustice 2 as a recurring hallucination for Harley Quinn, who has been exposed to Scarecrow’s fear gas. Besides the story in the two games, Joker is a playable fighter complete with signature moves including laughing gas, exploding chattering teeth, knives, guns, and even a shocking electric chair fatality move.

3. Batman: Return of the Joker

Released for the NES, Sega Genesis, and GameBoy in 1991, Return of the Joker is the follow up to the 1990 NES Batman game based on Tim Burton’s classic movie. Return of the Joker begins with the Joker once again escaping from Arkham Asylum, with Batman facing him in a number of different boss fights.

The final fight, however, features a large, mechanical robot piloted by Joker, and makes for one of the more interesting showdowns between the Caped Crusader and The Ace of Knaves.

2. Telltale’s Batman series

Telltale Games, known for its decision-based story adventures, created an original story in Batman: The Telltale Series in which Batman eventually teamed up with a mysterious individual who called himself simply “John Doe.” In the second season, Batman: The Enemy Within, John Doe is revealed to be the Joker, who, after being discharged from Arkham Asylum joins a team of villains that include Bane, Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, Catwoman, and Harley Quinn, who was John’s psychiatrist.

For the first time ever, the origin story of the Joker is in players’ hands, and one can choose to send John down a vigilante path or down his typical criminal path of psychologically torturing Batman. Regardless of the decision made by the player, however, the Joker is once again defeated by Batman in the end and sent back to Arkham Asylum.

1. Batman: Arkham series

Mark Hamill’s turn as Joker in the Arkham series is undoubtedly the best portrayal of the character in video games to date. In the original, Arkham Asylum, Joker takes over Arkham Island, exposing his henchmen with the Titan formula in an attempt to create a super army. Joker returns in the sequel, Arkham City, where it is revealed that he is slowly dying from the Titan overdose he took in the previous game.

He ultimately dies in the end, before returning to haunt Batman in Arkham Knight

. In this final game in the trilogy, Batman – who has been poisoned with Joker’s infected blood – begins to see hallucinations of him. This results in some of the wildest Joker moments in his 80-plus year history, especially when he just randomly appears.

Hungry for more Joker? Take a look at the iconic villain in 35 photos. Also, check out some inspirations for the recent Joker movie.

Matthew Adler is a freelance journalist who will never forget facing the mutated Joker at the end of Arkham Asylum, and urges anyone who hasn’t played it to do so immediately. You can follow him on Twitter @matthewadler.





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