#The Puzzler (Batman 66)

[l-e-g-i-o-n-losh]

Today's Bat-Weekly brought to you by I woke up 15 minutes late and Gorshin's contract dispute

[zeawesomebirdie]

Okay we're back to Batman 66 finally and how exactly is the Puzzler different from the Riddler???

(Btw the tag to block is #liveblogging if you don't want to see these posts ^.^)

[batman66sexyrogues]

Submissions Closed, Round 1 Coming Soon:

So to my delight, we did not have that many submissions who were not from the 1966 series, and due to a henchwoman being nominated, we actually have enough for an even matchup!

So for our Batman 66 SexyRogues Pool, we have:

Mr. Freeze (Wallach)

Mr. Freeze (Sanders)

Mad Hatter

False Face

Archer

Clock King

Puzzler

Riddler (Astin)

King Tut

Egghead

Shame

Calamity Jan

Zelda the Great

Bookworm

Minstrel

Ma Parker

Chandell

Marsha, Queen of Diamonds

Sandman

Freddy the Fence

Colonel Gumm

Black Widow

The Siren

Louie the Lilac

Olga, Queen of the Cossacks

Lola Lasagne

Lord Marmaduke Ffogg

Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft

Minerva

Betsy Boldface (We got a henchwoman promoted via nomination!)

Getting a bye for the first round due to their immense presence in the show and general good performance in other SexyRogue polls, we have:

Riddler (Gorshin)

Catwoman (Kitt)

Catwoman (Newmar)

Catwoman (Merriwether)

Joker

Penguin

In reserve, just in case anyone wants a bonus round, we also have:

Killer Moth, whose episode was never aired for some reason.

Two-Face, who was supposed to appear but whose script was left unproduced.

Mr. Freeze (Preminger), who was eliminated in the preliminary, but whom I agreed to put in a redemption bracket if we decide to do one.

I will be setting up the first round, hopefully getting it out sometime this week, so tune in next post!

Some bat time,

Same bat-channel!

[tyler-reed-is-superman]

Batman 1966 S2E31: The Puzzles Are Coming

Robin’s just really not having it today.

Bonus:

[theimpossiblescheme]

A Bookworm/Riddler teamup could’ve been interesting, although unlikely to happen in season 2 given Gorshin’s contractual issues. Maybe Bookworm/Egghead, though maybe there wouldn’t have been enough contrast there. Or maybe there would’ve been, since while Bookworm was quite well-read, he wasn’t as smart as he thought he was. I like the idea of a Bookworm/Puzzler team-up, uniting Roddy McDowall and Maurice Evans a year before Planet of the Apes, but they would’ve been too busy trying to out-quote each other to get any crime done. Ooh, I’ve got it — Bookworm/Catwoman. Cats and bookstores go together well.

A very insightful commenter on Tor.com who seems to have read my mind

[jovialjuggernaut-draws]

6 66 Riddlebat. I want to see what you do with that one

"Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"

Bruce was… reasonably certain the man in front of him was the Riddler. He'd never seen… quite so much of the man, but he dispensed with the mask often enough during their encounters he knew his face. Seeing him here, though, like this…

"A slight mishap, Mr. Wayne. You do have my apologies for that. I, ah, come with a note-"

Bruce could see no note. "And what note might that be, Riddler?"

The giggling the question started up was less than comforting. "You'll have to move the pillow."

It rested between his legs. His bare legs. Bruce could imagine what he might find beneath.

"She has a particular sense of humor, that Catwoman."

"She does, indeed…" Bruce grumbled, as softly as he could.

Bound to the headboard as he was, the Riddler could neither stop nor encourage him in his decision, and Bruce's hand hesitated over the pillow for a long minute before finally giving in, tossing the pillow aside-

And breathing a sigh of relief. It wasn't much, the barest amount of lavender fabric stitches could hold, but he wasn't seeing quite all of the Prince of Puzzlers, and that's what was important, right now.

The promised note sat right on the purple g-string, resting against the Riddler's… bits like a courtesy welcome on a hotel pillow.

'A purr-esent for you and a purr-esent for me. I get your family jewels, and you get Riddler's. A fair trade, wouldn't you say? Or should I say 'fur trade', mrow!'

"Say, Mr. Wayne, as long as you have me here…"

"Apologies, Riddler, but the Cat's… gone off with the bag."

Bruce tossed a blanket over the disrobed delinquent, abandoning him to his fate while Batman investigated the crafty Cat's latest crime. He'd deal with that whole business… later.

[archived-brokentoys]

lil things about puzzler because he’s relevant for reformed verse (being eddie’s arch enemy, i suppose.)

- I’ve decided his real name might be Jerome Evans. Since I did the Burton thing when he was naming Joker and just combined two names. Jerome from Jerry Siegel, the creator of the original Puzzler who showed up in Superman, and Maurice Evans, the actor who played Puzzler in the ‘66 show. I also just really like the name Jerome.

- Completely opposite to Eddie’s childhood, Puzzler’s parents were very loving, almost too loving. They constantly praised Puzzler for his intelligence and not only ability to quickly solve puzzles, but also his creativity in creating new puzzles.

- Puzzler is strictly homosexual. This is in honor of his actor, who was apparently gay.

- He’s also quite an older man, being in his 60’s. He definitely has a husband who’s either dead or sick, I haven’t decide on which tho.

- Unlike Eddie, Puzzler is a true gentleman. He is calm, and actually very respectful towards most people. He does not insult their intelligence or say rude things towards them. However, he insults Eddie’s intelligence often.

- And also unlike Eddie, Puzzler also knows how to control his emotions. What made Eddie frightening was how easy it was to make Eddie furious; scary mad to the point he’s yelling and unpredictable. Puzzler? What makes him scary is how eerily calm he can remain in most situations.

- Puzzler has never been to prison. He claims this is because he’s SO GOOD at committing puzzling crimes, no one has even caught him, not even Batman. Whether this is true or not is unknown. Because unlike Eddie, Puzzler is very capable of lying.

- Also, Puzzler has a weird... interest in Eddie. Puzzler has never killed anyone, only committed theft. He wants his first murder to be Eddie. He feels it would be fitting, also to show Gotham that he’s such a good puzzler, he was the one to kill the Riddler.

- Eddie loves cars and bikes, Puzzler loves airplanes. 

[dwarven-beard-spores]

Fandom: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (1966) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: penguin/riddler Characters: Batman, Robin (DCU), Penguin, Riddler, Jim Gordon, Chief O'Hara, Alfred Pennyworth, Aunt Harriet Additional Tags: Episode Style, Written Television Episode, Two-parter, Alliteration, Cheap Special Effects, Secret Identities, Criminal Capers, Deathtraps (of the useless variety), Wholesome Morals™, Character Development Summary:

Completely reformed (yet again), the Penguin begins his reintegration into society as a houseguest at Stately Wayne Manor. Batman and Robin suspect the feathered fiend is up to something, especially when he renews his association with that Prince of Puzzlers: the Riddler.

Tonight’s surprise fic is a collaboration with LauraDoloresIssum!!! Batman 66 but a bit more expressly gay!! Shenanigans!! Alliteration!! 

[4colorrebellion]

4cr Plays - Ironcast (Switch)

When a new handheld launches, I inevitably end up snatching up every puzzle game that launches over the first few months. They’re just the perfect portable experience - a nice, distracting way to kill a few minutes. Naturally, then, I was immediately drawn to Ironcast, which launched this week on the Switch eShop (it is also available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One).

At its heart, Ironcast is a match-3 puzzle game, in the style of something like Bejeweled or Puzzles and Dragons. However, that’s like saying that Chess is just another version of Checkers - there’s a bit more going on. Ironcast combines a match-3 puzzler with RPG, strategy, and roguelike mechanics to create a beautiful, addictive blend that feels right at home on the Switch.

Ironcast is set in an alternate version of Victorian England, where stalemate in the war against France has led to the development of steam-powered robots (the titular Ironcast) and massive roving tanks. You are cast as a pilot of one of the Ironcast, on the front line of the war. With only eight days before the French forces overrun London, time is of the essence, and your actions will determine the fate of old England. 

The story is not all that important - taking place in snippets of dialogue and pre-mission briefings - but it provides a nice bit of atmosphere to immerse you in the experience. Each time you complete a mission, you are presented with a new assortment of randomly-chosen levels to choose from. Missions offer tasks such as defeating a particular enemy unit, gathering supplies, or surviving a siege. 

The match-3 part comes into play during missions. Levels are turn-based, and during your turn, you are allowed to perform two matches on the board. Each tile corresponds to a particular resource - ammo, coolant, energy, repair parts, and scrap metal. Longer chains yield more resources - up to a limit - and experience points. These resources, then, can be used to power your mech’s actions. Ammunition can be used for either of the two weapons you have equipped, energy powers your shields (absorbing damage) and allow movement (making it harder to hit your Ironcast). Each action consumes coolant, and overheating will damage the Ironcast’s systems. As you take damage, however, you can use repair parts to patch up the wrecked mechanical systems. 

As a result of this gameplay structure, Ironcast plays nothing like your typical match-3 puzzle game. Rather than quickly making matches, Ironcast rewards a slow, careful approach. You need to plan ahead, as you won’t want to be left without a critical resource later on. Because you can only carry a limited amount of any one resource, you need to choose chain length carefully. Matching beyond your inventory will clear more of the board - allowing new tiles in - and will yield more XP, but will also remove that resource from use later on. 

The need for careful planning extends beyond resource collection. Each enemy type has its own weaknesses, so your choice of weapon is critical. You can target particular mechanical systems as well, and taking out their shield generator or drivetrain may be more important than dealing damage across the board. Of course, the enemies can also target particular systems in your Ironcast, meaning that repair parts must be carefully distributed. 

The number of choices available to you in combat don’t end there. Each pilot and Ironcast also have their own abilities. Each time you level, you get to choose from three randomly-selected new abilities to add to your inventory. In battle, you can equip up to three of the abilities you’ve unlocked. Some abilities have cooldowns, allowing you to perform actions such as transforming all energy tiles into repair tiles, or doubling weapon damage on the next shot. Others are passive, such as one that allows your energy weapons to more easily bypass shields. Particular abilities tend to combine well, and building a good loadout is crucial to success in harder missions. Additionally, during battle, you will uncover blueprints for new weapons, drives, and shielding. Between levels, you can spend scrap metal to repair your Ironcast or to purchase these new parts.

The number of choices available can be daunting at first, but each system is explained reasonably well, and a bit of experimentation quickly reveals effective strategies. The gameplay is very cleverly designed. Each gameplay system is relatively simple in isolation, and combines well with the other systems to form a complete package that has a fair amount of strategic depth with a reasonably low learning curve. 

However, it cannot be repeated often enough that your choices matter. The biggest way this manifests is the fact that death is permanent. Die in combat, and you have to start from scratch. That said, like in many roguelikes, some semblance of progress is kept each time. When you die, you get one “commendation mark” for every 5000 XP earned during your run. These marks may be spent to unlock new characters, new Ironcast units, and permanent abilities. As a result, it becomes easier to stay alive just a bit longer each time - and thanks to new characters, new runs feel fresh. I will add here - I don’t usually like roguelikes because of the frustration of permadeath. However, it hasn’t bothered me in Ironcast. The battles are tough, but they seem fair. I can usually trace my death to a distinctly bad choice that I made - using the wrong weapon at a time when ammunition was limited, for example. 

Ironcast is out for most of the home systems - PC, PS4, and Xbox One - but the Switch seems like the way to go. This is the sort of game that is perfect as a portable experience. I’ve been playing it all week while watching old episodes of Batman ‘66, and it has been a great experience. This is the sort of game that is perfect for quick sessions, and it looks great on the tablet screen. The game also makes use of HD rumble pretty well. I nearly dropped my system the first time the joycons started vibrating when my mech attacked! The rumble is a small touch, but one that shows that this wasn’t just a quick port. Similarly, in handheld mode, you can control the entire game through touch controls if you choose. I used button controls for the most part, but occasionally would select something on the tablet screen. The game allowed either method with no issues.

If you are a fan of puzzle or strategy games, I cannot recommend Ironcast highly enough. It presents an addictive, clever blend of genres that should keep you busy for awhile. It is absolutely a welcome addition to the Switch library, and I suspect that I’ll still be playing this after other games have outstayed their welcome. 

Impressions are based on ~6 hours of playtime. A review copy was provided by the publisher.

[orange-s-mario]

Riddler, Riddler’s henchmen, his clones/expies, and his replacements

[orange-s-mario]

B to Z-list Riddler Including John Astin Riddler

[theimpossiblescheme]

What are your headcannons regarding the origins of some of the Batman '66 villains that they never explained on the show or in the comics, like Egghead, Siren, Minstrel etc?

*shuffles through my mountains of Batman ‘66 notes* I am so glad you asked...

My guesses are that most of them started out as pretty menial or everyday workers--Egghead worked as a food processing factory hand, Shame as a dolly grip on a film set, the Puzzler as a teacher, the Bookworm as an unsuccessful freelance author, the Archer as a community theater actor, and the Minstrel as a struggling singer.  Being a rogue is a pretty glamorous lot in Gotham City since you’re never out of the papers, so they figured it would be a lot more fun to turn to crime instead of continue on with their normal lot in life.  Of course, Batman was quick to show them that crime doesn’t pay.

Louie the Lilac and Ma Parker are career mobsters.  It’s safe to say being a criminal runs in the family, so they just followed what they thought was their natural path.

The Sandman and Minerva were always crooked business owners who formerly hadn’t aspired to anything bigger than money-laundering.  Becoming a high-profile criminal was just the next step up.

The Siren was always the kind of person who would rather cause trouble than make an honest living; ever since she found out she was a metahuman as a little girl, she got a lot of mileage out of making her classmates do what she told them.  Singing professionally is fun, sure, but not as much fun as pulling off the perfect crime.

Marsha Queen of Diamonds and Black Widow were similar, except they were willing to be a little more secretive.  Judging by Black Widow’s vastly different appearance in the comics, I can surmise that she’s actually a witch as opposed to Marsha only playing at being one, and that gave her a boost of power that enabled her to toy with and kill the men who got close to her.  Both of them loved being important and being the center of attention, but whereas Black Widow was driven to murder from a broken heart and never looked back, Marsha just rolled with the convenient accident that caused her first husband’s death and used it to her advantage.

Nora Clavicle was a member of the 1968 roster of the Court of Owls, an underground group of rich asswipes masquerading as charitable activists when in reality they just want to see Gotham run rampant with crime.  She was never a feminist--she just wanted a convenient trustworthy label to get by in high society.

Lord Ffogg and Lady Peasoup also got into crime for the fun of it--if you’re relatively unimportant members of the aristocracy no one ever pays attention to, you’ve got to make your name somehow.  And if it involves thumbing your nose at the other lords and ladies stealing your spotlight, so much the better.  Lady Peasoup especially was a childhood troublemaker and wanted to raise “her girls” the same way.

The Clock King and Jervis Tetch--or rather, the man calling himself Jervis Tetch (the Mad Hatter in the comics at the time was an imposter, so I’m rolling with the theory that Show!Mad Hatter is also an imposter)--were also career thieves after being driven out of the art community.  The Clock King was a little kinder and gentler than his considerably bloodthirstier cousin, but they both turned to crime to lash out against the communities that rejected them.

And then of course there’s Dr. Cassandra, last in a long line of alchemists who succeeded where her ancestors failed.  Turning to crime just felt like the biggest and best outlet for her accomplishments, especially with her husband’s encouragement.

That’s all I’ve got so far!  If anybody has additional headcanons, come hit me up!