Batman: Return of the Joker was developed and published by Sunsoft as the second in their Batman series on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It departed from the original game by focusing on the comic-book version of Batman instead of the movie-inspired conception. The story itself was self-contained, and did not depict a pre-existing storyline. The game is a side-scrolling platformer with beat 'em up features.

The story begins with the escape of the Joker from an insane asylum. As always, Joker attempts to corrupt Gotham City and put it into chaos. Batman, after defeating a number of different henchmen, must bring Joker to justice.