"Pure Comic Genius...literally"

The Genesis console was mostly a recluse compared with the SNES and upcoming Playstation, and as such was never as popular as Nintendo consoles, but that's where it got its power. Every now and then a sleeper hit on the genesis would come around. Comix Zone is one of these sleeper hits, and I am here to tell you why.

Story: 10/10

I am incorporating the game idea with the story for this perfect store. The game idea and story are this, if you didn't know already, a writer of a comic book gets sucked into his own comic., so you get to fight as the main hero, and blast your way through 4 chapters of non-stop classic comic book style rumbling. This means each screen if you will is instead a panel, a part of a level is a page, and the whole level is two pages of panels. I find this whole idea very innovative, and thus the perfect score.

Graphics: 10/10

The graphics are very cartoony, and rightly so. The enemies are active, unless you are beating the crap outta them, and the main character is easy to see. The backrounds are very reminiscent of a comic book as well, as the name of the game would have you to believe. Speech bubbles are present, though if yu move around the panel too much, the bubble will look like its floating. No big deal though.Every panel is not gorgeous, but rather the page in its entirety is balanced and overall looks very good. Graphics get a perfect score as well.

Gameplay: 10/10

Another perfect score you say? Yes. This game's elements are so balanced and fun that the game is indeed superb in almost every way. Now, the reason i say gameplay is perfect is that everything you would see in an average comic is here, and the developers didn't miss a beat. taglines are boxed in at the top corner of each panel, and for instance might say: ''Meanwhile...'' or something of that nature. the other thing that is essential is the speech bubbles. Sketch (the main character) will often say something transferring to a panel about the enemies or his surroundings. For instance: traversing down a narrow cave when a worm pops out, Sketch says '' i'm gonna kick your head in, worm!'' It's things like this that make you and the character somewhat bonded, if you get my drift. Of course, as well there are complementary Bams, biffs, cracks, and smash sound bubbles as well. All in all, you will really feel like you are inside a comic, and that is a good thing. Sketch can also pick up items that are dropped from the backround, such as his pet rat, Roadkill (who is useful for more than you think), a knife to throw, explosives, and of course, health.

Difficulty: 7/10

Though by far not the hardest game I have ever played, the only reason for having the score as it is, is because of health issues. While pummeling through the first level isn't too taxing on your life meter, other levels are, and you will die alot, unless you happen to find a health bottle some where, and they are scarce, and rarely are dropped by enemies. The only time your health is replenished is after you have completed 2 pages or the level, not every page, so if you barely make it through one page, unless there is a bottle waiting for you on the very next page, you can be sure to die soon. The game does let you continue from the page you were on though, but resarting a difficult page all over again can be tedious. Boss fights require some strategy as well, and normal enemies will not just take a beating, they will block in later areas of the game, and you will have to time your attacks, and this element is brought in nice and slow. Not the hardest game ever, but good luck at some points replenishing your life.

Replay Value: 8/10

This score doesn't mean you will play it over and over again, but someday after you beat it once, you will discover it again, and it will be a dream to play through again. The overall cartoon atmosphere make it not very stressful to play. So it's a good bet you'll want to slug through a couple pages later on.

Overall: 9/10 (not an average)

I loved this game, and was impressed by the new gameplay ideas it brought to the table. If you see this game anywhere and have a Genesis, I would definitely say to snag it, because it is old, but truly a gem. Definitely recommended. Until next time, game on!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/10/03