"Fun virtual console Genesis port."

Our beloved Virtual Console has 100 titles! There's some great stuff out there, from several systems of days past. Is it worth your cash to pick up Comix Zone now? Read on, to find out if it's your cup of tea, my friends. This one is an action, scrolling beat em up, with some light puzzles involved, that are very simple. I enjoy both comics and video games, so I'll try to be fair towards both audiences, but keep in mind this game is a video game first, a homage to comics a very distant second.

Graphics - 8/10 Fairly impressive for the era, but when you look at the year it came out, it's far from the best. I like the comic book format of every level. You hop in and out of panels, and can sometimes interact with the paper surrounding you. There are comic "sound" words, like pow, bam, wonk, etc, that show up during combat. Combat animations for the hero and villians are fairly simple, but get the job done. Backgrounds are fairly well drawn, and really add to the plotline.

Sound - 7/10 It's Genesis. They've never been known for the most top quality sound, but they do have a uniqueness fans enjoy. This game is no different in those respects. The sound is a grunge, 90s sort of rock album. Actually quite good, to those of us around for 90s music scenes and comics/games etc. It fits the tone and pacing. The fighting effects sometimes seem barely there, but you can hear them for the most part, and while very basic, they work just fine.

Gameplay - 8/10 Ah yes, what it all comes down to. This game is a scrolling, beat em up, sometimes platformer with very simple puzzles involved. You travel from panel to panel to clear comic book pages of enemies and puzzles. At a few points in the story, you can choose which path to follow. Some are decidedly easier than others, while some offer better items to use in battle. There are a handful of powerup type items to be used while you play, for offense and health regeneration. There are few different types of enemies, but they are memorable and mostly fun to fight against. The overall fight system consists of dodges and combos. Mostly limited, but fun in a simplistic way. You can attack high and low, jump, roll around, use items, and comic surroundings to fight. There is very light platform, and simple puzzles that won't trouble anyone too much. The learning curve is decent. Easy at first, and after some deaths and retries you'll find the entire game going by fairly quickly. There are also cheat codes to enhance gameplay and/or replay.

In the end, a solid enough platformer, with decent fights, a cliched but fun (and sometimes funny) plot, a cool grunge, 90s hero, and a villian that seems to fit into the sometimes hokey 90s comic book movie role. Story is predictable, gameplay is varied enough to barely squeak by repetitative, items add spice, and the level design for this genre is top notch. If you have some spare money, and want a scrolling fighter/platformer, and like the 90s grunge style, you'll love this title. If you're a fan of the genre, I'd say try out a back up copy first elsewhere, before you make the purchase. And if you hate cliches from the 90s comic area, steer clear, or suffer the consequences!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/06/07