I never got into Comix Zone, however, those last few years REALLY showed how much power was in that little black box. I miss old-school SEGA, please come back, gaming needs you.
My favorite Sega Institute game. I love the graphics and sound, and playing on a 6 button controller really helps the gameplay. Also, did you know Sketch will randomly fart when you duck? As a kid I thought that was hilarious.
@@captainkirk265 You are right. Around the late 90’s the hand draw sprite era was reaching its pinnacle. A 2D game like Comix Zone looks great even today. In contrast, an awesome 3D game like Tekken looks dated to a modern gamer because 3D was just starting to get popular at the time.
What a crazy coincidence. I decided to play through Comix Zone recently. I’ve been playing this game off and on since it came out and could never beat it. But I JUST beat the game for the first time about an hour before this review went up. Lol
I think I'm slowly starting to become one of your favorite fans. This right here was one of my favorite games growing up. I say that proudly as a Sega lover at 39 years of age!
I originally played this at my friends house, and instantly fell in love with the presentation. I loved the art style, Music, Voice samples, and even the little touches like enemies being drawn in and the impact noises words. I never did get past the second or third level though, as this was definitely one of the hardest games I played. I did get to see one of my other friends beat it several years later though. I would absolutely love to see a modern sequel that added voice acting for the text bubbles, upped the presentation, lowered the difficulty a bit, and just had a huge comic book adventure. No other game really had this type of style.
I remember there was one game on I think the PSP and I think it was a PSP exclusive that also took place in a comic book universe and had the look and stuff but it wasn't quite up to the same stuff as this even though it was a little better visually/graphically a and I don't remember anything about the music. I can't really remember much about it and I feel like it just got forgotten but I do think a game like this given even the streets of rage 4 treatment would be amazing.
@@roldanrosario8292 Problem was they kept releasing 3D games on it even though it was more built for high-end 2D. They should have done it they could have done it but of course like everything else it was a missed opportunity.
@@JohnDoe-wq5eu Saturn still had impressive titles though. What ever wasn’t done with the Saturn was because Sega of America was distracted by the 32x. But even then there were people buying the Saturn just for X-men vs Street fighter. And it was worth it!!
I remember seeing this in video game magazines and thinking how cool it looks. I was finally able to play it on the Wii virtual console and I loved it. It's hard but it's not impossible. You just have to figure out what's the best move execution for each enemy and gets easier. But make no mistake, it's hard but fun
I was going to say the same thing. That's how I felt about. Reading it (I think) Video Game Monthly or whatever magazine I was reading made me wish I had a Sega Genesis. It's such a great game. I didn't think it was hard though so I'm kind of surprised by what others have said.
Yeah but the list of games they need to bring back is a mile long. So many good ones are still lost either never brought from the arcade or some other obscure/rare/expensive Sega platform.
@@aggrock7808 Nah, especially the soundtrack. It would have no punch on SNES, which is way better for orchestral scores. This game has Sega and Genesis vibes all over it.
WhenI played this again recently, I was amazed at a) how well it held up, and b) that I ever finished it as a kid. A very good game that should have had a follow-up or two. Plus, the grunge EP that came with the game weren’t too bad
Instant deaths, trial and error, and a single life don't gel together well. I can appreciate the art style and even sort of what it was going for, but like you said, there's no room to learn. If a game is hostile to letting you figure out how to progress, why should the player invest the patience? I do appreciate your efforts to try and see both sides of the idea at least.
@@aceassn716 in xmen 2 clone wars, only in stage 1 were you unable to choose your character. That is because it dropped you right into the first stage. After that you could choose who to play as.
You nailed this one. This game was so hard, I was one of those kids that rented most of his games and this one was a frustrating weekend. Played it later on a PS3 compilation and could make it to the end but needed to use the invincibility cheat to see the ending. It is too short of a game but the mechanics are well executed
There is a instant kill move available that can kill off most enemies making the game easier to complete. Hold the action button and the character will tear off the backdrop to use it to made a paper aeroplane as a weapon against enemies. Enemies die much faster than being plummet by regular attacks.
It drain your life. and if it hits you by mistake when it returns it damages you very bad... and it takes too much time to be done in front of enemies.
jesus, once you get to the 2nd stage, let the rat out right away and he rips open the background and dynamite pops out so you can blow up the door unharmed. I've never seen the rat get an item out of the wall like that. I can't believe I didn't realize the rat does those things. I usually only used it to get under those rotating blades
wow and in the room with the liquid aliens hatching from the glass wall, the rat rips open the wall and finds a health bottle....i always wondered how the hell you are possibly supposed to have enough health for the boss by that point. So much makes sense now
@@manirahnema9585 no, he's right, you use it immediately, and then duck so it wont hit you on return. And then use the health bottles you find throughout. Let the rat out in places and he will tear out the wall and find new health bottles. I'm blown away
Comix Zone is one of the games I’ve had several opportunities to pick up. I’ve been hesitant until watching your review of it. If it’s at my local retro shop I’m going to pick it up. Thanks for the honest review
Check out the rom and see for yourself if you would like it, then buy it. It's not like anyone involved with the game production is making any money off of it anymore from second hand sales.
I didn't own a Sega Genesis back then, but I do remember seeing this game at a friend's house and thinking it looked awesome. Now, I get to play it thanks to great rereleases like the Sega Genesis Collection on current consoles and pc. Wish I could do the same for Sega Saturn and especially Dreamcast games too.
I didn't think the game was too difficult to play when I was a teenager, since I was able to beat the game after playing it quite a bit, though I ended up getting the bad ending without figuring out how to easily defeat Mortus and save Alisia from drowning.
Despite the difficulty, I always really loved this game. Played it through both endings a couple months ago after I fixed my Nomad, and I recently got it for the PS3. This game could definitely use the Streets of Rage 4 treatment. There's so much more they could do with modern mechanics, gameplay, and graphics.
I really appreciate just how subtly brilliantly this video is structured. I love how at the beginning, the footage shows it being played like a beat 'em up, falling into the game's frustrations, and in the last third, you showed some of those same sections done right, using the rat and items to progress well. Just a dynamite, cohesive way to combine the footage with the message. I still have this complete with the CD. The CD sucks. The game is great.
I didn't think "Comix Zone" was too difficult to play when I was a teenager, since I was able to beat the game after playing it quite a bit, though I ended up getting the bad ending without figuring out how to easily defeat Mortus and save Alissia from drowning.
You've really come around on this game since your Difficult Genesis Games series. The great tragedy to Comix Zone is that once you realize *how* to play it, you also realize it's only 3 levels long and not all that difficult, and you end up wishing it were 5 times longer.
Comix Zone was a game that I really wanted to like, and do appreciate to a fairly good extent. The difficulty was enough where I have limited mileage when trying to play the game. Perhaps if I had purchased the physical game upon release I would have been more persistent (Too many other games of interest for Genesis and SNES, as well as the incoming 32 bit games) but as part of collection disc it is too easy just to play in a short burst and move onto something else.
Had the PC port of this with the first Windows (95) PC I had at home. Truly a brilliant game and you've hit the nail on the head with this review. Difficult but well, well worth playing over and over to get good at! Brilliantly designed game.
Probably my top Genesis game. Hard as hell but so enjoyable in every aspect. How about some tips? It doesn't tell you but you get an extra life for every page you complete. Roadkill gets rid of Mongoreias super fast. To minimize damage when hitting objects use your shoulder bash.(Push against it and attack at the same time) Every boss has an easy way to defeat them with minimal effort. (1. Trash can on other side of her. 2. Jump kick into his nails ((obviously)) 3. Spamming the thruster lever when he's by the thruster.) Don't grab the green slime monsters after the city. Try to keep Roadkill with you at all times. If there's a part where you think he can help, he probably can. (Take your time if there is no enemies or pits. He can find items in a lot of panels. More than you think.) Boxes stacked on top of each other might be a small puzzle in itself. Try jumping at them. Each enemy has a weakness to a certain attack pattern. Gravis are weak to grab. Strigil if above uppercut. If not low kicks (NOT CROUCHING KICKS.) Flying mutants: uppercuts and neutral jump kicks. Styx are weak to high and low kick mix ups. Mongorias are probably the easiest. Just mash attack while pushing against them while roadkill is out. Pelagus are best delt with an item but jump kicks a good to. Press and hold attack to rip a piece of the page off, make a paper airplane and clear the panel. It does enough damage to you that you might have to think before using it but it's a useful tool and there's enough health drinks around to make it ok. (Just remember to duck!) A six button controller is ideal because the block button can be programmed to the OD shoulder bash or any other combo ender. You still would get auto block but now you can do strong attacks on command. There's more I could say but try these out for yourself and you will probably find out more small things as you play.
Very difficult game but also very solid. The GBA port from developer Virtucraft (Mortal Kombat Advance, Samurai Jack The Amulet Of Time) was a HORRENDOUS port. Dear lord they did an incredibly horrific job.
Owned this one as a kid and remember it was rare I ever made it to the 3rd level, and never got past that part of Comix Zone. Brutally difficult game. I wound up trading it for Splatterhouse 3 with a friend which is a waaaaay better game imo, but also plenty difficult.
The only thing that makes any games really hard and frustrating, is when they dont have save points... so everytime you d!e, you have to start from the beginning
My problem was definitely that I never figured out the Adventure game elements...well, I did, but even then I didn't have the skill to pull it off. Maybe it'll go better as an adult...
I'm glad you came around to Comix Zone. It's one of my favorite Genesis games, by far. The soundtrack is so good. Like you say, the gameplay is nuanced in a way that makes it so satisfying to get through a tricky panel. Heck, I'm still learning new things about it! For example, on the last page of the game, there is a room where there are three or four bombs hanging from a suspended track. I used to kick them from as far away as I could until I learned a year or so ago that if you put your shoulder into them, they'll go down the track and explode each other!
This game looks stunning on a CRT. I have a vid here of playing it on a PVM. I only ever beat it on the PSP Genesis collection with the save states and all it was still hard!
It's great to look back at the Megadrive and see how software matured on it, as said in the video, I think also that it could have gone on for a couple more years, even if it was kid friendly games and movie tie ins.
Loved this game from moment one, the 8 yr old me thought the style was so incredibly cool. Later on when I was a teen and had this for pc I came to appreciate the survival/adventure/puzzle mechanics you highlighted. Never did beat it though, the third world always got me in short order. I think there’s loads of potential here to make a bigger and better (not to mention more new player friendly) version of this in the future. Maybe when dotemu is done with Windjammers 2 they can start on a Comix Zone 2, their penchant for hand drawn 2D graphics would be a natural fit.
Man, I used to play this game RELIGIOUSLY back in the day on this Sega Smash Pack for PC. Beat it a few times but died way more. That jump you gotta make at the end of the first level made me start over I don't know how many times. The game really is hard as sin but it's worth it imo. Great video.
i love this game but I have no idea how many times I have seen the game over sequence. But I can definitely tell you how many times I've seen the 3rd stage
Never really understood what everyone's problem with this game's difficulty problem was. Then again, it was probably my first Genesis game back then so I didn't know any better and kept playing until I finally beat it.
Hey man, great review. I too never gave Comix Zone much time as well due to the difficulty but will definitely have another go of it soon with a different mentality now. I agree with your points, Sega should've made it easier and have difficulty levels, with say a better ending on higher ones for added replay value.
I’ve seen a lot of mini reviews for this game in various top ten lists, but here in this video you’ve finally sold me on it. Except, now I want it CIB so I can read the manual and get the full experience.
I really love this game. Yeah it's pretty damn hard at first, but just the overall look and feel of it always made me wanna try again. Like mentioned in the video, I love the different ways you can handle situations in this game, as in there isn't just one way to deal with something.
This is one of those Genesis games that needed an enhanced Saturn port, but it never came. The Sega Tunes soundtrack would have been perfect in a Saturn version of the game.
Have beaten this game countless times. If you use Roadkill and know where the items are at, and know how to manage your items all while maintaining heavy blows to your enemies and low damage to yourself, it’s not all that very hard. If you want a hard game, Sega Technical Institute made The Ooze alongside this game, and it’s far more broken in comparison.
comix zone is my favorite genesis game.. i got it back in like 95.. i still play it on sonic's ultimate genesis collection on ps3.. but i play on an arcade stick for the 6 button layout of the original game
This was one of the ones i brought home when renting back in the day. I beat it in adult hood with the help of save states- although wasn’t able to get a perfect ending where you save the drowning girl. I’ve since bought it on my genesis and chip away at it every now and again. It’s a pretty unforgiving game.
Great review, fantastic game that took me a while to appreciate, too. Comix Zone is such a wonderfully unique game, though. Totally agree with your notion about mindset. This game is way more Flashback or Blackthorne than Streets of Rage. A tutorial level at the beginning would have totally made this game more accessible. I also think the rat should've been ever-present like Navi in Ocarina of Time instead a collectible item/piece of equipment.
I actually have an idea for a sequel to Comic Zone. I call it Manga zone. it would be a mixture of a first person shooter and first person Hack n Slash RPG. The combat part of this possible sequel would focus mostly on melee and firearms combat. There is more but let me know if this is a good first start.
I've played it last year without using save states. In the end it wasn't as hard as so many on the internet say, especially because it's a very short game.
As far as I heard, the gems driver was a neat idea, easier to use, the thing is that it wasn't well utilized most of the time. Custom sound drivers like Yuzo Koshiro's still sounded better, but it wasn't as easy to use.
Yeah I remember reading an interview with the guy that developed the GEMS driver (I think, don't quote me on that) but he was saying the whole idea was that GEMS gave an easy starting point for music creation but few devs took it past the 'defaults'
I wouldn't have a problem with the difficulty if it wasn't obvious padding meant to lengthen the game and punish the rental market. This is the kind of game that I think would have really benefited from "waiting" on a Saturn release. More storage (and CD sound), and consequently less of a need to pad the few levels in the game, would have made this an undisputed classic. It feels like a "respectable" port of a much better arcade game, or a forgotten 3DO game that is "surprisingly good" for the system it was on. I say that as someone who rented this game multiple times when it came out and has revisited it multiple times since. I *want* to like this game. I collect genesis games and 80's/90's comics. This should be my jam.
It was less about punishing the rental market and more to do with how limited storage was on cartridge's back then. Imagine spending $90+ in today's money and then beating the game in less than an hour because they couldn't fit much content on the cartridge.
It is such crazy timing that you released this video today because I was just playing this game over the weekend. I played it years ago back when it was first released, and while I liked it I definitely went in more swinging wildly and treating it like a standard brawler. After playing it again some 25 years later I found more similarities to a hybrid fighting game/brawler. It reminds me a bit of like what Midway tried to do with Mortal Kombat with their attempts at making a Mortal Kombat adventure/brawler. But, I think Comix Zone accomplishes that feat much more successfully. What they wanted to do with this game they really did well as it really does feel like a comic book and it really does blend survival horror, fighting, and brawler genre's. I also think Comix Zone is one of the best looking Genesis games with just a handful that can rival or beat it out. It really is a beautiful game with large detailed sprites, backgrounds, and other various effects (like bits of comic book paper ripping off and floating around).
Have you done a video on Chakan the Forever man? A game few people talk about. It was dark souls hard before Dark souls was even a thing. On a side note, i would also be interested in hearing your thoughts on Cyborg Justice.
I like the game presentation here. Great music in this beat em up. I didn't hear or even play this game until ten years ago and i think its an underrated gem.
Having a cd as a pack-in and showing what the songs actually were like added to the versions on the cartridge. Kinda hit harder that way. Thinking about the gameplay, it´s all about the routes to the bosses. It almost made me cringe a couple of times seeing your gameplay full well knowing your thinking behind those scenes. Man, i played this thing for hours and hours.
The way you describe the difficulty in this game reminds me of another Genesis cult classic, Batman and Robin. Very difficult right from the word go, and many people will never get past the first stage. But stick with it and you'll find a truly amazing game.
this game was a master piece in every department. gameplay, sound, music, design, graphics. Back in the day I was blown away with comix zone, hell im still blown away today how it squeeze every bit of the sega genesis.
Really opened my eyes to this one. Woulda been great if the game had come out earlier, to see a sequel using the same kinda graphic style for a proper beat em up as I feel that would sell well just since the visuals alone + music would be great for the genre. Wonder if anyone's ever considered making it with Beats of Rage or something similar, I know I'd enjoy that. Thanks for sharing!
6:11 I just started watching your videos so I'm not familiar with the sound driver but I'm guessing that the same one was used in Buck Rogers? They sound similar to my ear.
I’ve played the hell out of this on PS3 and didn’t beat till last year on the mini the depth of the moves is surprising also the charge move that rips a piece of the page and send a bomb paper airplane is cool wish I knew about that when I first played it
