Comix Zone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Comix Zone
Developer(s)	Sega Technical Institute
Publisher(s)	Sega
Release date(s)	1995
Genre(s)	Beat 'em up
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: K-A
Platform(s)	Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Windows, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Media	3 1/2 Floppy disk, CD-ROM
System requirements	PC: 386, DOS 3.3+, 2 RAM Talkie: CD-ROM & Sound card
Input	Joypad, Computer keyboard (on computer)

Comix Zone is a 1995 arcade-style action game for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. Gameplay involves defeating enemies with punches, kicks, holds, and combos of the three, managing your inventory, and solving puzzles.

The game's most remarkable feature is that it is set within the "panels" of a comic book. Each level consists of two "pages" and secrets are discovered by shredding the "paper" and revealing items. Dialogue is rendered within talk bubbles with the typical comic font. Sprites and backgrounds possess the bright colors and dynamic drawing style favored by superhero comics.

The music was composed by Howard Drossin, a known video game and movie composer. Graphics were done mainly by comic artists.

The plot concerns Sketch Turner, a cartoonist who becomes trapped in his own comic book. The villain of his story, a powerful mutant named Mortus, comes to life in an unusual thunderstorm, and he decides to trap him in his own world. Inside the comic book, Sketch meets General Alissa Cyan, who believes he's a superhero that came to save their post-apocalyptic world from the evil.

The "drawn on paper" theme is held throughout, and the player can even rip shreds out of the backdrop and fold them into paper planes to throw at enemies. But because this paper world is also part of themselves (because they are drawn on it), this action takes a significant slice off the player's health bar. Certain combos will send enemies hurtling, and if a fragile border between frames is in the way the enemy crashes through it, tearing it to shreds. When confronted with an unbreakable frame barrier, the hero merely swings himself out of the frame, over the top of the border, and back down into the next scene.

There are three episodes in the game, each consisting of two pages in a distinct area (levels):

• Episode 1: "Night of the Mutants" (Newer York City)
  • Streets/Sewers
  • Mutant base
• Episode 2: "Welcome to the Temple" (Himalayas)
  • Mountain path/Tibetan city
  • Temple
• Episode 3: "Curse of the Dead Ships" (Zealand Atolls)
  • Caves
  • "Abandoned" ship

There are no lives whatsoever in this game, falling down a hole or being killed by enemies leads immediately to the bad ending, but Mortus did intend to give him a sporting chance. After the first area, Mortus will give Sketch another chance by saying "Oh, come on -- that was just too easy!" and allow him another chance. After the second area, Sketch will get another such chance. Also, there are many powerups you can obtain while playing. One is his pet rat, Roadkill. Another is the super fist, which turns Sketch into Super Sketch for a brief second, destroying all enemies on screen.

Like in many arcade games, the player has access to "berserker" moves that will deplete their health each time they are used, but ONLY if they hit an opponent or a breakable object. There are several such moves. Some work better in some situations or on some enemies better than others and the player must learn how and when to use each.

The game is hidden within the Japanese version of Sonic Mega Collection and is locked part of all region versions of Sonic Mega Collection Plus, which is unlockable with having a Sonic Heroes game save, or is unlocked over time.

The game was ported to the Game Boy Advance, but fans criticized this rerelease because its significantly smaller screen size allowed much less onscreen. This was said to lessen the effect of seeing into the other frames around the player, making it more like a traditional platform game. The game is also apart of the Sega Genesis Collection for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable.

Comix Zone was released on the Virtual Console, on January 29, 2007.