I think I've mentioned a few times on this website how the slide into "cinematic" storytelling modes in video gaming is a game-breaking problem that too many developers rely on. But what about other media? Games like Fire Emblem and Professor Layton are about as bookish of games as they come, for instance, and games like Muramasa or Okami stake their claims on being reminiscent of particular visual art styles. Why isn't that more problematic?
Comix Zone is not cinematic. It instead fuses together two wholly different media into something that could only be classified as rad (or tubular, or badical (in The Wizard sense, obviously), or any other excitable phrase from mid-90s ads). This is a sometimes-brilliant combination of comic book and arcade game, and it most certainly provides one of the most unique experiences from the 16-bit era.
That doesn't mean it's perfect, though. Let's get this out of the way first: despite my overwhelming praise for the concept and the awesomeness of the visual execution, Comix Zone would absolutely be nothing special if it was assessed on its gameplay alone. It's a beat-em-up that doesn't even really reach the inventiveness or mechanical playability of a game like Combatribes, and that game is hardly considered a classic of the genre (like Comix Zone regularly is). Oh, it's nothing that's broken, of course, but like a great many Genesis games, the controls are pretty stiff. Likewise, you're pretty much just taking on one or two bad guys at a time, and the fighting isn't particularly notable.
What is notable, however, is the flair with which it's done. Sure, this is about as "of its time" as any game could be, but despite the main character wearing a white sports jacket and sporting a ponytail, the garish neon colours of the backgrounds and the many, many dated catchphrases on display, the game's visual flair is enough to set it apart even from modern games. This, moreso even than a great deal of comic book movies, understands the visual language of comics. Punching an enemy through a frame border or avoiding enemies as they get drawn in by the nefarious character-come-to-life Mortus, is always thrilling. And while the story being told within the frames of the comic book is pretty much pointless and meandering, the game has enough charming (and in-joke-y) touches to make every interaction within the comic book feel pretty compelling.
Less compelling, however, is the game's incredible difficulty. You probably won't see past the first few pages of the comic book, because you are going to get your ass handed to you on the regular. I consider myself a pretty good beat-em-up player, but Comix Zone put me in my place. It's a little unfortunate, because it would be nice to see the game through, but it's this kind of difficulty that places Comix Zone as a particularly arcade-y game, and that's something that nicely ties into the game's 1990s aesthetic.
Despite my praise for the game's visual flair, though, it is, in essence, the same criticism I have of modern games. The lack of substance is being masked by an abundance of panache, and panache for its own sake is only mildly interesting. With that being said, it's a lot easier to relate to a game that wants to mimic comic book storytelling than it is one that wants to be a brainless Hollywood blockbuster, so despite its shortcomings, Comix Zone still ends up as a pretty rad badical time.
Thanks to my good friend Steve for the suggestion. Keep 'em coming!