Comix Zone - Thoughts

Comix Zone was released in 1995 for the Sega Genesis, developed and published by Sega Technical Institute (STI). The game was conceived by Peter Morawiec, a designer and programmer at STI, whose team—many of whom were passionate comic book fans—envisioned a title that would seamlessly merge the visual language of comics with the interactivity of video games. One surprising source of inspiration was the 1985 music video for "Take on Me" by A-ha. In that video, live-action sequences blend with hand-drawn animation, an artistic concept that resonated deeply with the developers.

Upon release, Comix Zone was widely praised for its striking comic book aesthetic and innovative panel-based gameplay. The game cleverly mimicked the look and feel of a comic book in motion, complete with panel transitions, speech bubbles, and word-based visual effects (“Wham!”, “Pow!”). However, it wasn't without its criticisms—many reviewers pointed to repetitive combat and simplistic puzzles as shortcomings. Despite this, it received above-average reviews across most publications and has since been remembered as one of the standout titles of the Genesis library.

What I Liked 😃

Comics as a Video Game

image: Games From the Black Hole

I’ve talked about this briefly when I wrote up my thoughts on Spider-Man, but I am—or was—a huge comic book fan. I started collecting around the age of 9 or 10. I began with Superman and other DC titles, eventually moving on to Marvel's X-Men and Spider-Man and later expanding into indie publishers like Image (Spawn) and Dark Horse. By the time I stopped collecting, I had amassed close to 4,000 books and was running out of space. I sold most of them, and today all that remains are two long boxes.

So, when I first heard about Comix Zone, I had to play it. I rented it from a local video store for a weekend (for the younger readers: video stores were physical locations where people could rent games and movies). I didn’t get far, but I didn’t care—I was hooked by how incredible it looked. Sega absolutely nailed the presentation. You play as Sketch Turner (yes, that’s really his name), a comic book artist who gets pulled into his own creation by the villainous Mortus. Each screen is presented as a comic book panel, and once Sketch finishes one, he can progress by literally tearing through or jumping across the panel borders. Sometimes he’ll hang from the edge of a panel and drop into the next. The use of comic panel frames as interactive environments was—and still is—ingenious.

Dialogue is displayed via speech bubbles, and the entire game uses a color palette that mimics the bold inks and tones of 1990s comic books. It’s truly a visual treat.

Beat ‘em Up Ideas

image: YouTube

Comix Zone also introduced gameplay elements I hadn’t seen before in the beat 'em up genre.

One standout feature was Sketch’s pet rat, Roadkill. Somehow, this little guy ends up in the comic world too. Sketch finds him early on, and Roadkill becomes an indispensable ally—sniffing out secrets, activating switches, and even attacking enemies. While sidekick characters aren’t unusual in games, I can’t recall another beat 'em up that featured a pet rat in this way. Roadkill isn’t directly controllable either—he occupies an inventory slot and, once dropped, performs his tasks autonomously.

Another creative touch is the way enemy interactions affect the environment. Hitting foes can trigger giant comic-style "Whack!" or "Pow!" text effects and knocking enemies into the edges of panels causes the screen to shake. Enemies are drawn into the comic in real-time by Mortus himself—you see his disembodied hand sketching them in with a pencil, which is very reminiscent of the old Looney Tunes gag with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck being tormented by an off-screen animator.

The variety of environments also kept things fresh: dank sewers, snowy mountain paths, dystopian factories, and even a ruined Statue of Liberty à la Planet of the Apes.

More Than One Ending

image: TheGamer

Another standout feature—especially rare for the beat 'em up genre at the time—was the inclusion of multiple endings. Comix Zone offers both a good and bad ending.

To achieve the good ending, you must rescue Alissa Cyan, a researcher and Sketch’s ally, before defeating Mortus. If you succeed, Sketch returns to the real world with Alissa, triumphant. In the bad ending, however, Alissa dies within the comic world despite Sketch defeating Mortus, and he mourns her loss.

The dual endings add some replay value and make the story feel a bit more dynamic. Seeing this in a mid-90s beat 'em up was a pleasant surprise.

What I Didn’t Like ☹️

Can Be Tough

image: Reddit

While the presentation and concept are stellar, the execution—particularly in the combat—falls short in a few areas. One major issue is the lack of continues. If you run out, that’s it—you’re starting over. The game isn’t especially long and can be completed in a few hours, but it’s still frustrating. A checkpoint system or at least a few more continues would’ve gone a long way.

The combat mechanics themselves feel underdeveloped. If you don’t stay aggressively on the offensive, enemies can overwhelm you quickly. They can block your attacks, which becomes tedious, especially with limited moves at your disposal. Even more baffling is that Sketch takes damage from hitting objects like crates, doors, or walls. I understand the desire for a touch of realism, but this is a game about a man getting pulled into a comic book—realism isn’t exactly the priority!

Overall Thoughts 🤔

Comix Zone is one of those games that feels ripe for a modern revival. A remaster, remake, or even a full sequel could do wonders for the brand. The foundational ideas are incredibly strong—from the comic book setting to the presentation and interactivity. With refined combat mechanics and modern quality-of-life improvements, this could be an amazing game even by today’s standards.

As it stands, Comix Zone is a unique and stylish piece of gaming history. While its difficulty and limited mechanics may turn off some players, those who stick with it will find a decently fun experience. It's a perfect example of how strong visual identity and creative ambition can elevate even a short, linear game into something iconic.

Where Can I Play This? 🕹️

Surprisingly, Comix Zone is fairly easily playable today. It’s available on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service as part of the Sega Genesis library. It’s also available on XBox and PlayStation via the Sega Genesis Classics Collection. Of course, there’s always emulation or buying the cartridge.

I played the game physically on the Sega Genesis. I played through the game once and got the good ending.

Up Next 📅

Next up we’ll be taking a look at the re-imagining of Samus Aran’s first mission on the NES, Metroid: Zero Mission on the GameBoy Advance!