Overall 9.2 - This is a review for Comix Zone on Sega Genesis.  The comics inspired beat 'em up brought to life through a martial arts superhero trapped in his own creation.  At the start of the game you watch as our hero gets literally drawn into his own comic after lightning strikes his latest comic releasing Mortus from the pages.  Mortus then draws Sketch into his own comic in an attempt to kill him and be able to live in the real world.  If he is to survive he will need to beat the stuffing out of everything he comes across and discover that there is a super hero inside of himself.

Graphics 10 - Graphically I think anyone that played this game can plainly see that it was very well done for its time.  I went back and played this game some years later and I still found myself impressed by the graphics.  It's not just the details they put into the characters themselves it's the way the characters move and respond to their environment.  The other part that makes the graphics so cool is how they make you feel like you're actually in a comic book.  To give an example of this if a crate is blocking your way and you decide to take it out through brute force when it busts you will see shreds of paper come off the sheet. 

Sound 9 - This game had a very nicely done soundtrack with music that I remember even to this day.  Not only is the music a treat, but it feels like each piece was carefully selected to compliment the section in which it's played.  The music behind the game apart from being well selected was also fitting for the era the game came out during.  There is a distinct 90's sound to the pop rock that plays during the game.  The sound effects are also a treat.  Your main character has quite a few moves including some special ones and these all sound crisp when they land.  As an added bonus to help compliment the sound effects in the game the developers put in comic book wording to go along with the hits such as your typical POW! and Kaboom!.  It sounds cheesy, but it really adds to the overall effect of feeling like you're playing a game inside of a comic book. 

Addictiveness 9 - Not gonna lie I spent some serious time on this game as a youngster.  There are quite a few moves to employ and they all look great my favorite being the roundhouse high kick and the uppercut.  This is a short play through however you can play through it employing different methods.  There are many puzzles to figure out along the way and it will be up to you if you want to use brute force which often spends health, or figure out the puzzle usually through employing your little rat friend who is somehow really smart at deciphering what to do when you release him from your inventory. 

Story 7 - The story is not epic by any standards and there are certainly a fair amount of cliché's thrown into the story line.  This isn't to say that it isn't satisfying even though it's short.  The story is well written enough to flow smoothly as the game progresses.  There are also multiple points along the way to help with character development and move the story along.  This isn't a game that sets the stage and then just lets the rest of the game play through until they give you more at the end.  You will see cut scenes as you move forward through the pages of your comic.  These are in game and often involve the main protagonist drawing in your enemies.  There are also 2 different endings depending on how the last scene goes down. 

Depth 4 - If there is one short coming on this game that I'd be quick to point out it's the overall depth.  As mentioned there is a decent list of moves and strategies that can be employed, but once you've played through the game once you pretty much know what to expect.  Not that it's not fun to play through multiple times and sometimes it's nice to have a game that you can play through in under a couple hours.  Just don't expect to be able to have an entirely different experience each time.  The other bummer with the depth is that there isn't anything playable besides the single player quest.  It would've been nice to have some multiplayer options or even a free for all/ survival mode added in.

Difficulty 6 - The game is not overly difficult.  Once you have mastered the moves well the villains will drop with relative ease.  You may even find yourself toying with the enemy in the early portions of the game.  Comix Zone is also pretty forgiving when it comes to its puzzles as well often times giving the player multiple ways of solving the problem.  The enemies don't really get tough until you get towards the end of the game and even then it won't take but a few tries to get the desired outcome.

Conclusion - Comix Zone is a fun game that is certainly worth a try if you've never played it.  This game represents how to pull off a different concept well.  The game flows well at each stage and has some very memorable moments.  One of my personal favorites is when Sketch is down in the tunnels fighting the sewer thugs and they come at him with a crowbar hollering out "Give me the respect I deserve".  At that point you have no choice but to give them the respect they deserve and pound them into oblivion.