Padd Solutions

Comix Zone is a goddamned brilliant game. Old news to most i'm sure, but it just really struck me on a recent playthrough just how ahead of it's time it really was. Here's the thing; I grew up on Comix Zone. When I was a kid it was easily my second favorite game (next to Sonic 2 of course). I thought the concept of playing through an actual comic book was absolutely the coolest thing ever. Never once though did I conquer this game. In fact it was, at the time at least, considered to be notoriously difficult and in an era that was know for ridiculously hard games, that was saying a lot.

You see the biggest challenge (aside from the bullshit jump sections. Comix fans know what i'm talking about) was that literally *everything* you did in the game drained your health. See a door you need to get through? Punch it and lose health. Rock blocking your way? Kick it and watch as your health melts away. That huge spinning fan? Ok, well it's probably not a good idea to punch something like that anyway. You get the point though. No matter how hard I tried, and no matter how many different paths I took, ( another feature ahead of its time. Comix feature multiple paths so that every playthrough was different) I was always screwed on health by the time I reached the boss.

Very recently though this game was offered up as a freebie to all PSN Plus users. On my quest to 100% the game I came to a startling revelation; Comix Zone isn't a 2d side-scrolling brawler at all... it's actually a puzzle game. I took my time going through the game this time, really just sat back and looked over every single comic panel I was in. Eventually I was shocked to learn that literally at every single point in this game where you lose health, there is actually a solution to the puzzle that gets you by unscathed. The game doesn't every put you in a position where you HAVE to be injured. Sometimes you need only to use your loyal rat to pull a switch on the other side of the screen. Other times you need to find a loose object in the environment, get behind it, and push it to destroy fan blades or block doors. It was a stroke of absolute brilliance by the developers, and sadly one that is overlooked by all but the most hardcore players.

Comix Zone was released in 1995/1996, and I have yet to see any single 2d "beat-em up" that comes anywhere close to replicating the near perfect balance that game achieved. When you can actually create a puzzle game that doesn't even feel like you're playing a puzzle game...well that's rather amazing. Comix Zone was a game where you could literally play however you wanted. You could choose your own paths, choose your own play style, do things that the industry still to this day wont let you do. Like I said before, when I was a kid I simply played the game as a bare bones brawler, and very rarely had much to show for it. Luckily the game has aged so well that going back to learn all of its nuances is an absolute pleasure.

Comix Zone will always be remembered for its unique concept first and foremost. But I hope that someday soon people will appreciate it for its genius game design as well. In fact I hope that more indy developers take notice of the innovations of Comix and try to implement them in to current gen games. With DLC games on the rise now is the perfect time for ideas like this to resurface. For old school fans and new school people alike; do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of this game. Most important of all though, play it. Really and truly play it. A lot of people will be quick to declare old school gaming obsolete, but if anything we still have a lot to learn.

All hail Comix Zone. Easily one of the greatest games ever.