Comix Zone

Imagine an artist squeezing you right onto the page of a comic book — and you have to fight your way out, panel by panel, while the same author sketches enemies into your path with a pencil. That is exactly what Comix Zone is, one of the most visually original games ever released on the Mega Drive.

The entire game takes place inside the pages of a comic book. You leap between individual panels, the action runs within frames as if on paper, and the artist „paints“ you into the plot in real time — enemies literally come into being with a stroke of the pencil. This presentation had no equal in 1995 and still takes your breath away today.

The gameplay is a classic beat 'em up: you punch, kick and use objects to fight your way onward. But Comix Zone is short and downright brutally hard — and this is underscored by a cruel detail where you hurt yourself even by destroying the very panels around you. Every fight is thus a little test of nerves.

It was precisely the combination of merciless difficulty and an incredibly distinctive visual that turned the game into a cult affair. It is not a title everyone finishes, but it is an experience you never forget.

With its idea, Sega proved that even in an established genre you can come up with something that looks and plays like nothing before it.

Why play: A visually absolutely unique beat 'em up set inside a comic book — a short, cruel and unforgettable original.