Comix Zone (MD, 1995)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-8 Control-7.5 Challenge-8
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-7
+
Multiple paths through the levels
Interesting concept (you're a comic book artist/athlete/bum trapped in his own comic by a fictional villain of his own creation)
Lots of moves
Good use of the rat mascot (find hidden items, pull switches, electrocute enemies) and the six button pad
Great animation and some nice effects (paper pieces particle effect, burning page in one level, water animation)
Minor puzzles here and there
Control options
Item inventory (limited to three items)
Pretty good variety
+/-
Need to read the manual/a guide for the move list
Can't move back to a previously visited frame
Can't run
-
No lives or continues (you can find a couple of hidden lives though)
Pretty short
Some strange mechanics (you take damage from punching any object and reach higher platforms by kicking in the air)
Some slowdown
No difficulty options
Some trial & error (the jump on page 1, some puzzles, the burning page segment, cheap hits through leaps of faith (because you can't look up or down))
Somewhat sloppy hit detection at times (shaolin kick too close to the torch pillars and it doesn't register, using the burning barrel against the first boss)
Hard to keep track of dialogue in the middle of a fight
Road kill (the rat) is a bit slow at searching for items
Notes:
-The damage from hitting barrels and boxes can be removed with a GG code
-Minor side effects from overclocking (somewhat distorted PSG, some graphical glitching outside of the frame you're in)
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-8.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-7
+
Multiple paths through the levels
Interesting concept (you're a comic book artist/athlete/bum trapped in his own comic by a fictional villain of his own creation)
Lots of moves
Good use of the rat mascot (find hidden items, pull switches, electrocute enemies) and the six button pad
Great animation and some nice effects (paper pieces particle effect, burning page in one level, water animation)
Minor puzzles here and there
Control options
Item inventory (limited to three items)
Pretty good variety
+/-
Need to read the manual/a guide for the move list
Can't move back to a previously visited frame
Can't run
-
No lives or continues (you can find a couple of hidden lives though)
Pretty short
Some strange mechanics (you take damage from punching any object and reach higher platforms by kicking in the air)
Some slowdown
No difficulty options
Some trial & error (the jump on page 1, some puzzles, the burning page segment, cheap hits through leaps of faith (because you can't look up or down))
Somewhat sloppy hit detection at times (shaolin kick too close to the torch pillars and it doesn't register, using the burning barrel against the first boss)
Hard to keep track of dialogue in the middle of a fight
Road kill (the rat) is a bit slow at searching for items
Notes:
-The damage from hitting barrels and boxes can be removed with a GG code
-Minor side effects from overclocking (somewhat distorted PSG, some graphical glitching outside of the frame you're in)