Basically, after World War III, there was fallout and radiation and blah blah blah...and everyone became mutants. Well, a Prof. Kildare (nice) has recruited six individuals and turned them back into humans. They are the Ex-Mutants. Not as cool sounding as the X-men, eh? It is their job to stop the evil Mutant Lord Sluggo from destroying you. Apparently, whoever created this comic was high while watching Saturday Night Live, as the name Sluggo is the villain in the Mr. Bill claymation shorts. Not only that, but one of the two selectable "Ex-Mutants" is named Ackroyd. Wow. What a name for a hero.

The game is your basic side-scroller. Think TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, only uber lame. Ackroyd is "master of the battle axe" and Shannon (another stellar hero name) uses nunchakus. Jump, attack and generally slog your way through 11 levels of comic drudgery. There's no easy way around this, this game sucks. It's an action side-scroller, but it's just so Craptacular that it's not even worth writing more about. The sound is awful, the graphics are pathetic (Shannon looks anorexic and Ackroyd looks more like Steroid) and the control is practically non-existent.

I think the only property that was GOOD that came from Malibu comics was MEN IN BLACK. And I mean the movie, not the game that's based on the movie, 'cause that sucks too. Even if you're a fan of the comic (has anyone even HEARD of this comic?) don't seek this out for your collection. Thankfully, this title has passed us by.

One Gamer's Opinion:

THE TICK (GENESIS, SNES) - 1994 - New England Comics

Combining characters from the TV series (Die Fladermaus, American Maid) with characters from the comic book (Paul The Samurai, The Red Scare) and plotlines from the first few comics ("Night of a Million Zillion Ninjas") seemed like a good idea for a side scrolling action game, a la STREETS OF RAGE. For the most part it is, with one possible exception. The game is repetitious as all hell. After you beat down your zillionth ninja, you suddenly realize it's not just a clever title.

As far as the game looks, however, you couldn't ask for better at the time. It retains the color and feel of the cartoon show, and some of the best lines are repeated throughout ("Spoon!"). The game has a unique attack feature, that when you pick up an icon for a fellow hero such as American Maid or Paul, they will fight with you, back to back. While this sounds interesting in theory, it's kind of annoying since it limits your movements and your attacks aren't strengthened, just in two different directions at once. That and Die Fladermaus doesn't do anything when you get his icon, just pose and generally tries to look cool.

The sound is decent, using the theme from the show throughout, and Tick calls for Arthur to swoop in from time to time and take out a bunch of enemies at once. The SNES version was a little better in this department than the Genesis version, since the Sega system just frankly didn't have that stellar of a sound output to begin with. Still, as with the gameplay, the music gets repetitious, and you may end up muting it after a while.

It's not a bad game, but it's not a great game either. Fans of the show or comic would enjoy it, if they could get past the overly monotonous nature of the game. I personally love the game, but that's only because (a) I'm a huge fan of the comic and show and (b) I'm a very patient soul.

One Gamer's Opinion:

WILD C.A.T.S (SNES) - 1995 - Wildstorm Productions

Jim Lee drew the X-men at one time. This probably accounts as to why these characters looks like X-men, and why the game plays like the X-men SNES game. Again, it's another action side scroller, beat up the badguys STREETS OF RAGE style. Most comic games are like this in the 90s, I've noticed. Regardless, it's not a bad action title, and it has a bit more of a selection than other games like it such as SPAWN or THE TICK.

As a member of the WILD C.A.T.S (which stands for Covert Action Teams) you must stop the immortal Helspont from taking over the Earth. Yeah, comic book stuff. Players can select to play as Spartan the team leading cyborg, Maul the giant warrior, or Warblade the "guy-whos-hands-turn-into-cool-shit". Each has varying levels of attacks and powers, and though you can select to play as any of these three teammembers, you must work cooperatively with them to reach your ultimate goal of stopping Helspont. For example, Spartan may not be able to pass through a certain area until you used Warblade or Maul to unlock it from a different location. For a single player game to promote teamwork, it's a bizarre thing indeed, but it translates the team dynamic from then comic well enough.

The graphics are typical for this type of game: big colorful sprites and comicy-looking characters. The control is pretty basic, but it gets the job done. Again, this is nothing new as far as comic games from this era, so as the third review of this type, I've run out of ways to say the same thing over and over. It's just like the last game I reviewed, decent if you're a fan of the comic or side scrolling action games, but not much other meat there. The teamwork dynamic is an interesting twist, however, and puts this a little higher on the shelf from most comic action games.

One Gamer's Opinion:

GHOST IN THE SHELL (PSOne) - 1997 - Translated by Dark Horse Comics

For those unfamiliar with GHOST IN THE SHELL...well, it's a bit complex, and would take far too long to explain. Just know that it's set in the future, it involves cybernetic beings, and is totally kick-ass. The movie is one of my favorite of all time, and the game ranks up there with my faves as well. If you have yet to see it, do yourself a favor and go get it. Now. I'll wait.

Back yet? Ok. Now, the Manga that the Anime feature is based on has a lot more plot points to it than just "The Puppet Master" seen in the film. This is where the game comes in. As a member of the Public Security Bureau's Section 9 (a covert assault organization designed to eliminate all crimes and their causes, but mostly centered on hackers and high-tech terrorists) you pilot a Fugikoma, a semi-intelligent robotic battletank used to seek out and destroy all terror in your path. This battletank can go anywhere; up walls, on the ceiling, you name it. It's got powerful laser blasters and missiles, and can generally whup some ass. At first, fans of the Anime may be a little pissed that they don't control Kusanagi, but that quickly fades once you get your hands on the controls of the Fugikoma.

The graphics are fantastic, well, by PSOne standards. It looks just as Masamune Shirow's art does in the Manga, and the style is just right. The brief cut-scenes are well done too, but there's only a total of about 10 minutes of them here, so it keeps it feeling more like the comic than the anime. The sound is right on too, matching the excellent film score with some new beats and sounds. The control is very tight and responsive, and once you get used to the Fugikoma's jump feature, you'll be able to blast along and move up walls evading fire in no time.

I think the thing I like the most about this game is that it's difficult. Not impossible, mind you, though some sections will feel that way. And not difficult in the annoying way, such as cheap deaths and cheesy computer AI. No, this game is just a challenge, much the same way that the new NINJA GAIDEN is, and tough games that are fun and challenging are always a great thing.

If you can find this title, by all means, get it. It's a great shooter, and just a fun game all around. Don't be discouraged by it's difficulty, and just enjoy the game. And yes, it's based on a comic. Hooray for good comic games! One Gamer's Opinion:

DANGER GIRL (PSOne) - 2000 - DC/Cliffhanger Comics

The comic is essentially the female version of James Bond. Secrets, spy gadgets, and plenty of sex appeal. Yes, if there's one thing you can say about J. Scott Campbell, co-creator of DANGER GIRL, it's that he's a fan of the female form. This game carries out that appeal of the comic as well, and fits it all into an action adventure game full of the same humor and action of the comic. This title takes place between the first and second story archs of the comic, with the DANGER GIRLs attempting to stop another attack from Major Maxim and all those other goofy spy baddies. The game really looks like the comic (more in the cut scenes than in the actual gameplay, however) and, for die-hard fans of the comic, there's even exclusive art from the creators J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell in the loading screens and instruction manual.

Gameplay is pretty standard stuff if you've played SYPHON FILTER or TOMB RAIDER before. In fact, I'd almost call the game a combination of the two. Gabe's gadgets and firepower combined with Lara's...assets. The controls, however, while maintaining some of the right look of those games, doesn't quite have the same feel. The characters move a bit awkwardly (maybe they're too top heavy) and the control interface when selecting and using items is a bit clunky. As I said before, the game looks like the comic, and the backgrounds are all...ok, who am I kidding? If you're a fan of this comic, chances are you're not looking at the backgrounds. The girls of DANGER GIRL are all buxom beauties, and the game tries to capture their allure. They all have huge chests, and tight butts that wiggle just appropriately when they walk. Abby in particular has enough animation in her posterior to set Pixar back some serious coin. Granted, this is nice eye candy, but it does nothing to enhance the game itself.

Beyond the wiggle and jiggle of the main heroines, however, the game is a bit flat. While you've got decent action and international intrigue, the control really gets in the way of the fun sometimes. There's thankfully an auto-lock feature, so shooting baddies isn't a total chore. The sound is nothing great, with gunfire sounding pretty much the same no matter which gun you use, and the girls giving semi-humorous quips depending on the situation.

All in all, it's a lackluster version of the spy genre game. Fans of the comic may enjoy it for it's humor and comic style, which closely mirrors the source material, but most gamers will shy away. If there were just one way to describe the game it would be this: It's SYSPHON FILTER....with tits. One Gamer's Opinion:

HELLBOY: ASYLUM SEEKER (PSOne) - 2003

Hellboy is, without getting too much into the mythos of the character, an agent for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). Think the X-files, but in the 60s with monsters working for them. While on a routine mission, a BPRD agent ends up missing, and Hellboy and his partner Sarah are sent out to find them. Through some twists and turns, they end up on a trip through the past, locked in an insane asylum, and eventually on a quest to stop the gates of Hell from being unlocked.

Let's jump right into things here. This game does not do the comic justice. While the plot initially seems right up the alley of what we may have seen with the series in comic form, in the game you're basically reduced to "rescue your friend". What this entails is running about with a similar RESIDENT EVIL control scheme and style of gameplay, only here, those who loathe that style will hate it even more and those like me who usually have no problem there will dislike it greatly as well. The reason is simple; no matter what you try to do, Hellboy will not move in a straight line. Still using the RE standard of "up is forward", the controls are still a bit slap-dash at best, and the clunky movement is only the beginning of your aggravation.

When Hellboy fights, he can do so by either punching or shooting. That's about it. There are no variations on the move sets or styles of weapons. He has either his fists (and not the giant stone one either, he starts swinging with just the normal one and eventually follows up with the big one) or the big gun. To execute an attack, simply hold down the square button. Now, when I say hold, I mean HOLD. Hellboy punches and shoots in a straight line. Assuming your foe is in front of you, you just hold the button down to continue beating them in the head or shooting them 'til they fall. No need to endlessly tap or mash the button down in a vain attempt to shoot faster or hit harder. The attacks are always the same, so simply keeping the button pressed will eventually get the job done. Beyond that, you have a bunch of puzzles to complete, but these range from either moving or pushing a block, to arranging stones (to which I've tried every combination and still nothing has happened).

The graphics are pretty bad, even for PSOne. The character models, while somewhat similar to Mike Mignola's creations, are blocky and flat looking. There is an endless amount of clipping that occurs in the game, and you'll find yourself passing through walls or running into shit left and right due to the shoddy graphics combined with the horrible controls. The music in the game is the same three orchestral pieces over and over, and the voice acting, while not horrendous, gets old after a while, especially with Hellboy repeating the same phrase over and over again.

The game had serious potential. And if it had been given better controls, it may have been playable. Sadly, even fans of the comic or movie may want to sit this one out, as it's just a mess from start to finish. The game seems rushed and pretty much plays that way too. As Hellboy himself would say (over and over again in the game), "Crap". One Gamer's Opinion:

That's it for this week's Game On Extra - Comics To Games feature. I'll be back soon with another, however. This time to tie into another comic book gone Hollywood. Keep your eyes out for that form of Punishment soon enough. 'Til then, Game On!

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