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Holy Gallic mayhem, comic crusaders! This week on Play Comics, we’re trading our Roman shields for DualShock controllers as we dive headfirst into the digital disaster that is Asterix & Obelix Kick Buttix for PS2 and Xbox – because apparently someone at Étranges Libellules thought the best way to honor René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo’s beloved comic masterpiece was to trap our favorite mustachioed warriors in a 3D brawler with combat mechanics more repetitive than Obelix’s “These Romans are crazy!” catchphrase.

Released in 2003 as Asterix & Obelix XXL in Europe before getting the wonderfully ridiculous “Kick Buttix” rebrand for American audiences, this licensed adventure promised players the chance to experience authentic Gallic village life while punching approximately 70 Romans per level across 40 different stages of cartoon chaos. What it actually delivered was a gaming experience so mindlessly button-mashy that even Caesar would file a complaint with customer service about the repetitive gameplay loop.

Joining us for this Roman-bashing bonanza is the incomparable Chas! Pangburn – a man who when he’s not busy lettering the actual Asterix comics from the depths of his creative dungeon, brings his insider knowledge of what makes these characters tick both on the page and in polygonal form. His expertise in both the source material and the art of comic creation makes him the perfect guide through this particular journey from panel to PlayStation.

So grab your magic potion and prepare for an episode that’s more entertaining than actually grinding through the same three enemy types for hours on end – which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly setting the bar at Vercingétorix levels. Will this portable Gallic adventure redeem itself through sheer nostalgic charm and cartoon physics, or will it crash harder than a Roman chariot race gone wrong? Tune in to discover if this comic adaptation belongs in the Hall of Fame… or should be buried deeper than one of those references that you’ll only catch if you read this in French!
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Get ready to tattoo the number XIII on your memory banks (preferably not on your collarbone) as Play Comics dives into the cel-shaded, amnesia-riddled world of XIII – the video game adaptation that brought Jean Van Hamme’s acclaimed French graphic novel series to life on PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. This first-person shooter might be the only game where waking up on a beach with complete memory loss is just the beginning of your problems, not the end result of a gaming convention afterparty.

This week, we’re joined by the phenomenally talented Rob Duenas from the Sketchcraft YouTube channel, whose artistic prowess has graced everything from the hellish battlegrounds of “Spawn Kills Every Spawn” to beloved video game franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Overwatch. When Rob isn’t busy making comic pages look absolutely stunning or designing characters for your favorite games, he’s dropping knowledge bombs about art and creativity on his channel that would make even the most amnesia-addled protagonist remember how to hold a pencil.

Together, we’ll untangle the conspiracy-laden plot that had gamers frantically searching for their own identity while taking down government agents with stylized comic book “BANG!” and “BOOM!” sound effects popping up on screen. Was this 2003 cel-shaded shooter as revolutionary as its artistic style suggested, or did it wash up on gaming shores only to be quickly forgotten? Does the console version you played actually matter, or were the loading time differences just another conspiracy to keep Xbox owners feeling superior? And most importantly, how does a game based on a graphic novel series about a character who can’t remember who he is manage to create such memorable gameplay?

Grab your favorite tattered map with cryptic clues, practice your best “I have no idea who I am but I can somehow expertly use military weapons” face, and join us for an episode more twisty-turny than XIII’s plot itself!Continue Reading

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Smurf fans, mushroom dwellers, and plastic comic enthusiasts, lend me your ears! This week on Play Comics, we’re taking a hard look at one of the most mind-bogglingly bizarre video game adaptations to ever grace the original PlayStation – The Smurfs from 1999. That’s right, we’re diving headfirst into the small blue world where the air is crisp, the mushrooms are plentiful, and the gameplay is…well, let’s just say it’s an experience.

But we’re not going it alone, oh no! Joining us is the one and only Mike Clyburn from the wildly popular podcast The Twisted Cape. Mike’s no stranger to twisted tales and bizarre adventures, so we knew he’d be the perfect tour guide through this cobalt-colored carnival of chaos.

Prepare yourselves for tales of sinister wizards, hapless heroes, and more collectible items than you can smurfing shake a stick at. We’ll laugh, we’ll cry, we’ll question the very nature of our existence. But most of all, we’ll have a smurftastic time exploring this true relic of gaming’s awkward adolescence.

So grab your favorite mushroom cap, take a deep breath of that crisp smurf air, and join us for an episode that’s bound to be…unforgettable. It’s going to be one wild smurf ride!Continue Reading

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There’s something just so endearing about The Smurfs. Mostly I think it’s because it’s just such a simple concept. Little blue dudes have an adventure and it all wraps up nicely by the end. Seems pretty safe and kid friendly doesn’t it?

Yeah, that’s what I thought too. Good thing I have October K Santarelli here to help blow some of those ideas out of the water. Listen in as we take a dive into Smurf history and explore some of the dark secrets of these little blue demons.

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