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At some point in the early 2000s, someone looked at the Dragon Ball Z manga and anime, a story full of screaming men who power up for entire episodes, hair that defies physics, and villains who monologue long enough for the protagonist to reach a new power level, and said, “Yes. This. But make it a fighting game. On two, and only two, consoles.” And thus, Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2 arrived on PS2 and GameCube, ready to let you spend an unreasonable amount of time unlocking characters and pretending you know what a Fusion Dance is supposed to look like in real life.

This episode, we’re going Super Saiyan on the whole thing. The game, the manga, the anime, the drama, the capsules, the questionable story mode decisions. All of it. And joining us to power up the conversation is Russell Moran from Kaiju ComiCast, who brings exactly the kind of kaiju-sized enthusiasm this franchise demands.

So take a deep breath, squeeze out every last drop of ki you’ve got, and let’s get into it. Your hair may or may not turn gold by the end. No promises.Continue Reading

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Gather around power-level enthusiasts and tournament fighters, because this week on Play Comics we’re charging up our ki and diving headfirst into the legendary slugfest that is Dragon Ball Z: Budokai for PS2 and GameCube. That’s right, we’re looking at the 2002 fighting game that asked the burning question “What if we took the first three arcs of Dragon Ball Z and squeezed them into a button-mashing experience that makes even the most patient Z-Fighter want to go Super Saiyan with frustration?”

Developed by Dimps and published by Infogrames (back when they still existed and weren’t just a nostalgic memory floating in gaming’s hyperbolic time chamber), this cel-shaded beatdown promised to let players experience everything from Raditz’s surprise family reunion to Cell’s perfectionist power trip. What it delivered was a fighting system so basic that even Yamcha could probably figure it out, paired with enough beam struggles to make your thumbs file for workers’ compensation.

Joining us for this Saiyan-sized discussion is the one and only Doc Issues from Capes on the Couch, because when you need someone to analyze the psychological implications of repeatedly punching people until they explode into light particles you call a professional. Together we’ll explore how this game managed to compress roughly 100 episodes of screaming, power-ups, and “next time on Dragon Ball Z” frustrating end caps into a tournament format that somehow made sense.

So grab your orange gi, practice your best Kamehameha stance, and prepare for an episode that’s over 9000 times more entertaining than waiting five episodes for Goku to finish charging his spirit bomb. Will this manga-to-game adaptation achieve its final form? Or will it get sent to Other World faster than you can say “Kakarot”? Time to find out if this Z-Fighter deserves a senzu bean or a one-way ticket to Snake Way!Continue Reading

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Digital monsters, handheld mayhem, and nostalgic button-mashing collide! Prepare to jack into the Digital World as Play Comics takes a pixelated punch at Digimon Battle Spirit on the Game Boy Advance. This portable fighting game promised to capture all the Agumon-punching, Gabumon-grappling action of the beloved anime and manga series, but did it deliver a champion-level experience or just leave us saying “that’s not very digivolving of you”?

Joining us for this pocket-sized digital duel is Joshua Moore, the brilliant mind behind Morphenomenal: How the Power Rangers Conquered the World. Together, we’ll explore whether this GBA gem successfully translated the franchise’s monster-battling essence into something more substantial than a Rookie-level disappointment, or if it left players feeling like they’d been banished to the Dark Area of gaming history.

So dust off that Game Boy Advance, charge up your Digivice, and prepare for some serious handheld heroics! Will Digimon Battle Spirit prove itself worthy of the Crest of Gaming Excellence, or will we discover it’s about as useful as a chocolate D-3 device? Time to find out if this digital adventure was truly the digimon we deserved, or just another case of “close enough” licensing magic!Continue Reading

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Welcome back to another thrilling episode of Play Comics! This week, we’re diving headfirst into the time-warping, demon-slaying world of InuYasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale, the PlayStation classic that brought the beloved manga and anime series to the gaming console. Get ready for a journey through feudal Japan, where sacred jewels and half-demons reign supreme.

But hold onto your sacred arrows, because we’ve got a special treat for you! Joining us today is the multi-talented Josh Wells, the creative force behind Character Wells and part of the new audio drama series set in the DC universe, The Mortalverse. Josh brings his unique perspective and boundless enthusiasm to our discussion, making this an episode you won’t want to miss.

Whether you’re a die-hard InuYasha fan or a newcomer to the series, this episode is packed with insights, laughs, and a touch of nostalgia. So grab your Tessaiga, tune in, and join us on this feudal fairy tale adventure!Continue Reading