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Ahoy, landlubbers! Prepare to set sail on a high-seas adventure through the annals of gaming history, as we dive into the depths of the 1992 Game Boy classic, Popeye 2. This episode we’ve got a special guest aboard – Matt Storm from the podcasts “Fun” and Games and Screen Snark. They’re a veritable treasure trove of knowledge when it comes to all things retro gaming, so batten down the hatches and get ready for a wild ride!

In this episode we’ll explore the pixelated world of Popeye, the legendary sailor man who’s always ready to dish out a can of spinach-fueled justice. From navigating treacherous levels to battling Bluto’s dastardly schemes, we’ll uncover the secrets behind this beloved game that captured the hearts of gamers and comic book fans alike.

But that’s not all, me hearties! We’ll also delve into the rich history of the Popeye comics, tracing their roots back to the early 20th century and exploring how they’ve influenced pop culture over the decades. Prepare to be regaled with tales of Olive Oyl’s escapades, Wimpy’s insatiable hunger for hamburgers, and Popeye’s iconic catchphrases that have become part of the cultural lexicon.

So grab your Game Boy, load up on spinach, and get ready to set sail on an adventure that will have you laughing, reminiscing, and maybe even singing a few sea shanties along the way. Anchors aweigh, mateys!Continue Reading

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Welcome to another spine-tingling, joystick-wiggling episode of Play Comics, where the pixels meet the page and the game controllers are always at risk of being thrown in excitement or frustration. This week we’re diving into the dark cobwebbed corners of the gaming world to unearth the 1992 classic The Addams Family, a game that dared to ask “What if we took a beloved, macabre family and turned their life into a platforming adventure?” Based on the 1991 film of the same name, this game sprawled across the NES, SNES, Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, and Game Boy, proving that no console was safe from its kooky, spooky charm.

In this episode we’re thrilled to welcome back the illustrious Adam Williamson, a man whose knowledge of games is only rivaled by his ability to survive encounters with the supernatural—or at least supernatural-themed video games. Adam, who last graced us with his presence in a bodyslammin’ discussion on WWF No Mercy, returns from the depths of the gaming archives to help us navigate the twisted halls of the Addams’ mansion.

Prepare for a journey where every jump is a leap of faith (into a pit of who-knows-what), every enemy is as bizarre as an Addams family member, and the only thing scarier than the game’s difficulty is the thought of turning it off before finishing. Will Gomez find his beloved family members, or will he be doomed to wander the pixelated corridors forever? Join us as we explore the mystery, the humor, and the sheer Addams-ness of The Addams Family game.

So tighten your seatbelts, adjust your monocles, and make sure your hand (Thing, is that you?) is firmly attached to your wrist. It’s going to be a wild ride through the Addams Family estate, where the only guarantee is laughter, nostalgia, and maybe, just maybe, a newfound appreciation for games that make you want to pull your hair out—in the most delightful way possible.Continue Reading

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These days when a series is based all around fighting and punching people in the face it’s a surprise when there isn’t a fighting game to go along with it. But did you know that there was a time when Street Fighter II hadn’t come out yet? And that people were making fighting games before it?

Listen in as Andrew Mecha Davis from Popanimecomics joins the show to help take a look at Fist of the North Star 10 Big Brawls for the King of the Universe to help solve the mystery of why this anime hasn’t been bigger in the US. And possibly set a new record for longest Play Comics episode title. I’m too lazy to actually go check on that one though, it just feels right.Continue Reading

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Ninjas are cool. Aliens are cool. So why not make a ninja that’s also an alien? And also has a team of rag tag environment saving sidekicks to help him out? Saving the environment via something aimed at kids and hoping they’ll pressure their adult overlords into following suit is still cool right?

Enter Steve Honeycutt from Ray Can’t Sleep to help us take a look at this alien life form that inexplicably wants to save the Earth.Continue Reading

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I know, one of the problems with the show is that the handheld versions of games exist. And that if there’s a console version I tend to just ignore the hand held ones because, let’s face it, are they ever better than the console version anyway? Especially with a series like Turok that’s built around being a first person shooter on a screen that can show really good colors that’s also bigger than 2 square inches. That’s like 5 square centimeters for all of my listeners not in the US.
Blair Farrell from Comic Gamers Assemble is here to help me see if my thought process even has any merit to it as we take a look at 5 different Turok handheld ports and see how they actually play without having to worry about those pesky home console games that always hog the spotlight.Continue Reading

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In another bonus episode that’s totally not just to manipulate the numbering so I can pull something off later (that’s a lie and we all know it but we’ll roll with it anyway) Kayleigh Osborne comes back to take a look at one of the world’s most well known and important comic characters. Theatrical films, cartoons from multiple decades, and running pretty much since the 1930s. Yup, it’s Tintin. Take a listen as Kayleigh joins to talk about this comic franchise that somehow just hasn’t caught on in the US yet. We never do figure out why it hasn’t.Continue Reading

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Superman can’t really be stopped by normal bad guys, we’ve established that. But what happens when Lex Luthor decides to really go after him? Oh, we’ve done that too? Ummmm, so what happens this time? It’s comics after all, so we know he isn’t really going anywhere.

Listen in as Dan McMahon from DC Supersons comes on the show to take a look at a Gameboy exclusive title based on the 1990s animated series. Yeah, that’s what we’re going with for this one. It says so on the box so it must be trueContinue Reading

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Spider-Man is back at it again with some more attempts released by LJN. But can everyone’s favorite wall crawler make a better impression when a new development studio is brought in to bring him to the small screen?

Paul Csomo returns to take another crack at Spider-Man. Do things get better here? Or is it just a continued downward spiral, waiting for that one Spider-Man game we know is coming that will bring us out of the darkness?Continue Reading

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In the 1990s Batman was everything. A comic movie franchise, cartoons, you name it. And then things started to fall off the rails. Tim Burton gets pushed out the door and we get this. But will the game be worth it despite the movie? Or will we get yet another example of a weak game that exists only because of a movie tie in?
Listen as Alex Whiteley from Thors-Kin joins the show to talk Batman Forever.Continue Reading

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So you’ve got Spider-Man, a character with so many games out at this point that I’m too lazy to count. You’ve got the X-Men, who have games out but they mostly suck. But both of them are beloved franchises, both helped to save Marvel. And you’ve got Adam Higgins from Odd Dad Out, who admittedly has not directly saved Marvel. Put them all together and what do you get? Let’s just say that the LJN rainbow strikes again.Continue Reading

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Batman and The Joker, it’s an iconic pairing that will never go away. At least not for long. Listen in as Steven and Chris from Is This Adulting? come to talk about Batman, Robin, and the fact that this game just doesn’t really make much sense at all.Continue Reading

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Just like back in the 1990s, we can’t escape the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. List this week as John Horsley from Spoiler Country joins the fun to look at the titles for the original Gameboy (yay….) and Tournament Fighters (YAY!)Continue Reading

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Swamp Thing never gets a fair shake at fame. From a lousy cartoon to an LJN game, it seems that only die hard comic fans really know how cool he can be. Listen as Chris and Tyler Kirby from Better Than Static take a look at this misunderstood and underappreciated force of nature.Continue Reading

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Dennis the Menace (the American one at least) is a cultural icon. Anyone who read the comics as a child most likely knows who Dennis is and followed his adventures. But is that enough to save this game from the trash pile?Continue Reading

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Spider-Man rears his head again, and it’s still not anywhere near as good as that PS1 classic we all love. This time Issa from Young Free & Coupled takes a swing at the wall crawler as he takes on the Sinister Six in this NES, Master System, and Game Gear title from LJN.Continue Reading

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Batman: The Animated Series is easily seen as one of the best versions of Batman on the screen. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a game came out for it. Listen in as Karrington from The Real Dudes Podcast joins in on discussing yet another Gameboy game.Continue Reading

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Martians! Except they’re from Earth, and blue… so SMURFS! Listen as Chris basically has no idea what’s going on and return guest Kayleigh knows exactly what’s going on as these two discuss The Smurfs in comic, cartoon, and game form.Continue Reading

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The Avengers, along with fearless leader Captain America, are a collection of Earth’s mightiest heroes. Together they can conquer anything. But they’ll face their toughest challenge yet when Chris and Matt (graciously on loan from Semi Intellectual Musings) take their shots at this group of heroes.Continue Reading

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Did you see that streak going by? That was probably Chris and Tyler Kirby from Better than Static going on about the newest episode of Play Comics. These two crazy kids looked at some Flash comic history then the Gameboy game that was at least artistically inspired by the 90s Flash TV show.Continue Reading

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Who doesn’t like Spider-man? You know, besides JJ Jameson and a hoard of villains and whatever friends he’s blowing off without a good explanation because secret identities need to be protected?Continue Reading

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The Punisher is a great character with a rich history. From killing the Marvel Universe to hunting Spider-Man to being as close to a hero as a stone cold killer can get, we’re taking a look at a brief glimpse into the Punisher comic universe and then diving straight into the NES and Gameboy games.Continue Reading