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Yo Joe! Or should we say “Yo NES!” because this week on Play Comics, we’re tackling G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero—the video game adaptation of everyone’s favorite cartoon about freedom-loving heroes battling against Cobra’s endless supply of bad ideas. With explosive levels and a cast of characters straight out of your childhood toy box, this game promises big action… but does it deliver?

Chris teams up with SerpyMatt, an internet personality who probably knows more about G.I. Joe lore than Cobra Commander knows about losing battles. Together, they’ll uncover what makes this game tick—from its ambitious level design to its occasional moments of “Wait… what just happened?” Is it a victory for retro gaming or just another casualty in the war against bad licensed games? Tune in and find out!
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Attention, mutant enthusiasts and digital adventurers! Prepare yourselves for a journey into the pixelated past as we dive headfirst into the treacherous depths of Murderworld. This week, we’re joined by the indomitable Austin Auclair from PatientRock to tackle the notorious X-Men: Madness in Murderworld, a game that’s been haunting players’ nightmares since 1989.

Get ready to dust off your DOS disks, fire up your Amigas, and polish those Commodore 64s as we explore this side-scrolling saga that pits our favorite mutants against the diabolical duo of Magneto and Arcade. Will we uncover the secrets of the demagnetizer? Can we navigate the labyrinthine levels without losing our sanity? And most importantly, will we finally beat this infamously challenging game after decades of collective frustration?

Tune in as we dissect the good, the bad, and the downright maddening aspects of this classic X-Men adventure. With Austin’s expertise and our unwavering determination, we might just crack the code and rescue Professor X from his digital prison. So grab your favorite mutant power-boosting snack and join us for an episode that’s sure to be more electrifying than Storm’s lightning bolts and sharper than Wolverine’s claws!Continue Reading

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Snikt! Bub, it’s time to sharpen those adamantium claws and dive into the convoluted world of X2: Wolverine’s Revenge! This week on Play Comics we’re slashing our way through a game that’s as confusing as Wolverine’s own backstory.

Join us as we unravel the mysteries of this peculiar title that’s supposedly based on X2: X-Men United but seems to have more in common with a fever dream induced by too much Canadian beer. We’ll explore how this hack-and-slash adventure managed to claw its way onto the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and even the tiny screen of the Game Boy Advance.

Joining us on this wild ride is none other than Matt Storm from the “Fun” and Games podcast. Together we’ll dissect this game faster than Wolverine’s healing factor, examining everything from Mark Hamill’s gravelly voice work to the inexplicable absence of Hugh Jackman’s luscious locks.

So grab your favorite yellow spandex, pour yourself a glass of maple syrup, and get ready to rage! This episode is about to go berserker!Continue Reading

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Welcome true believers to another thrilling episode of Play Comics! Today, we’re swinging into action with a look at the pixelated prowess of two of Marvel’s mightiest heroes in The Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America in Dr. Doom’s Revenge! This digital dalliance with danger was unleashed upon unsuspecting home computers everywhere back in 1989, proving that even Earth’s mightiest heroes couldn’t escape the allure of floppy disks and joysticks.

Joining us on this retro romp is none other than Andy Larson, one of the amazing hosts of The Last Comic Shop podcast. Together we’ll untangle this web of 8-bit nostalgia faster than you can say “Excelsior!” So grab your shield, shoot some web fluid, and prepare for a Marvel-ous adventure that’s more fun than a barrel of radioactive monkeys! Will our heroes triumph over the diabolical Dr. Doom, or will they fall victim to the dreaded loading screen? Tune in to find out!Continue Reading

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Welcome back pixel pioneers and comic crusaders to another electrifying episode of Play Comics! This week we’re donning our high-tech armor and jetting off into the world of The Invincible Iron Man on the Game Boy Advance, a game that might just be the hidden gem in Tony Stark’s treasure trove of adventures.

Joining us on this iron-clad journey is the one and only Zach Tonack, a first-time guest with insights sharper than Iron Man’s repulsor beams. Together we’ll dissect this pixelated powerhouse, exploring how it stacks up against its comic book origins and whether it truly captures the essence of everyone’s favorite billionaire genius playboy philanthropist.

Prepare for a whirlwind of witty banter, nostalgic nods, and perhaps a few arc reactor puns as we dive deep into the mechanics, storylines, and sheer fun of The Invincible Iron Man. So grab your GameBoy Advance, polish up your armor, and get ready to blast off into an episode that’s as thrilling as a high-speed flight over Stark Tower!

Suit up listeners because this episode is going to be a blast!Continue Reading

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Brace yourselves comic connoisseurs and gaming geeks for an episode that will have you questioning reality itself! In this multiversal misadventure we delve into the depths of X-Men Next Dimension, a game that dared to challenge the boundaries of the comic book universe.

But wait, there’s more! We’ve got a special guest star joining us on this cosmic crusade – the one and only Lex W from the Wednesday Toast podcast! Prepare to be dazzled by his wit, charm, and encyclopedic knowledge of all things mutant-related.

As we navigate through the Operation Zero Tolerance storyline, we’ll uncover the secrets behind this dimension-hopping extravaganza. From mind-bending plot twists to jaw-dropping gameplay mechanics, no stone will be left unturned in our quest for truth, justice, and the ultimate gaming experience.

So grab your controllers, strap on your adamantium seatbelts, and get ready for a wild ride through the annals of X-Men history. This episode is sure to leave you questioning your own reality – or at least wondering why you didn’t invest in a Cerebro helmet sooner.

Excelsior, true believers! The adventure awaits!Continue Reading

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Holy poorly-rated superhero media! Get ready to dive into some of the murkiest depths of the Marvel universe as we analyze 2003’s not-so-stellar Daredevil offerings. First up in the hot seat is the Ben Affleck-led Daredevil film that premiered that very same year. Despite boasting major star power and promising early trailers, this big screen endeavor wound up being another dud, critically panned for an overly serious tone and absurd costuming choices.

Then, we’ll switch gears to focus on the Game Boy Advance title based on the Man Without Fear, which sadly failed to convey the swashbuckling thrills of Daredevil’s comic book adventures. Made by pitiful publisher Encore, this game starred a blocky, pixelated DD slinging his billy club at an array of generic thugs and criminals. Gameplay was repetitive and uninspired, while graphics were subpar even by 2003’s standards. Yikes!

To help us dissect these dual disasters, we’re joined by special guest Ryan from Fake Nerd podcast. Ryan will lend his wit and wisdom to evaluating these massive missteps in Daredevil history. Will we find any redeeming qualities in these offerings? Tune in to find out!

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It all comes back to Spider-Man doesn’t it? The cultural saturation of the character in a lot of English speaking societies. The relatable nature of the character (and to be perfectly honest, most of the Spider people characters). The fact that the first Spider-Man trilogy was the first thing since the 90s Batman movies to really hit such a mainstream audience is no coincidence.

So how do we get a look at what Spider-Man means to people? Oh, I don’t know, maybe get a guest like Keifer from Select and Start to come and give us a look at what both this 2004 game and the movie that it ties in with? Yeah, that seems like a good idea. I should pat myself on the back for doing exactly that.Continue Reading

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You’ve got a giant sprawling set of lore with the X-Men. You’ve got a huge villain, in multiple ways, in Apocalypse. You’ve got the last regular episode of Play Comics for a while because I don’t know how to plan things, which is huge news. 

And of course you’ve got all of it on a Gameboy Advance screen. Listen in as Jessika and Mike  from Ten Cent Takes come on the show to help us take a look at this bite size taste of the mutant experience.Continue Reading

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Sometimes you just can’t help but take a look at something you missed on purpose. Like here, where I wouldn’t normally look at arcade only releases. But it’s Spider-Man and someone asked about it and who am I to let the fans down?

Listen in as The Well Red Mage from Mage Cast joins the show to take a look at the Spider-Man arcade game that so many of us missed growing up. Which sucks because we could have had some more 4 player action going.Continue Reading

Comic Reviews
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The new run of Savage Avengers by David Pepose (Scout’s Honor, The O.Z.) and Carlos Magno (Avengers Forever, Kang the Conqueror) at least feels like it’s going to be more of a team book than a team-up book. It certainly still centers on Conan, at least for now, but our first issue brings in a truly interesting team.Continue Reading

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Wolverine is everywhere and there’s nothing we can do about it because he’s popular and makes money for Marvel and why wouldn’t they keep using a character that’s popular partly because he’s used so much and always in front of consumer’s faces?

That’s what we explore this week with Didge from Geekset Podcast. Listen in as we discuss the prevalence of Wolverine and some surprising omissions from the villains in the Game Boy Color game Wolverine’s Rage.

Be sure to visit Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men to see how you can help support people effected by Florida’s recent passing of HB1557, commonly known as the “don’t say gay” bill.Continue Reading

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Movie tie in games get fun. Do you have someone play the movie and they know everything that should be happening? Or do you have a movie tie in game that tries to go beyond the movie and risk making something that people don’t like? And does it matter if it’s a super successful everyone in the world has seen it movie vs more of a niche film?

We’re taking a stab at those questions and more when Adam Reck from Battle of the Atom stops by the show to talk Blade 2 for the PS2 and Xbox.Continue Reading

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Time to get this one out of the way. This podcast exists because of X-Men. The most requested game for people to be a guest for are X-Men games. Specifically it’s this one. What some people would say is “the perfect X-Men game” and I’ve heard this from many many people.

Listen in as Zack Jenkins from ComicxXF comes to finally talk about the game that everyone has been waiting for. X-Men Legends 2.Continue Reading

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I’m not going to dance around it. This is a story that needs to be told right now. In so many ways the world is going to shit. And sadly part of that seems to be comic characters being twisted in the minds of people in ways that fit the exact opposite of what the character actually represents.

I can’t think of anyone better to have written this story and to talk about it than Jay Edidin. Listen in as we talk about the wild ride that the Captain America story from Marvel’s new Marvel Unlimited exclusive Infinity Comics line took to come into existence.

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The early 2000s were an exciting time. X-Men had the start of a feature film franchise and I’m sure there isn’t anything that could go wrong with that at all is there….. But for real people were really starting to get the hang of this PlayStation thing. And this was right at the start of every movie having a game to go with it.

Listen in as Billy comes back to help take a look at this game that certainly isn’t a Capcom vs title, but is still nothing to sneeze at. Mostly because that’s a rude thing to do.

This Episode is brought to you in part by Pocus Hocus, a Kickstarter comic that takes a look at what happens when someone sells their soul to the devil and then decides that they want their soul back.

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Well it’s been a nice run of bonus episodes, way more than I ever intended to run back to back to…. well you get the idea. So to get back to the regular episodes I feel like it’s best to go with on of my first loves, our friendly neighborhood wall crawler Spider-Man.

Good thing today’s guest David Gallaher likes Spider-Man too because otherwise this could have gotten weird. Not that it didn’t anyway but at least it’s the kind of weird that we’ve gotten used to on this show.

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It all comes back to Spider-Man doesn’t it? There’s a good reason for that, he is one of Marvel’s premier characters for a reason. We’re just going to have a Spider-Man game for every console aren’t we?

Tune in this week as Aaron Weiss from Weisscast joins the show to help break down why Spider-Man gets so much love in the gaming sphere.

This Episode is brought to you in part by the wonderful Play Comics Patreon Supporters. 

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By now you’ve probably seen about how this week’s Immortal Hulk issue. Or you’ve had the chance to see it anyway. And if you haven’t then Comics XF and Daily Dot have some wonderful write ups. Go read those. I’m seriously telling you to leave this site and go somewhereContinue Reading

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The world of comics and games, as evidenced by the existence of this podcast, have a decent amount of crossover. But a game where you introduce a whole new team to an already established universe? And have a tie in comic? That’s got to be pretty rare, right?

Listen in as Robert Secundus from Comics XF comes on the show to help take a look at Marvel Nemesis Rise of the Imperfects.Continue Reading

Comic Reviews
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I picked up this comic to review because I had never heard of this hero before. There is a reason for that. This character is primarily found in older TV series in Japan. However, let me tell you Marvel has done a great job at creating a fast paced story with the character borrowed from Tsuburaya Productions. The essence of this comic is big monster fights which I am a huge fan of. Though there is a new twist on the big monster fights. The reader gets a protagonist to follow and root for in these fights.Continue Reading