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Welcome back, intrepid trainers and portable pixel pioneers! This week on Play Comics, we’re diving headfirst into the magical world where handheld gaming meets manga madness with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for the Game Boy Advance – those delightful remakes that proved sometimes going back to where it all began is exactly what the Pokédex ordered. Released in 2004, these Kanto classics didn’t just give us shiny new graphics and wireless trading capabilities; they spawned an entire manga adaptation that turned Red, Blue, and Green’s adventures into something far more dramatic than “gotta catch ’em all” – think more along the lines of “gotta survive mysterious vortexes and Team Rocket’s Three Beasts while somehow not getting turned to stone”.

Speaking of adventures, we’re absolutely thrilled to have Connor joining us for this episode – yes, the same Connor from my local comic shop who has somehow managed to convince me that I need every single variant cover, limited edition, and “exclusive” release that walks through his door. Connor’s wallet-draining superpowers are matched only by his encyclopedic knowledge of both gaming and comics, making him the perfect guide for our journey through the FireRed & LeafGreen saga that spans both pixels and panels.

So grab your Game Boy Advance, dust off those manga volumes, and prepare for an episode that’s more engaging than trying to catch a shiny Pokémon while Connor whispers sweet nothings about the latest Batman #1 variant in your ear. We’ll explore how faithful the manga stayed to the gaming experience, whether adding interdimensional drama actually improved the “become the very best” formula, and why sometimes the best way to revisit a classic is to completely reimagine what “classic” means in the first place.

Learn such things as:

• Does adding manga-level drama to Pokémon actually make the story better or just more confusing?
• How many times can you remake the same game before it stops being nostalgic and starts being repetitive?
• Why does Connor always know exactly which comic book I didn’t know I needed until he until he mentions it?
• And so much more!

You can find Connor at my local shop, if you’re lucky and are there at the same time as him.

If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.

If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.

Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.

You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicscast on Twitter and in the Play Comics Podcast Fan Group on Facebook.

A big thanks to Nerd Best Friends and Shonen Flop for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who probably learned hot to replace save batteries specifically because of Pokemon.

Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics

Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.

Welcome back, comic crusaders and digital daredevils! This week on Play Comics, we’re diving into the gloriously chaotic world of Heavy Metal: Geomatrix for the Sega Dreamcast—a game that asks, “What if Heavy Metal magazine became a button-mashing arena brawler with enough explosions to make Michael Bay jealous?” Released by Capcom in 2001 and featuring the wild art of Simon Bisley, this four-player deathmatch extravaganza throws you into a 23rd-century future where VR-addicted humanity battles it out in submerged cities, all while capturing the magazine’s signature blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and “did my mom just see that?” moments.

Joining us for this high-octane journey through neo-cyberspace mayhem is none other than our beloved returning guest Billy – yes, the same mysterious internet hermit who graced us with his presence during our previous mecha-focused episodes covering Gundam Battle Assault 2 and Gundam Wing: Endless Duel. Billy’s back to help us navigate the testosterone-fueled battlegrounds of teams like the 818 Stompers, 991 Elite, 707 Metal Heads, and 323 Agents, because apparently in the future, gang names are just random numbers followed by edgy nouns.

So grab your favorite energy drink, prepare your best robot voice impressions, and settle in for another episode where we discover if this Dreamcast gem was a faithful adaptation or just an excuse to watch scantily-clad warriors duke it out with bazookas and laser swords in the name of preserving humanity. With Billy’s expert commentary on all things giant robot-adjacent, this promises to be more entertaining than watching someone try to explain the plot of Heavy Metal magazine to their grandmother!

Learn such things as:

• Can nano-technology make terrible character names sound cooler?
• Is it possible to have too many weapons in one arena, or is that just quitter talk?
• How many metal bands does it take to make a video game soundtrack truly “heavy”?
• And so much more!

You can find Billy nowhere online because he’s a hermit who hides out in those secret places of the internet that only we know about.

If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.

If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.

Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.

You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicscast on Twitter and in the Play Comics Podcast Fan Group on Facebook.

A big thanks to the Kickstarter campaign for Starlite and The Last Comic Shop Podcast for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who couldn’t make a better soundtrack for this game. But he could come pretty close.

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Hold onto your utility belts and prepare for maximum overdrive, because this week on Play Comics we’re crash-landing straight into the chaotic world of Teen Titans for PS2, Xbox, and GameCube – a game that somehow managed to capture the essence of being a superhero teenager while simultaneously making you question whether saving the world is worth the carpel tunnel. Released in 2006, this beat-’em-up bonanza promised players the chance to live out their fantasies of being part of the most dysfunctional yet lovable superhero team this side of Titans Tower.

Joining us for this digital adventure through Jump City’s finest is none other than Eilish Pickett from my friendly neighborhood comic shop – a true connoisseur of all things four-color and someone who’s probably seen more comic-to-game adaptations crash and burn than a Cyborg system malfunction. Together, we’ll dive deep into whether this particular pixelated punch-fest managed to do justice to the beloved Cartoon Network series that ran from 2003 to 2006, or if it ended up being more disappointing than Beast Boy’s attempt at stand-up comedy.

From Robin’s acrobatic staff-spinning to Raven’s dark magic mayhem, this game promised to let you switch between all five Titans in real-time while delivering the kind of cooperative chaos that only comes from trying to coordinate a superhero team where one member transforms into animals and another shoots laser beams from her eyes. Whether you’re here for the nostalgic trip back to simpler times when the biggest worry was whether Starfire would accidentally destroy the kitchen again, or you’re just curious about how well this adaptation stacked up against the source material, grab your communicator and settle in.

This episode is guaranteed to be more entertaining than watching Cyborg try to explain why his breakfast took up half the grocery budget, and definitely more coherent than trying to follow Beast Boy’s logic during a heated argument about tofu.
Learn such things as:

• Has there been another rotating team in comics that so ironically across the board has the same lineup?
• What happens when you just can’t find the main villain in the game?
• How do you limit the power sets of characters who have basically unlimited power sets?
• And so much more!

You can find Eilish on Tumbler @aliceheart247 if you really want to. But mostly just figure out where I live and go to my local comic shop.

If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.

If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.

Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.

You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicscast on Twitter and in the Play Comics Podcast Fan Group on Facebook.

A big thanks the Kickstarter campaign for Aces and Aros and 2 ACT Podcast for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who definitely has fan fiction floating around somewhere telling us what happened after this show got cancelled.

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Believe it or not, ninja enthusiasts, this week on Play Comics we’re kunai-diving into the pixelated shinobi wasteland that is Naruto: Ninja Council for the Game Boy Advance – because apparently someone at Tomy thought the best way to honor everyone’s favorite orange-clad ramen addict was to trap him in a handheld prison with combat mechanics more frustrating than trying to explain the Chunin Exams to your grandmother. Released in 2003, this side-scrolling “adventure” promised to let players master the art of ninjutsu while battling through iconic locations from the Hidden Leaf Village, but what it actually delivered was a gaming experience so repetitive that even Naruto’s shadow clone jutsu would get bored of itself.

Joining us for this digital journey through the Land of Mediocre Adaptations is Luke Herr from D’ohMance Dawn – a man who’s witnessed more anime-to-game train wrecks than a rejected Akatsuki recruitment video. Together, we’ll explore how this GBA “masterpiece” managed to spawn not one, not two, but THREE sequels despite having the gameplay depth of a puddle in the desert and graphics that make early Dragon Ball Z filler episodes look like Studio Ghibli productions.

So grab your headband 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 Hokage level. Will this portable ninja adventure redeem itself through sheer nostalgic chakra, or will it vanish faster than Sasuke after a family reunion? Tune in to discover if this manga adaptation belongs in the Hall of Fame… or should be sealed away forever like the Nine-Tailed Fox!

Learn such things as:

• Is it dangerous to have pretty eyes?
• Is all manga and anime just a giant metaphor for the horrible nature of man?
• Does a game being fun make it a good intro to the franchise?
• And so much more!

You can find Luke over on D’OhMance Dawn, Exiled, Multiversal Q, and RPG Pals Club. Or catch him on BlueSky @koltreg or his Patreon, found under Luke Herr.

If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.

If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.

Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.

You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicscaston Twitter and in the Play Comics Podcast Fan Groupon Facebook.

A big thanks to the Glitterjaw Podcast Collective and the Kickstarter campaign for Aces and Aros for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who doesn’t understand Naruto any better than I do.

Holy Kryptonian catastrophe, comic crusaders! This week on Play Comics, we’re diving headfirst into the digital dumpster fire that is Superman: Countdown to Apokolips for the Game Boy Advance – because apparently someone thought the best way to honor Superman: The Animated Series was to trap the Man of Steel in a tiny screen prison with graphics that make MS Paint look like the Sistine Chapel.

Released in 2003 by the brave souls at Mistic Software (after poor Crawfish Interactive literally died during development – talk about your occupational hazards!), this isometric adventure promised to let players soar through Metropolis while battling Livewire, Metallo, and the fashion disaster known as Kalibak. What it actually delivered was a gaming experience so punishing that even Darkseid would file a complaint with customer service.

Joining us for this digital descent into madness is Adam Maresh from my local shop back when he lived by me – a man who’s seen more comic-to-game adaptations crash and burn than a rejected Justice League movie pitch. Together, we’ll explore how this GBA “gem” managed to score a whopping 45% on GameRankings and somehow convinced IGN to give it a 4.5/10 (which in retrospect feels generous).

So grab your emergency kryptonite antidote and prepare for an episode that’s more fun than actually playing the game – which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly setting the bar stratospheric. Will Superman’s portable adventure redeem itself through sheer nostalgic charm, or will it crash harder than a Daily Planet exclusive? Tune in to find out if this animated series tie-in belongs in the Fortress of Solitude… or the Phantom Zone!

Learn such things as:

• Should we get Golden Age Superman back?
• What powers do you give the man who could have anything?
• Where’s Krypto? I want Krypto! Everyone is always talking about Krypto.
• And so much more!

You can find Adam at a place that even I technically don’t know the location of.

If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.

If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.

Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.

You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicscaston Twitter and in the Play Comics Podcast Fan Groupon Facebook.

A big thanks to the Kickstarter campaign for Aces and Aros and to the Kickstarter campaign for Starlite for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who still believes in Santa and has no idea how those presents get under the tree.

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HULK SMASH… your expectations! This week on Play Comics, we’re going green with rage as we dive into 2005’s The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction – the game that asked the important question: “What if we gave players the power to literally punch a helicopter out of the sky and then use a bus as a baseball bat?”

Developed by Radical Entertainment for the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube, this comic book adaptation threw subtlety out the window faster than Banner throws a tantrum. Forget stealth missions or carefully planned strategies – this game was all about embracing your inner gamma-powered toddler and turning entire city blocks into your personal sandbox of destruction.

Joining us for this episode of controlled chaos is Matt Storm from the fantastic podcasts “Fun” and Games and Reignite! They’ll help us explore how this title managed to capture the pure, unadulterated joy of being an unstoppable force of nature with anger management issues. Together, we’ll discuss whether throwing cars at military helicopters counts as a valid combat strategy, and why sometimes the best solution to every problem is just… more smashing.

So strap in, podcast listeners – we’re about to go from zero to “HULK STRONGEST THERE IS!” faster than you can say “you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” Warning: No buildings, vehicles, or military installations were harmed in the making of this episode… but we can’t make the same promise about our gaming controllers.

HULK PODCAST!

Learn such things as:

• Does anyone want to play as Bruce Banner?
• Will anyone write a comic based on a game that’s based on a comic?
• Is this game just a modern retelling of Rampage? And if so, is that a problem?
• And so much more!

You can find Matt @dj_stormageddon on Instagram, and Twitch, @djstormageddon on BlueSky, and to check out all of the shows they do check out DJStormageddon.com for “Fun” and Games (for looks at video games), Reignite (for a deep look at a video game series which started in the mass Effect universe and is now in the Dragon Age universe), or Screen Snark (which has ended but when I checked you could still grab episodes).

If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.

If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.

Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.

You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky and in the Play Comics Podcast Fan Group on Facebook.

A big thanks to the Kickstarter campaign for Aces and Aros and Capes on the Couch for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who is really angry that they didn’t get to talk about this game. And we don’t want to see them angry.

Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics

Strap on your jetpack and set your phasers to “mildly confused,” because this week on Play Comics we’re rocketing straight into the neon-lit chaos of Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday! That’s right—dust off your Sega Genesis and prepare for a wild ride through a universe where the future looks suspiciously like a 1990s living room.

Joining us for this cosmic caper is none other than Vasco Pickett, a local legend whose wisdom is as deep as the Martian canyons and whose internet presence is, well… let’s just say he’s more “boots on the ground” than “cloud in the cloud.” Vasco brings his real-world charm (and possibly a ray gun or two) to help us unravel the tangled web of Buck Rogers lore—from dice-rolling tabletop escapades to pixelated Genesis heroics.

So, whether you’re a die-hard fan of space operas, a retro gaming aficionado, or just here for the witty banter, grab your space helmet and tune in. It’s time to blast off with Play Comics, where the only countdown is to a good time!

Learn such things as:

• Does the main character of a franchise that basically only exists to be centered around that character even need to show up in the game?
• Will Chris have an existential crisis that an Atari 2600 game can be better than a Sega Genesis game?
• Will future generations even know the experience of hanging out at the movie theater?
• And so much more!

You can find the Vasco if you already know where he lives or his favorite restaurant or something because you won’t find him on the internet.

If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.

If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.

Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.

You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicscaston Twitter and in the Play Comics Podcast Fan Groupon Facebook.

A big thanks to the Kickstarter campaign for Starlite and The Last Comic Shop podcast for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who doesn’t have enough faces or palms for this one.

Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics

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Gather ‘round, Dragon Ball devotees and gluttons for punishment! This week on Play Comics, we’re subjecting ourselves to the digital equivalent of getting hit by Frieza’s Death Beam repeatedly-Dragon Ball Z Taiketsu for the Game Boy Advance. Imagine taking the most explosive anime franchise in history and cramming it into a game with all the fiery intensity of a damp firecracker. Spoiler alert: This isn’t a battle for glory-it’s a battle for survival against one of the most bafflingly awful licensed games ever conceived.

Joining me in this masochistic quest is Andrew Young from Behold!, who’s agreed to lend his expertise (and his remaining sanity) to dissect this pixelated travesty. Together, we’ll answer the burning question: How did a game about planet-destroying superhumans end up feeling as thrilling as watching paint dry on Master Roshi’s houseboat? Hint: It involves more clipping issues than Yamcha’s career and combat mechanics flatter than Krillin’s scalp.

From animations that resemble a PowerPoint presentation gone rogue to a soundtrack that sounds like a kazoo orchestra trapped in a washing machine, Taiketsu doesn’t just drop the ball-it spikes it into the core of the Earth, unleashes a Spirit Bomb of disappointment, and then forgets to animate the explosion. Whether you’re here for the schadenfreude or just morbid curiosity, grab your Dragon Radar and a stiff drink. This episode’s gonna hurt. A lot.

Learn such things as:

• What happens when the developers are put not only behind the 8 ball, but also in front of a really high cliff on a windy day and that cliff is made of ice?
• So I guess games really do need a story don’t they? Even if it’s just a hand wave at one.
• Is this the new worst representation of the comic source material?
• And so much more!

You can find Andrew by looking at the Behold! account on Twitter or of course the Behold! website. You should especially check out the episode looking at X-Men 97 because I love that series and need something good in my life, and the episode looking at Fan4stick because it has me in it.

If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what you’re interested in.

If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.

Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.

You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicscaston Twitter and in the Play Comics Podcast Fan Groupon Facebook.

A big thanks to the Kickstarter campaign for I Brought A Gorilla to a Gunfight and the Kickstarter campaign for Starlite for the promos today.

Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who forgot that this game exists and is now on a mission to destroy me because I brought this fact back to light.

Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics