Odd problem with Comix Zone (Genesis)

[MegaDrive20XX]

Everytime I play Comix Zone on my Genesis 1, it locks up, freezes or sometimes resets without warning.

All my other Genesis games work without any problems.

Yet once I pop in the game in a Genesis 2, no problems at all....until I got to stage two and one of the characters froze on screen, haulting my progress.

I tried cleaning it a few times and nothing so far...

could it be the system or just the game?

[Joe Redifer]

How do the pins on the cartridge slot of the Genesis 1 look? Anything abnormal? Have you tried cleaning the system (I can't tell if you say you've cleaned the game or the system)? Are you using a 6 button controller (I've experienced some weird things using the 6-button controller on games that don't like it). Do all of the pins on the cart look OK?

[David J.]

I had to clean my Comix Zone cart a few times before I got it to work flawlessly, so I can somewhat relate.

I was using a Genesis 1 with a 32X. One time I removed the 32X and I still had problems. So I just cleaned the crud out of the cart and now it is as good as new.

[MegaDrive20XX]

How do the pins on the cartridge slot of the Genesis 1 look? Anything abnormal? Have you tried cleaning the system (I can't tell if you say you've cleaned the game or the system)? Are you using a 6 button controller (I've experienced some weird things using the 6-button controller on games that don't like it). Do all of the pins on the cart look OK?

Nope, it's clean as a whistle on the cart. All my systems are clean.

Yes I'm using a 6 button controller...yet Comix Zone needs a button pad to access the items...

[MegaDrive20XX]

Quick update, I used a 3 button controller...and it still resetted on me during Stage 2

[Joe Redifer]

Maybe try a different power supply.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Nope, because all of my games do not have this problem

[Joe Redifer]

Is the cartridge board visably thinner than other Sega cartridges? I know that 3rd party Saturn carts could actually ruin the cart slot and make it so real Sega cartridges work sporatically.

[MegaDrive20XX]

No signs of wear, in fact this cart looks like it was barely even used you could say.

[Joe Redifer]

Try this, just for fun:

Insert the cart into the slot like usual. Now pull up on the cartridge, but only a little tiny bit so it's not in it's normal, exact position but will still work. Power up and try. I often have to do this with my NES.

[Genesis Knight]

My Comix Zone does this, too - it just resets or locks up. I've cleaned it a million times but nothing seems to work. Maybe I need to try it now that I've got a 32X.

[Zebbe]

Maybe you guys should get a Nomad - Comix Zone is said to be the best game to play on a Nomad.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Okay I finally got another copy of comix zone.

Genesis Knight, I tried your method and it still wouldn't go

The same thing starting happening again, the consistant resetting without warning!

So I plugged it into the Genesis 2...so far so good...nothing happened to me at all.

I'm starting to think, since my Genesis 1 will not play the Power Base Converter as well...is the main problem..

Yet I think I need to play a bit more of the Comix Zone to be sure it's not entirely screwed up....

Honestly it's driving me nuts :(

Update: Success! This copy of Comix Zone is perfectly fine! The problem was the Genesis 1 has some issues trying to read the cart sadly :( The Genesis 2 I have can play this game perfectly fine!

[Joe Redifer]

After reading everything you said, it almost seems like a certain pin in the cartridge slot on the Genesis 1 may be damaged. Obviously not every game uses every pin. This is just a guess.

[MegaDrive20XX]

After reading everything you said, it almost seems like a certain pin in the cartridge slot on the Genesis 1 may be damaged. Obviously not every game uses every pin. This is just a guess.

You could be right, because three other people said exactly the same thing.

[Genesis Knight]

I use a Model 2, and mine is buggy.

[gearguy]

Does this game have a battery?
One of my games was doing something like this once and I found it was weird voltages from a dying battery that were causing it to spaz out.

[DrunkHeadbanger]

No I don't think this game has a battery. I had the exact same problem with my copy, it would always resets himself (how frustrating!!) or freezes. I tried the cartridge in both my gen1 and gen2/32x/SCD consoles and the same thing would happen. My copy was owned by a rental store before me and some wear sings on the cartridge could tell that it was opened before. When you shook the cartridge a little you could hear the interior of the cart being loose, so I thought this could be the reason for the problem.
I returned it to the store and used the credit they gave me to buy Top Gear(mint with poster) and Space Megaforce(with manual) on the SNES, with Freedom force and Snake's Revenge on the NES for 30$CAN.

But I don't have Comix Zone anymore!!:shame:

[SonicManJC]

I know this is old, but I've been looking for some insight into this issue for years. I've had the same problem with my copy of Comix Zone since it was brand new. It played fine on my Nomad, though. So I would just play it on that. I just always assumed Comix Zone doesn't like the model 1 Genesis (or the model 1 Genesis doesn't like Comix Zone).

I recently played through it on my model 2 genesis and quite far into it on my model 3 with only a brief moment of glitchy graphics on the panel where you have to cover the hole with a rock, so my opinion is not likely to change unless someone can attest to not having any issues at all with their copy on a model 1.

For what it's worth, my model 1 is a TMSS High Definition Graphics model with an expansion port and came bundled with Sonic the Hedgehog.

Maybe some bad batches were made. I actually remember the first copy we bought was so glitchy we took it back to the store and exchanged it for the one I have in my possession now. Both were brand new at the time so the cart being dirty is not the problem. Nor is it my model 1 Genesis, which plays everything else flawlessly. Maybe the game wasn't tested extensively enough on the model 1. Who knows?

[goldenband]

FWIW, Comix Zone is one of only two Genesis carts I've ever bought that were DOA. (The other was Pit Fighter.)

Having said that, the copy I bought had some damage to the cart shell from an apparent dog attack (!), so even though the PCB looked intact it might have been physically damaged.

[SonicManJC]

...I just completely played thru Comix Zone on my Genesis 1 with no crashes or resets. I used the classic 3-button controller. This may be a flase positive on a solution, however, as I did just clean all the contacts in the Genesis and the cartridge. Now for the real test: a playthrough with the 6-button!

...This is kind of exciting. :-p

[SonicManJC]

Confirmed random reset using the 6-button! Holy crap, I never would have guessed it was a combination of the game, console model, and controller! ...Unless that 3-button playthrough was a fluke... Nah.

Does anyone know of any other games that act weird with a 6-button besides ones like Golden Axe II that just need you to hold 'mode' during startup?

EDIT: Nevermind! It was a fluke! Tried again with the 3-button and the game gliched out during the second level and reset. Damn. I was really hoping I had found the answer...

[Rev!]

Im sure i played this game on a PAL MD II VAR3 with the six button controller without any problems.

[SonicManJC]

I wouldn't doubt that. The game works fine (aside from occasional and temporary slowdown or graphic glitching) on my model 2 Genesis, Nomad, and Genesis 3. The game has never frozen or reset itself on those machines. It only does it on my model 1 and I'm sure it isn't a problem with the unit, because the original poster has the exact same symptoms. Has no one else ever experienced this? Does it only happen on certain model 1 Geneses? (plural hehe)

[cleeg]

I have a region modded model one PAL Mega Drive, and have a Genesis copy of this game, and also a PAL copy. They both play absolutely fine. They run through the 32X too. They also play fine on my Nomad. I do get the slight glitch occasionally on the part where you cover the hole with a rock as mentioned above. I always thought that was just due to technical limitations or something. I always use a 6 button pad too.

Weird.

[SonicManJC]

My tests ruled out the possibility of it being the 6-button controller, because my second attempt with the 3-button ended in a glitchy reset during the second stage. Which means that one play through was a fluke. Playing this game on my model 1 is like a dice role... and it usually craps out.

[SonicManJC]

New findings: Got another model 1 today. Great find. It's in better shape than my original and works beautifully. It's also a VA-6 like my other one except it is a non "High-Definition Graphics" model with no expansion port. Played Comix Zone for a bit and it reseted on me during the third stage.

I'm convinced that the US release of Comix Zone hates model 1 Geneses (at least VA-6s).

[SonicManJC]

Alright! Newer findings: Got another Model 1 recently, a VA-2 to be precise. I traded the second VA-6 toward it. Anyway, Comix Zone plays GREAT on it! No problems whatsoever. Finally, Comix Zone combined with the greatness of the original Sega Genesis. Thanks for playing along, folks, and if you like Comix Zone avoid the VA-6 like the plague!

(Note: My findings apply to US Geneses and the US release of Comix Zone. I know nothing of the other regions and/or formats.)

[rsa501]

Picked up a loose copy of Comix Zone a few weeks ago and guess what?? Its dead! I have cleaned it. Polished it. Won't work on my model 1 HD or a fc3 plus clone. It has to be the Comix Zone curse!