《漫畫地帶》（Comix Zone）是Sega在1995年推出、由美國的Sega Technical Institute 開發的橫向卷軸動作遊戲。以極具創意的「漫畫分鏡世界」作為核心概念，讓玩家操控主角在一格一格的漫畫分鏡中穿梭、跳躍與戰鬥。這種將美式漫畫語言直接轉化為遊戲舞台的手法，在當時的市場中極為罕見，鮮明的筆觸線條、充滿力道的上色方式與對話框式的台詞，讓遊戲呈現出動態漫畫般的視覺張力，也讓它成為 Mega Drive 上最具實驗風格的作品之一。

遊戲的故事圍繞紐約的漫畫家兼自由搖滾音樂人「斯凱奇·特納」展開。他正在創作一部名為《Comix Zone》的科幻動作漫畫，描繪 21 世紀遭受隕石撞擊後，地球上的「新世界帝國」與變異怪物之間的激戰。某個夏夜，一道雷電擊中他的工作室，使漫畫中的終極反派「莫塔斯」竟然打破紙張、從漫畫的虛構世界竄出到現實。為了奪取真正的肉身，莫塔斯企圖殺死自己的創作者，並反將斯凱奇拖入漫畫世界，把他逼入自己所創造的危險分鏡中。被迫進入漫畫的斯凱奇與他的寵物老鼠「路奇」一同迷失在墨線構築的虛構世界裡，在當地的指揮官「艾莉莎·賽安」協助下，展開對抗莫塔斯的冒險。

《漫畫地帶》的操作帶來極具節奏感的清版動作玩法，但戰鬥並非遊戲的全部。玩家在每一格漫畫分鏡裡都可能遇到敵人、機關或小型解謎場景。敵人從莫塔斯的畫筆中直接生成，筆觸呈現為實體的怪物，而漫畫紙面本身則可能破碎、燃燒或崩落，必須靈活避開危險區域。斯凱奇能進行拳打腳踢、連段攻擊，也能藉由方向與按鍵組合施展上勾拳、掃腿、迴旋踢等技巧。當連續命中三次時會觸發特殊招式，而遊戲會在玩家未操作時自動幫忙防禦，讓節奏更直觀。同時，主角還能抓住管線、翻越裂縫、推動箱子，甚至撕下背景「紙面」摺成紙飛機投向敵人，但這個動作會消耗生命值，屬於風險極高的隱藏技巧。

在旅途中，斯凱奇最多可攜帶三個道具。這些道具具有漫畫式的誇張效果，比如恢復體力的飲料、可投擲的刀、破壞牆壁的炸彈或手榴彈，也包括能將主角短暫變身為超級英雄、清場所有敵人的特殊物品。最具特色的是老鼠路奇的協助，它不僅能啃咬小怪，還能穿過狹窄區域啟動機關或嗅出藏在紙張背後的秘密物品，為遊戲帶來輕度解謎與探索感。

全作共分為三大章節，每章由兩頁漫畫組成。必須循著分鏡內所標示的箭頭前進，而不同的分鏡選擇會導致關卡路線產生分歧。遊戲難度偏高，角色生命歸零後即會直接結束，沒有傳統意義的多次生命，但每完成一章便會增加可用的繼續次數，使玩家能在熟悉關卡後逐步突破。也設計多結局機制，是否成功拯救艾莉莎將影響故事的最終走向。

角色塑造方面，斯凱奇身為漫畫家與音樂人，擁有獨特的「現實世界角色被困在自己創造作品中」的設定。他最初的原型是一名較為書呆子的角色，但為了迎合美國市場，在行銷要求下被重新設計為更具魅力的搖滾風主角。莫塔斯則為漫畫世界的超級變異首領，其造型與能力兼具美式漫畫反派的線條與誇張性，而艾莉莎則以無線電方式協助斯凱奇，作為引導任務的支點角色。

遊戲推出後，在視覺創意與美式漫畫風格的呈現上受到相當肯定，尤其是分鏡切換、動態字效、破紙效果等演出方式，被視為Mega Drive時代極具代表性的藝術嘗試。然而，高難度與偏硬派的系統讓一般玩家較難上手，使遊戲銷量不如預期。之後Sega亦將其移植至Game Boy Advance、PC、PS3、Xbox 360、Wii、Android 等多個平台，甚至曾計畫製作《Comix Zone 3D》，但後來不了了之。值得一提的是，初版包含與樂團Roadkill合作製作的搖滾原聲音樂，與遊戲的美漫氣質十分契合。

如今，《漫畫地帶》被視為具有強烈個性、極具創作野心與視覺表現力的經典作品。它以漫畫語境構築的遊戲舞台，即使在今日仍具獨特魅力，其後續在玩家社群中持續累積口碑，成為許多復古遊戲愛好者推崇的佳作。

Comix Zone is a side-scrolling action game released by Sega in 1995 and developed by the American-based Sega Technical Institute. What makes the game stand out, even decades after its debut, is its bold visual concept: the entire adventure unfolds inside a living American comic book. Every stage is built from hand-drawn panels, every transition mimics the turning of comic pages, and enemies literally emerge from the artist’s pencil strokes. This fusion of Western comic aesthetics with fast-paced action results in one of the most stylistically distinctive titles ever produced for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive.

The story follows Sketch Turner, a New York comic artist and part-time rock musician who is working on his own sci-fi comic titled Comix Zone. The plot of his comic depicts a post-meteor-strike future ruled by a militant organization called the New World Empire and plagued by mutant creatures. Late one summer night, a bolt of lightning strikes Sketch's studio, and the villain of his comic—an imposing figure known as Mortus—breaks free from the pages and enters the real world. Determined to kill his own creator and take over his physical body, Mortus traps Sketch inside the comic book, forcing him to fight for survival inside the very world he once imagined. Inside this ink-and-paper universe, Sketch is guided via radio by a resistance leader named Alissa Cyan, and accompanied by his loyal pet rat, Roadkill, who becomes an important partner throughout the journey.

The gameplay combines traditional beat-’em-up mechanics with environmental interaction and light puzzle-solving. Sketch punches, kicks, and performs fluid combinations, including uppercuts, sweeps, and spinning attacks. Landing multiple hits in succession triggers special moves, while the game automatically provides basic guarding when the player is not attacking. The comic world itself becomes part of the combat: Sketch can climb pipes, leap across torn paper gaps, push crates, and even rip off part of the background to fold it into a paper airplane—an attack that deals heavy damage but costs a portion of his health. Roadkill contributes in unique ways, crawling into tight spaces to activate switches, sniffing out hidden items behind the comic panels, or helping dispatch small enemies, adding a layer of exploration that sets the game apart from typical action titles.

Sketch can carry up to three items at a time, ranging from knives and grenades to explosive devices capable of breaking through panel walls. Health-restoring drinks and rare power-ups, including one that transforms Sketch into a superhero capable of clearing all enemies in a panel, add strategic choices to an otherwise intense, linear progression. The game is divided into three chapters, each presented as two full comic pages. Players may choose different panel paths, leading to route variations within each chapter. The difficulty is famously high: Sketch has no traditional stock of extra lives, and failing a stage sends the player back unless they have earned additional continues by completing chapters. The story also features multiple endings depending on whether the player manages to rescue Alissa, creating an emotional incentive to replay the game and master its systems.

The characters embody classic Western comic tropes. Sketch was originally designed as a more nerd-like artist, but Sega’s marketing team requested a more appealing “rock-and-roll hero,” resulting in the sunglasses-wearing character featured in the final game. Mortus, the central antagonist, combines grotesque mutant aesthetics with the flamboyance expected of comic supervillains, while Alissa functions as both mission support and emotional anchor for Sketch, reminding him that the fate of the comic world depends on his survival.

Upon release, Comix Zone received praise for its artistic direction, comic-panel transitions, expressive sound effects, and innovative presentation. Critics admired how the game brought to life the textures, energy, and visual grammar of American comics, turning each level into a moving illustration. However, its unforgiving difficulty curve and relatively short length limited its commercial success at the time. Despite this, the game became a cult favorite and has since been re-released across numerous platforms, including the Game Boy Advance, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and various Sega compilation collections. An early concept for a sequel titled Comix Zone 3D was discussed but ultimately never entered full development. The original release also featured a rock soundtrack produced in collaboration with the band Roadkill, whose gritty and punchy style aligned perfectly with Sketch’s personality and the comic-book setting.

Today, Comix Zone is remembered as a daring and artistically ambitious classic that pushed the limits of what a 16-bit action game could express. Its mixture of hand-drawn chaos, panel-based staging, and high-energy combat still feels unique, and its cult status continues to grow among retro gaming enthusiasts who admire its creativity and distinctive visual identity.