Ex-Mutants (1992). Play online

Summary

The Genesis title Ex‑Mutants drops players into the grim, post‑nuclear world created by the Malibu Comics series. You pick either the cyber‑enhanced Sharpe—wait, actually Shannon—or the gritty mercenary Ackroyd, each sporting distinct move sets that let you slice through Sluggo’s ragtag horde of mutants. While the game leans heavily on the comic’s gritty aesthetic, the side‑scrolling action feels true to early ’90s beat‑‘em‑up design, with sprites that pop despite the limited palette. Malibu Interactive handled the port while Sega of America oversaw publishing, which helped the title reach retail shelves in the U.S. Even though the storyline isn’t detailed here, the atmosphere and character picks give fans a taste of the Shattered Earth continuity that the comics explored.

Storyline

In the near‑future world of Ex‑Mutants, a global war has poisoned the planet and left the surviving population horribly mutated. The three‑eyed scientist Dr. Emmanuel Cugat selects five mutants—Belushi, Erin, Angela, Vikki and Lorelei—and resequences their DNA to restore them to perfect human form. He then sends the newly‑human Ex‑Mutants out to inspire a shattered Earth. Along the way they ally with the Wild Knights, an old motorcycle gang led by Zack, and clash with the monstrous tyrant Great Fred, who captures Dr. Cugat in the ruins of Brooklyn. After a rebellion topples Great Fred, Cugat’s own ambitions turn him into a cult‑leader, prompting the Ex‑Mutants to abandon his regime.

The Sega Genesis game draws from the 1992 Malibu reboot, where Professor Kildare, a robotic‑looking cyborg, gathers six mutants—Dillon, Ackroyd, Bud, Shannon, Piper and Tanya—and converts them into humans. Players control Ackroyd and Shannon as they battle the local warlord Sluggo, who enslaves other mutants. The game’s storyline mirrors the comic’s theme of mutated heroes fighting oppression while seeking to rebuild civilization.