Gex 64: Enter the Gecko

"Average at best."

It's interesting how games that mimic other games can be categorized in two ways. If the game is successful, then it's simply similar to the others. If it isn't, however, then it becomes a cheap rip-off. Because of this, any terrible platformer, particularly on the Nintendo 64, is immediately compared to Mario 64. Among the many games that have suffered this fate is Gex 64, and not without good reason. While it can't be considered an utter failure, Gex just barely limps across the finish line.

In terms of a story, I just don't know what to make of Gex. The plot revolves around Gex, who's spent the past two years watching television and nothing else. But all of that changes when Rez resurfaces and begins taking control of the world's television channels. With a monetary reward as his incentive, Gex enters the Media Dimension to stop Rez and save television as we know it.

But luckily for the player, none of this is ever mentioned during the game itself. A three page “mission briefing” in the game's manual outlines the story, but in all honesty it's a waste of two minutes to actually read it.

The graphics are about average; there's nothing necessarily wrong with them, but for a game that was released nearly two years after the Nintendo 64's launch, they certainly could have been better. The levels are colorful and interesting, although some objects are noticeably flat. Gex is fairly well designed, but some of the other characters are sloppy and jagged. There's also a lack of any variety in the enemies; there are perhaps six or seven of them per level, which gets extremely repetitive.

And then there are the sounds. The background music is probably the best part of the game. While none of the songs are exactly memorable, there are definitely a handful of beats that I enjoyed. However, the sound themselves are absolutely horrendous. The sound effects are choppy, and Gex's lame one-liners get old extremely fast. Gex has about five lines per level, which are repeated every few seconds. There are just so many times you can hear “Will Cheech and/or Chong please report to the front desk”, “Terminator – phone call for a Mr. Terminator”, or “Lickin' my way to the top” before wanting to rip your hair out, and Gex surpasses that limit within the first five minutes of playing the game.

And speaking of wanting to rip your hair out, there's the gameplay. Gex is divided into dozens of levels, each with a number of different objectives ranging from defeating a boss, finding items, or simply reaching a certain area. Completing these objectives earn red remotes, which allow you to explore new levels. There are also two silver remotes in each area that unlock bonus levels; one is hidden and the other is earned by collecting a hundred and twenty items (think Mario's coins or Sonic's rings) scattered throughout the level and dropped by enemies. And finally, each group of levels has one boss who holds a golden remote that must be defeated before proceeding.

Unfortunately, that's it. The levels become extremely repetitive after the second or third time, and collecting isn't much more fun. Likewise, the bosses have absolutely no depth to them. They basically run around for a few seconds, attack, and then continue running. If you're lucky, halfway through they might throw in a twist like adding a pit in the middle of the area, but that's about as exciting as it gets. The regular enemies share the bosses' AI, as they pretty much do the same thing. In some cases, I almost wonder why they even bothered creating the different characters; since they all act the same it probably would have been easier to simply use the same one over and over again.

Gex himself has an entire arsenal of two attacks: a tail whip and a jump kick. The latter is fairly annoying to use, which means that more than likely you'll be using the tail whip. Of course, you never really need another attack; not surprisingly, running around an enemy and whipping your tail is an effective strategy against every single character in the game. Besides the two attacks, Gex can also climb certain walls – used exclusively for puzzles, of course. Power-ups and extra lives take the form of insects contained in televisions found around the area. Besides extra lives and health, there are fire and ice bonuses that allow Gex to perform a special, more powerful attack. Unfortunately, these power-ups are somewhat rare, and quite frankly you never really need them.

But that's not really why Gex doesn't work; many platformers suffer from repetitive levels and limited gameplay, but there's much more dragging Gex down. For one, the controls are choppy, and even something as simple as walking Gex in a straight line becomes a chore. Now add a camera that spins around whenever you move, and you can begin to imagine how frustrating the game can become. The camera and controls make jumping puzzles incredibly annoying, as either the angle changes mid-jump, sending Gex in the wrong direction, or doesn't allow you to see where the platform is beforehand, forcing you to make a leap of faith and hope that you're in the right spot. Thankfully, Gex can grab onto nearby platforms with his tongue, so you don't always have to be exactly on target.

Your rewards for completing the game? Well, none really. After a final showdown with Rez in Channel Z that mimics the rest of the game in being repetitive and boring, you're congratulated and sent back to the beginning of the game. I suppose collecting the hidden silver remotes and completing the bonus stages add to Gex's replay value, but it isn't nearly enough to keep me coming back.

Gex is, simply put, a poor example of a platformer. Even its high points can be considered average at best, and the glaring flaws overwhelmingly outweigh the few positives. It takes a lot to warm up to the game, and even then it leaves a bad taste afterwards. There are quite a few great platformers on the Nintendo 64. Gex 64 is not one of them.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/06