Gex

"I dare you to find a better game that stars a gecko..."

Come with me as we pay a visit to the Home for Misfit Video Game Mascot Characters. Here you will find the characters that could have been contenders, but they fell short in different areas. For example, here's Bubsy the Bobcat. He was a shallow creation made by corporate heads looking for the next big thing. They gave him plenty of attitude, but they forgot to put him in semi-decent games. And over here is Hermie Hopperhead, Sony's first attempt at a mascot character. His one and only game didn't even make it outside Japan. And look, there's Sparkster the Rocket Knight. Konami gave him two good games that just did not sell, so he wound up here. Yes, all of these characters have their own sad tale to tell. The companies they worked for promised them years of fame and cross over appeal, only to have their dreams of glory cut short. They wound up on street corners, holding cardboard signs that said, ''Will jump on heads for food'', before they ended up here.

But hey, who's that over there in the corner watching TV? Why, if it isn't Gex. You remember him, don't you? He was the smart-talking lizard who appeared on multiple systems. His first game was very good, and it looked like he'd be one of the few to make it. Unfortunately, his career was prematurely ended with the help of two inferior 3D sequels. It's really quite sad. After his last two games failed to make an impression with game players, Gex ended up being trapped in isolation and depression. It all ended tragically when he, Bubsy the Bobcat, and Awesome Possum tried to knock over a 7-Eleven. But, let's not linger on the notorious later years. Let's take a look back at the game that almost made Gex a star.

Gex made his debut in 1995 with a 2D platform game for the 3DO. Created by the now-defunct Crystal Dynamics, Gex was one of the first platform stars of the next generation systems. However, the 3DO was sinking faster than the Titanic, and the creators knew that if the character wanted to survive, he needed exposure on a more popular system. In late 95, Gex was ported over to the Playstation and Saturn. The version that we will be looking at today is the Playstation game.

All platform games need a simple story to get the action started, and Gex is no exception. Gex is a lizard. More precisely, he's a gecko. But most of all, he's a couch potato. One day, as Gex is participating in his favorite pastime of channel surfing, a fly buzzes by. Being the lizard that he is, Gex makes a quick snack out of it without a second thought. Little does he realize that this fly was a trap sent by an evil creature named Rez. Rez lives in a world that exists inside the TV. He needs a new mascot for his channel, and Gex fits the bill. The fly that Gex just ate sends an electric signal to Rez, signaling that the lizard has taken the bait. Before Gex realizes what's going on, Rez's hand literally comes bursting right through the TV screen. The hand grabs Gex, and pulls him through the television. Now, our gecko friend must make his way through five TV-themed worlds to find his way home.

The five worlds that make up the game hold multiple levels in each. The first four areas are inspired by television and movie genres (horror, cartoons, kung fu, jungle adventure), while the final world takes place in Rez's twisted industrial dimension. On each level, Gex must find a remote control. He needs the remote in order to open up the path to the next level. Sometimes, there are more than one remote on each level, and these can be hidden well. Since you need the remotes to proceed, you have to re-enter the level if you don't find them the first time.

Gex's gameplay relies on the idea that its star is a lizard. Gex has two main forms of attack. He can do the standard jump on enemies head attack, and he can whip them with his long tail. Not only that, Gex has the ability to climb walls and ceilings. However, our hero does not have to rely on his natural abilities alone. He can also find special power ups that give him the ability to shoot blasts of fire, ice, and lightning from his mouth. Other power ups make him run faster. And of course, there are power ups to replenish his health and add on to his life meter. Gex can also collect golden flies that are littered throughout the level. 100 of these earn him an extra life.

The main appeal of Gex's gameplay is how diverse it is. Since each world has its own unique TV-inspired theme, no two worlds are alike. In the game's first area (horror), you'll battle chainsaw-wielding maniacs, killer tomatoes, and Frankenstein ducks. When you enter the game's second area (cartoons), you'll be confronted by falling anvils, cartoon rejects who attack by bulging their eyes out at you, and a flying superhero who gets lift off thanks to...um...''natural gas''. Each level is huge and diverse. They hold many secrets, and even hidden bonus rooms. The levels are well designed, and never become boring or tedious.

Good game design is obviously important, but if you want your platform title to be successful, you need good control too. Fortunately, Gex has this field down. Control is simple to get the hang of within the first five minutes of play. Gex can stop on a dime, and is very responsive to your controller. The game slowly introduces you to climbing vertical and horizontal surfaces, so by the time those skills are required to proceed in the game, you'll be a master.

Since the game was originally designed for the 3DO, Gex does not exactly tax the Playstation's hardware. This is basically the same game people saw earlier, only with smoother, less-choppy animation. The graphics are entirely 2D. Gex is a rendered sprite, but the enemy sprites and backgrounds are traditionally hand-drawn. The animation Gex is great, but the enemy sprites seem to have gotten a bit less attention. Their movements are not quite as fluid as our hero's, but it's nothing major. The main highlight in the graphics category is the very nice (for its time) CGI intro that opens the game. It's only a minute or so long, but it does a good job of setting up the mood for the game.

Sound was one of Gex's big selling points, because of the vast number of voice samples from the main character the game held. Now, talking mascot characters usually turn out to be disasters. (Who thought it was a good idea to have Mario talk in that overly stereotyped Italian voice, anyway?) But, Gex is different, because many of the things he says are funny. Plus, he does not repeat the same quotes to the point that you hit the ''Mute'' button on your remote. Crystal Dynamics hired stand up comic, Dana Gould (who is now a writer on The Simpsons), to write and perform Gex's dialogue during the game. Gex has hundreds of quotes and one-liners that he spouts off at various times. Many of these are pop culture references, or obscure quotes from movies. (In the horror movie world, when Gex jumps on a cemetery casket, he will sometimes say, ''You moved the headstones, but you didn't move the bodies!'' - A quote from one of my personal favorite films, Poltergeist.) What I like about Gex's humor is that there's a bit of an edge to it. Some of the jokes I'm surprised wound up in a ''K-A''-rated game. (Like that little crack Gex makes about Mike Tyson.) All of Gex's quotes are related to the level you're currently in, so they are usually always fresh.

In the music department, Gex does not disappoint, either. Each world has its own unique music that is tied into the present theme. The music can range from bad slasher film-style tunes, to the rhythmic beats of drums in the jungle movie world. Fortunately, the music does not drown out Gex's voice samples, so you're able to enjoy both areas of the sound. The only part where the soundtrack slips is the cartoon world's theme. That music can get on your nerves pretty quickly with the goofy sound effects thrown into the background that repeat themselves constantly.

Gex is an all around well-balanced game, and is definitely one of the best American-produced platform titles I've played. Unfortunately, its main drawback is that the game is too short. With just five worlds, and roughly six or so levels per area, this game just does not live up to some of the other platform titles in terms of length. Sure, there are some very tricky areas in this game, but they shouldn't stump you for very long. You can easily beat this game during the course of a weekend if you work at it. If this game was longer and had more depth, it possibly could have been a classic.

Yes, Gex's debut title is a winner. Unfortunately, when it came time to do a sequel, the programmers decided to follow Mario 64's lead, and take Gex into 3D. The games that followed just were not as fun as the original, in my opinion. Yes, Gex had his shot at the big time. Unfortunately, our gecko friend just didn't have what it took to survive in the competitive world of the platform mascot.

Now, Gex sits alone in front of the TV, dreaming of his former days of glory. I play the game that introduced him, and imagine how it could have been different if only the sequels had been better. Gex is a likable character, and he has a great sense of humor. Alas, that was not enough, and he has met the same fate as many other potential mascot characters. (Whenever Gex starts talking about the old days, Hermie Hopperhead usually breaks down, sobbing, and screams, ''At least you got to star in more than one game!!'') But, at least we can always look back at the game that almost made Gex a star, and dream of the possibilities there once were.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/19/02, Updated 06/09/03