GameGear

"An excellent handheld, even in this day and age!"

Introduction:
I have never owned a ''handheld'' system, the closest I ever came to anything portable is a Virtual Boy, which I might add is NOT portable! Anyhow, I remember thinking how cool the Game Gear was when I first saw it a few years after it came out. So I found this great little classic game store which sold everything from Colecovisions, to the Xbox. So I went in, traded a few games and with a little bit of cash picked up a Game Gear, rechargeable battery pack, Power Adapter, and Sonic 2. I am here to say I am not disappointed a bit. I can safely say that this handheld is very good, and way ahead of it's time.

The Game Gear was made to compete mainly with the Game Boy. The Game Gear(GG from now on) had a backlit, color display, which was a double edged sword. Not only did it blow the GB out of the water, it also sucked down batteries like, well, A Virtual Boy... However the color screen mad for a neat little accessory, the TV Tuner, not only could you play games on this gem, but you could watch TV too!!! Anyhow, from what I have read, the best way to describe the GG is a portable master system. In fact, there was even a converter to let you play Master System games on the Game Gear. Anyway, I'm sure you came here to read the review, so away we go!!!

Graphics: 9/10
Now I am very impressed with what the system can do, but I guess I have been a little spoiled by the next generation of consoles, so it does hurt the score a little bit in the inevitable comparison. Ok, like I said earlier, the GG is mostly a portable Master System, which this being the case, I am also impressed with the Master System, as I always compared the GG to the Genesis, and thought it stood up quite well. The GG can produce wonderful, lit up, color graphics. A true advancement over the Game Boy. In fact, it brought out the backlight about 10 years before Nintendo did with the Game Boy Advance SP. The only real gripe I have about the GG's graphic department is the blur I get while playing games like Sonic. So the lack of Super Graphic Power and blur drag the score down a point.

Control: 9/10
The control is similar to the Genesis, minus the third button. This works out well for most titles, but I haven't played sports or wrestling titles, so even though I can't comment on them, I will still bring it down one notch if I later do find out that the control is not so good(which I expect it may be). Other than that, I am happy with the layout of the buttons, and the number of them(mostly) and I like how you can get at the volume and brightness with very little trouble. So all in all, a very good job.

Sound: 10/10
Considering this is an older handheld, I'll keep the score high. Again, from what I have read, the sound on the Game Boy is rather poor, and the GG was able to do a great job in the sound department. While the voice saying ''Seeeggggaaaaa'' in the beginning of Sonic 2 isn't crystal clear, it's great coming from a 12 year old portable. Once again, am pleased with the sound, and also the fact that is is even better when you plug in headphones. Not to mention the fact that, without headphones, it almost drowns out a bus full of High Schoolers.

Games: 9/10
Even though I only own one game(although I have played several). There are still a lot of games I want, these include: Earthworm Jim, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Desert Strike(Who didn't like Desert Strike?), and Defenders of Oasis just to name a few. I hear there are about 250 games released state side. So, there is something for everybody. While the GG doesn't have mini Final Fantasys or mini Zeldas, it still does a great job.

Overall: 10/10
I think the overall package is great, especially if you can get the TV tuner cheap. The fact that the GG is backlit makes it perfect for almost anywhere(except in bright light). The colors are good, and the game selection is superb. While the thing does suck down the batteries, you should have no problem if you get a rechargeable pack and an AC Adapter. I am still on the lookout for that TV tuner that is sure to make my experience amazing(Take that GBA SP!). So in closing I say, if you have even an inkling of interest in the system, get it without delay, you won't be disappointed!

''OOOWWWW Have Mercy!!!''

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/24/03, Updated 04/24/03