Games: Gex (3DO, PS1, Saturn, Win/1995), Gex: Enter the Gecko (PS1, N64, GBC, Win/1998), Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (PS1, N64, GBC/1999)
Mascot for: Crystal Dynamics
If you grew up in the '90s, you probably remember Gex. He was a wise-cracking lizard with a rad 'tude who gave even Sonic a run for his money. The first game was a side-scrolling platformer, but the other two were in 3D (and are probably the ones you remember). In all three games, Gex is voiced by Dana Gould, and he can be pretty funny at times. All three games are quite wacky with tons of parody moments of famous movies (Looney Toons, Star Wars) or other pop culture references. Gex jumps into TVs in order to enter a level (the TV has a specific theme). In Gex 3, the gecko actually talks to a real woman (which is a little weird). If anything, these games are bursting with personality (and they're fun too).
What happened: Gex was extremely '90s, which was both a good and bad thing. Good: he appealed to a lot of people during that time. Bad: he couldn't last into the 2000's. Okay, that IS my opinion. The second game is quite good, but the third, not so much. A fourth game was planned for the PS2, but was canceled. Just imagine if Gex were still around today. He would need to be a little different (change with the times, they say). Square Enix owns the rights to Gex now, and in 2015 they announced that they are open to publishing another game if a good developer wants to do it. So far no takers, but here's hoping that we haven't seen the last of Gex.
I'm gonna be that guy: outside of a Kickstarter, we have probably seen the last of Gex.
Having said that, I bet I'd appreciate all the references more as an adult and I did enjoy the PSX games I played.
You're probably right.......sigh
I like a Gecco that doesn't sell insurance.
LOL instead he sells adventure :)
Yeah, he's got that smarmy attitude that can sell anything, doesn't he.
I reviewed one of these games back when I was at The Dallas Morning News. I think it was the third one. It had a Christmas level anyway. It seemed all right. Just standard 3-D platforming fare. The voice quips were funny but got old the third time he repeated them. I also played the first 2-D one at a 3DO demo station in a store before that, but they had the sound turned off so I didn't know Gex would talk the whole time.
Yeah, the problem with talking in a game is that it can get old if there isn't enough variety (they were still learning that in the '90s)
