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Gex is a 2D side-scrolling platformer and the first game in the Gex series. It features various TV-themed levels set in a universe known as the Media Dimension. These levels take place across five unique worlds: a horror world, a cartoon world, a jungle world, a kung fu world, and the villain's home world, Rezopolis. It was published by Crystal Dynamics and was released for the 3DO in 1995. It was intended to be a debut title for the system. However, due to the game's tumultuous development, it would be pushed back and released a couple years after the console's debut. Due to the 3DO's declining sales, the game was later ported to the PlayStation, PC, and Sega Saturn in 1995. A digital re-release of the game was published by Square Enix and made available on GOG.com on October 16th, 2014.


Plot[]

"It all started SO simply; I had just finished my usual morning routine of Nude Funkercise, fired up the Barcalounger, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and prepared to watch some serious tube. Little did I know, my snack was sent... by Rez."

Gexstoryicon

Image used on Crystal Dynamic's old website for Gex wepage.[1]

After Gex's father is killed in an explosion at NASA, he bottles up his emotions and becomes obsessed with TV. Some time after this incident, Gex's rich Uncle Charlie would pass away and leave his fortune to Gex's family. With his cut, Gex would go on to buy the biggest house on Maui, fill it with the world's largest TV set, and enough food to last him decades. He would promptly seal himself inside and live out his life-long dream of watching television 24/7. One day while watching TV, he eats a passing fly, thinking nothing of it. However, as it turns out, it was a transmitter sent by Rez, an evil figure intent on taking over the world and making Gex his new TV network mascot in the process. With the transmitter stuck in Gex's stomach and his coordinates locked in, Rez reaches through Gex's TV screen and pulls the screaming gecko into the Media Dimension. Gex, however, manages to fight his way out of his evil clutches and collect every remote control in the Media Dimension. With every remote in hand, Gex faces off against Rez and defeats him. With Rez defeated, Gex is spit out of the Media Dimension and back into his living room. He goes back to watching TV.

Gameplay[]

Gex is a side-scrolling platformer that follows the title character Gex, an anthropomorphic, television-obsessed gecko who must travel through the "media dimension" and defeat the game's antagonist, Rez. Gex must traverse through 24 levels contained in five different TV channels which act as game worlds (accessed through a world map), each filled with platforming stages and ending with a boss stage.[4] The goal of each stage is to explore and locate hidden television remotes which are used to unlock more levels. The original 3DO version of the game allows players to save their progress and resume from where they left off; all other versions use a password system. The player unlocks passwords or is granted a save opportunity by beating a boss stage or finding video tapes hidden in certain levels. Every level contains a hidden portal which leads to a bonus level, the perfect completion of which earns the player a piece of the Planet X remote. Collecting every piece of this remote allows them to reach Planet X, an optional secret world.

Many of Gex's default abilities take advantage of his special characteristics as a gecko. In addition to being able to walk, run, and jump, he can attach himself to walls and ceilings and crawl along them using the suction padson his feet, allowing him to reach higher areas. Gex primarily attacks with his tail; he can whip it in a full circle to defeat enemies, activate switches, and deflect projectiles. He can coil it into the shape of a spring to bounce off enemies and other objects. Levels contain assorted collectible power-ups which can provide Gex with several different abilities, such as enhanced speed, invulnerability, and one of many different types of projectiles that can be launched from his mouth. Gex can obtain and utilize these power-ups by lashing his gecko tongue out and consuming them; alternatively, these items can be tail whipped in order to replenish lost health at the expense of the item's primary effect. Gex's health is represented by three "hit paws", and he loses one whenever he is hit by an enemy or a hazard. If the player loses all of their hit paws, then they lose a life. The number of hit paws can be extended to six by finding a certain power-up. The player begins the game with three lives, though more can be earned by collecting a hundred Golden flies in a level. Losing all lives causes the game to be over, forcing players to restart from the beginning (or from they last saved in the 3DO release).

Levels[]

Channel Levels Description
Rez's World Channel - Cemetary
Cemetery
The first and horror themed world of the game. This world is based around horror genre tropes, and precedes the ScreamTV levels in Gex: Enter the Gecko. The boss for this world is Morphina, a flying witch that attacks by puking.
Rez's World Channel - New Toonland
New Toonland
The second and cartoon themed world of the game. This world is based around cartoon genre tropes, and precedes the ToonTV levels in Gex: Enter the Gecko. The boss for this world is The Flatulator, a superhero whose powers revolve around farting.
Rez's World Channel - Jungle Isle
Jungle Isle
The third and jungle themed world of the game. This world is based off of adventure films such as Indiana Jones. The boss for this world is the Sun Snake, a giant snake that the player must avoid.
Rez's World Channel - Kung-Fuville
Kung Fuville
The fourth and kung fu themed world of the game. This world is based around kung fu genre tropes, and precedes the Kung-Fu Theater levels in Gex: Enter the Gecko. The boss for this world is Toxic Turtle, a cybernetic turtle.
Gex - Rezopolis
Rezopolis
The fifth and final world of the game. This is Rez's domain and base of operations. It would make a reappearance in Gex: Enter the Gecko. The boss of this world is the big guy himself: Rez.
Rez's World Channel - Planet X
Planet X
This is a bonus sci-fi themed world that is unlocked by completing every bonus level in the game. This world is based around sci-fi genre tropes, and possibly served as inspiration for the Rocket Channel levels in Gex: Enter the Gecko. Unlike previous worlds, there is no boss here. Once the player completes the final level, they will unlock the special ending.

Manuals[]

Click on the thumbnails to read the manuals
Gex 3DO cover

Gex (3DO) Game Manual

Gex PC cover

Gex (PC) Manual

Gex Saturn Cover

Gex (Sega Saturn) Manual

Gex1

Gex (PS1) Manual

Gex 1 Japanese Saturn cover

Gex Japanese (Sega Saturn) Manual

See also[]

Gallery[]

General[]

Magazine Scans[]

Other[]

Trivia[]

  • A factory sealed copy of Gex for the Sony Playstation sold on record for $1,560.00 USD.[2]
  • In the Japanese version of the game, Gex would still retain his original name. But this would be later changed to Reno in its sequel.
  • In Japan, Gex would recieve many different interpretations of the character to appeal to an Japanese audience. Interestingly, the one of the renders that was shown in gaming magazine, Saturn Fan No.7 would appear on the boxart of Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn releases.[3]
  • In the following issues of Diehard GameFan Magazine during the February and March 1995 issues, the magazine would host a contest for readers. The contest would result in the first ten winners to win a variant of 3DO console aswell as copy of Gex as a pack-in title. Meanwhile, the top fifty winners will win a Gex T-shirt.[4] Interestingly, due to the high acclaim and advertisement for the title from the publication. Over the years, it has been lead to believed by fans, it was pack-in title for console in general. However, it's only been the case for contest winners at the time.

References[]

  1. Gex webpage, Crystal Dynamics. Archived December 5th, 1998.
  2. "Gex - Wata 9.8 A Sealed [Sony Security Label, Jewel Case, Later Production], PS1 Crystal Dynamics 1995 USA"
  3. Saturn Fan No.7 pages,186-187 on Internet Archive
  4. Diehard GameFan Vol 3 Issue 2 (February 1995) and Diehard GameFan Vol 3 Issue 3 (March 1995)
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