Alright, sit tight. We’re diving back into the neon-soaked world of Gex, the gecko before the GEICO gecko. Hard to believe it’s been like, what? Three decades? How time flies… or slithers. Anyway, the Gex Trilogy’s back, all polished up for modern eyes. So, does this blast from the past still hold some charm, or did it age like old milk? Let’s ramble our way through it.
First up, the OG Gex, right? Born from the 3DO and hopping over to Sega Saturn and PlayStation. This one’s all about Gex getting sucked into his TV—like some weird couch potato nightmare—by this bad dude, Rez. Simple enough, right? He roams Cartoonland, Cemetery, Kung Fuville… weird names, but kinda fun. Each channel’s got its levels, levels with remotes. You know, collect ’em to move on. Oh, and don’t forget the power-ups! Gex munches on them to do cool things like spit fireballs or become invincible. Feels like a fever dream from when you’d binge on sugary cereal on Saturday mornings.
Playing it, though, is kinda… meh? Gex runs—if you can call it that—almost like he’s trying not to slip on banana peels. He punches with his tail, climbs around, but half the time you don’t even know what’s climbable. Annoying, right? And boy, does he TALK. If you find his jokes funny, great, but they get old fast. Honestly, this one’s like an old sweater—cozy, but a bit too itchy.
Then, bam! Into 3D with Gex: Enter the Gecko. Rez is back, but now Gex is basically a mercenary, lured by money. Gotta love it. Controls are better—still floaty, but hey, not every hero’s Mario, right? This time, lots more quips, still with the tail smacking, and the hub’s a mess. TVs all over the place. Collecting remotes, unlocking levels… this game’s got its own rhythm, you know?
Collectibles are kinda fun, though. They switch up from carrots to can-openers to dynamite plungers. Random, but cool! Gex in costumes? Yeah, he’s strutting like he’s on a catwalk. This one’s my favorite, even if the hub world’s as easy to navigate as a corn maze.
Last stop, Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko. They decided to throw in a damsel in distress. This Baywatch actress—or someone like her—is kidnapped. Cue Gex. The hub world got all sprawling and confusing here. Why mess with a good thing? Collectibles are just coins now. Not as fun, but whatever. They added new modes—snowboarding, tank rides—it’s like Gex was having a midlife crisis, but in a good way.
Boss fights? Yeah, they finally figured those out by the third game. Overall, feels more packed than before. But sometimes, more’s just… more. Still, it’s a solid entry.
In the grand scheme of the universe, the Gex Trilogy’s like a time machine. It’s got that clunky charm, kinda like watching 90’s cartoons. Not great, not terrible—just nostalgically average. Limited Run’s updates make them palatable today, but it’s a trip down memory lane more than anything else. I mean, games like Mario and Banjo-Kazooie this is not, but it’s nice they dug these up for a new generation to explore. So there you have it: the Gex experience, in all its messy glory.
