Gex Trilogy Review – It’s Tail Time, Baby

Gex is one of those classic franchises that I’ve only heard about in passing, and it’s always been in such a manner that I’ve never been entirely sure what the actual general perception is. Gex is a fourth-wall-breaking gecko who frequently makes references to real-life media, and that facet is about all I’ve ever known about Gex as a series.

The Gex Trilogy: A Modernized Re-Release

However, the announcement of the Gex Trilogy, a collective modernized release of the original three games, made it an opportune time to undergo the titles featuring this iconic character and to determine whether they hold up. Somewhat surprisingly, despite some design frustrations, they’re all relatively enjoyable, bolstered by excellent emulations from Limited Run Games’ Carbon Engine, providing a seamless experience.

Gex 1: A 2D Platforming Gem

The second and third Gex entries are 3D platformers, while the first is a bit of an outlier, being a 2D side-scroller, so we’ll delve into the debut outing to start. In this title, Gex becomes trapped in a zone called the Media Dimension by its ruler, Rez, who intends to make him the new mascot. That plot is detailed in the manual, which you can read in the Extras menu, so that’s something. Admittedly, it goes into quite a bit more than I expected, highlighting Gex’s family, in particular, and providing some appreciated history to this character I had assumed was only a joke-filled gimmick.

Gameplay and Level Design in Gex 1

As for the gameplay of Gex 1, it contains the essentials of your classic 2D platformer, though with its fair share of unique spins for distinction. For one, escaping the Media Dimension requires finding remote controls that open routes to more levels and worlds. This means that your goal in each stage is not simply reaching the end, but instead finding the remotes strewn about, and they’re not always on the most straightforward roads.

The levels in Gex 1 often have multiple directions you can traverse, and how you do so fits Gex’s species, since he is capable of climbing walls, sticking his tongue out to consume power-ups, bouncing to break terrain, and swinging his tail to damage enemies. There’s a satisfying flow here that encourages gradual exploration since not only are the remotes sometimes off the beaten path, but there are a decent number of pits that lead to your death, as well as tricky enemy placements. Further, Gex is slippery, and even seemingly minor steps forward and backward can result in swift losses of lives.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Gex 1

Still, I appreciated the level design of Gex 1, and the trial-and-error processes from facing new enemies and obstacles were fairly memorable. Additionally, the power-ups he obtains, such as temporary enhancements to his maximum health, gaining invincibility, and shooting projectiles, incorporate genuine variety to the progression. Plus, a few level tools, like trampolines, can double as boons to move you forward or send you back to undesired spots of the map, implementing these potential temporary divergences with a constant sense of caution.

Gex’s climbing is another standout feature since it applies to walls to his left and right, as well as those in the foreground, instilling a whole other layer that caught me off guard. When also considering that you can swap between the foreground and 2D walls at your leisure, there’s a level of depth here that has aged remarkably well.

However, the aforementioned slipperiness with Gex’s controls was never an aspect I entirely grew fully accustomed to, as the game is only a handful of hours long, so I became vexed a few times. Moreover, the few boss battles are adequate in their mechanics, but they also don’t have too much going on, so I often brute-forced them. They slightly come across as afterthoughts more than anything else.

Gex: Enter the Gecko – Transitioning to 3D

The second and third entries, Gex: Enter the Gecko and Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko, somewhat effectively transition the series into 3D. They follow the titular protagonist, once again tasked with defeating Rez, alongside the introduction of the gecko’s partner, Secret Agent Xtra, who appears as a real-life woman. Needless to say, the narratives here can get kind of surreal, with the opening cutscene of the third game feeling like a fever dream.

Gameplay Changes in Enter the Gecko

Many of the same moves from the first title return, with bouncing to reach higher ledges being especially crucial, though the level structure has evolved to be more open-ended than before. The central goal of finding remotes has been retained, with the change that stages are now semi-mission-based, requiring different actions such as defeating specific enemies or reaching particular locations on the map.

Unfortunately, while Enter the Gecko made the jump to 3D well in terms of controls, I didn’t find the level design to reach similar heights as its predecessor. The challenge has been scaled back, with more lenient and forgiving enemy placements. The smooth and flow-state-like moments Gex can enter don’t fully utilize his potential, as the stages don’t showcase his distinctiveness as much as they once did. Here, his wall-crawling and bug consumption are secondary to typical platforming, where the higher jumps from bouncing are about all that’s frequently highlighted.

Camera Issues and Overall Enjoyment

Alas, the camera in this sequel is awful, suffering from constant jitteriness, regardless of the setting. The best-case scenario in the options is manual camera control, where you can manually adjust the configuration on the fly; however, it practically always gets stuck on level geometry, resulting in a constant battle with it. The bosses are also similarly acceptable as before, coming across as obligatory obstacles. Still, it’s worth emphasizing that I enjoyed my time with Enter the Gecko, as it gets its fundamentals in basic 3D platforming right, bolstered by secret collectibles that lead to bonus stages. It just feels like other 3D platformers of this era managed to do more with unique character movesets and level gimmicks.

Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko – Refining the Formula

As for the third game in this collection, Deep Cover Gecko, there isn’t too much to say that majorly differentiates it from the major components of the second title, other than its emphasis on vehicles, which control surprisingly well, alongside awkward swimming navigation. Thankfully, the camera is a bit more agreeable this time around; the hub world is a massive step up, and it feels like there is a greater variety in level themes.

Comparing Gex 3 to Its Predecessors

I should note that I didn’t 100% any of these titles, so I imagine that enjoyment could certainly alter significantly depending on whether you go that route. Still, for strictly primary progression, I appreciated Enter the Gecko and Deep Cover Gecko roughly equally, with the third game taking a slight edge. They’re entertaining 3D platformers that haven’t exactly aged gracefully; yet, the crowds who take a liking to the experimentation of this era will probably have a delightful time.

Gex’s Personality: Love It or Hate It

Gex, as a character, will be hit-or-miss depending on the player as well, since he’s one of those protagonists who speaks ceaselessly, making constant references to other pieces of media with tongue-in-cheek quotes. I was pretty amused most of the time, though I can just as easily see someone becoming gradually more annoyed the longer they play, so that potential reaction is worth keeping in mind should you play.

Bonus Features and Presentation

Regarding the bonus features this trilogy offers, you have a convenient save state menu, which significantly mitigates lost time and functions just as easily as your standard save menu, as well as the ability to rewind for a select amount of time. There is also a CRT filter, screen size options, and borders that you can apply, depending on your preferences.

On the title screen, there’s a whole slew of bonuses you can access, such as listening to the soundtrack and viewing artwork and promotional materials from the games’ original releases, including commercials. The manuals, prototype footage of the canceled fourth game, Gex Jr., and a video interview with the voice of Gex, Dana Gould, are also here. The celebratory material present in this release does an excellent job of highlighting Gex’s history and that general late 90s era of video game releases.

Performance and Emulation Quality

It’s also worth emphasizing that Limited Run Games did a phenomenal job with their Carbon Engine, as all three of these games ran nearly flawlessly when played on PC. Switching between games and loading saved states was fluid and swift, with virtually no unnecessary waiting times; the overall framerate and performance were superb. The only faults I can remember encountering were a single crash when accessing the Extras menu and a handful of geometry textures vanishing in a Gex 3 level when moving the camera in a specific direction, but that’s about it, so nothing significant. In terms of preservation, the Gex Trilogy appears to be of the utmost quality, though I can’t speak for all platforms.

Final Verdict: Is the Gex Trilogy Worth It?

The Gex Trilogy will certainly not appeal to your everyday platforming fans, since not only is the protagonist not exactly conventional in his humorous appeal, but the games themselves haven’t aged like fine wines, either. Still, those who can take the shortcomings in stride will discover that these titles have an endearing sense of honesty encompassing their level designs that you can’t help but appreciate in retrospect. Additionally, Limited Run Games’ stellar emulation job, courtesy of the Carbon Engine, has ensured that both we and future generations can enjoy these three classics in nearly pristine condition.