Support the show on Patreon: / implantgames IMPLANTgames.com implantgames implant In today’s video I dive in and take a look to see if Gex on the 3DO is still good. Enjoy!
You haven't made it to Planet X? If memory serves, there's actually a hidden room in the very first level in Cemetery (Frankie and Heli) where there's a portal hidden at the top of the screen and entering it gets you into a room full of portals leading to ALL of the Bonus games and you can play them as much as you need to! Planet X was awesome, and if you ever get the chance to, try revisiting this game and getting through the crazy levels of Planet X, then getting the true ending. Yes, THAT's how obsessed with this game I was as a kid on my 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. I don't remember this game being particularly hard at all back then... I've known about the Bonus secret because I had a 3DO game guide book! It was pretty great, good times... Gex still rocks!!
Wow, I noticed the frame rate immediately. I have the PS1 and PC versions and I don't remember much or any lag. I respect your patience for putting up with that the whole game. Man, seeing those last 2 levels again really brought me back. I played this game and Rayman when my friend first got his PS1. Gex was hard back then, but do-able years later when I beat it. Rayman,.. forget it. Still can't. A lot of N64 games might be interesting to see if they pass the "Is it still good?" test.
I have yet to be Rayman either haha :) I would love to track down the Saturn or PSX version, but they seem to be pricey these days. I would hope the frame rate is better?
+implantgames The Saturn version has the worst coloring. Especially the backgrounds don't look right (posterization is noticeable). And it also lacks the transparencies. The PS1 version isn't quite as colorful as the 3DO one, but it still looks good. Then you add the fact that it has the transparencies and a very smooth frame rate. This is the best version to play.
4:37 Holy Jesus Batman *THATS* How you get to the other side? As a kid and teen I tried my damnest to tail jump those enemies to make it to the other side. Finally I tried it again as an adult and after about 20 tries I finally got it and was barely able to cling on the wall. I was so happy I accomplished something my younger self couldn't lol didn't know I was supposed to freeze the enemies to make a makeshift bridge.
Respectful constructive criticism: When talking about the music, consider making a comment and then offer a short 6-10sec sequence unnarrated so we can hear what you're describing. You describe it so well, its just a tease to not get to hear for ourselves! Otherwise, fantastic review!
You would definitely not have to worry about showing 6-10 seconds music sequences for any Gex game. I actually don't know any game of that age where you would get in trouble for that, especially because it would be completely fair use.
Good one Kris! I actually played the mess out of Gex Enter the Gecko on GBC growing up. I own this one on PS1 and have only played through the 1st world. You just gave me the encouragement to try it again.
19:07 yes it was a hidden area if u noticed there was 2 flies above the water to signify that or else how anyone could have got them Also there is a secret move when sticking to the background if u mash tail whip button gex will spin so fast with saw blade sound effect
Looking at Donkey Kong Country, I think the SNES could probably make a close approximation to this game. I don’t think the Mega Drive could though. The colour palette really held it back to these highly rendered games. Though Earth Worm Jim might prove it could also make a respectable version?
I bet Gex would still be fun to play if it was polished up a bit and released on the PS4 and Xbox One today. The game does get the fundamentals right and the FMV sequences have aged remarkably well. The 90's era humor and the one liners are a bit outdated for today's gamers though, which means that the voice acting can be a bit of an acquired taste. I think I've heard from Game Sack that the Saturn and PS1 versions of the game have some performance enhancements, but I haven't found any videos to prove it.
I beat this last year on PS1. From what I've heard it runs slightly better than 3DO but doesn't have a save system. It has passwords instead which you have to find via video cassette pick ups. The passwords are a pain, mainly because they aren't on every stage and are missable. I ended up constantly playing through an early level just so I could get a password to retain my progress. That didn't add anything to the game apart from making it more repetitive, drawn out and grindy. Kind of an asinine feature but apart from that the game was pretty good. I own the other two and want to check them out at some stage. I've heard good things about them. Pandemonium is another good Crystal Dynamics platformer from this period, 2.5D but with a similar level of difficulty.
I played the original way back when it was new at a friends house. We never quite beat it. the last area has a huge dificulty spike, and so we ever made it to the last boss before we wore the CD out playing it. You know how those early CD systems were bad for glitching out when the CD got slightly scuffed.
you should definitely update this with the planet x world, there's 8 levels, some of which are totally different in playing style to the rest of the game, one of them even has a secret boss as far as I remember.. and the full end credits contain a kind of hilarious message. planet x literally adds a whole new dimension to the game. blew my mind as a kid! there's this one level with the most beautiful sky background.. I almost think they made it too difficult to unlock, as not many people seem to be able to
I still have all my games from back then as well as Gex, I have a few my favorites, Twisted game show, Return Fire, Demolition man (being able to play scenes of the movie was awesome) road rash and need for speed were great. but when I look back! why do my eyes not see the graphics like I thought I remember? I guess once we have seen better graphics, our mind just can't adjust. can you do a review on demolition man?
I think I own 25 or so 3DO games buy demolition man is not one of them. I think the next 3DO review will be Guardian War. I find the game oddly compelling.
Not sure if this was said by anyone else because I didn't thoroughly look through the comments, but I know for a fact that the parts in the game where you go behind walls are intentional. The clip where this is happening in the cemetery leads you to 2 extra lives. Sorry, I know I'm late, but I thought this was a necessary comment
I grew up playing the playsation port of gex, and i would say between your review and some gameplay footage, they pretty similar with the only difference I'm noticing is the frame rate. They're both the same when at their best, but I've never encountered a drop in frame rate with numerous enemies and sprites. So perhaps that got either fixed, or the playstation's hardware probably has a better handling than the 3DO
I did pick up the PSX version and can't wait to give the game another go. It does seem the PSX was better suited for sprites, though there are some surprisingly solid sprite-based 3DO games like Samurai Shodown.
Interesting. I'll have to check that game out. I have a pretty wide range of consoles, but sadly the 3DO is pretty foreign to me along with the turbo graphics 16
There are definitely deals to be had on the 3DO. Collector's tend to go for the complete long boxes, meaning the prices on disc only or jewel-case only games is pretty reasonable. That said, many of the best games have better ports on other platforms (Gex, Need for Speed, Road Rash, Samurai Shodown, Super Street Fighter II Turbo). On the flip side some games are just as good or cheaper (or more convenient) on the 3DO like D, Soccer Kid, and Alone in the Dark. There are some decent exclusives as well like Guardian War (simplistic tactical RPG), Crash 'n Burn (racer) and Trip'd (puzzle).
15:26 About the game being rush, this happened: From the GiantBomb wiki: "When the game was almost finished, play testers found a hidden level created by lead designer Justin Knorr that contained the message "Didn't you think this level had some cool shit in it? This level was cut because the company didn't put you, the customer, first but just wanted to make money. Call Madeline Canepa at 415-555-1212 and give her a piece of your mind and my mind too". The level was cut and Knorr was fired from the company."
This is a post from lead programmer Gregg Tavares's blog in 1997: games.greggman.com/game/gex/ This offers much more insight into the development and puts more context into the snippets from Giant Bomb.
implantgames Thanks for the link it was a really interesting read, he literally starts by calling Gex a project from hell. With the publisher asking for a 32bits game of a 16bits size team and ignoring the needs of the team until the deadline they imposed came and only half the game was done( with the devs working 14 hours a day including weekends to achieve it O.o) Amazing they made a good game in those conditions.
To save you the trouble, the PS1 & PC versions of Enter The Gecko are your best bet. The N64 version (going back to it myself) I realized is not that great as I thought when I first played it YEARS prior. It should be avoided in favor of the other Versions I mentioned.
I am currently playing this game on the 3DO (FZ-10). Does anyone know if applying the 240p mod will speed up the frame rate without interfering with the gameplay?
+Edwin V. Short answer? YES, and you should feel ashamed of yourself for even asking. ;~P Lol, no, j/k, but seriously, S3&K is really the best of the Sonic Genesis (with Sonic CD coming in at a *very* close 2nd) and contains none of the archaic drawbacks of these other Genesis titles (such as the lack of a save feature and a final boss you have to defeat w/o rings). It actually plays liked a modern game, so if there's one Genesis Sonic game (or Hell, even just 2D Sonic game) you should play, it's *THAT* one. ...Or its remake, but really, there aren't many downsides -- if any -- to the original. One tip, tho: the tall, floating, spinning, cylindrical platforms in the Carnival zone can be moved vertically by simply standing on them and pressing up or down in time with your vertical movement. Repeatedly jumping on them is NOT necessary to accomplish this. You're welcome. ;~D
Yo Implant! I've been loving your reviews. I'm gonna be a total ass hat for a moment and judge your videos the same way you judge video games. I think the only thing your reviews need in order to be GREAT, is a little change in your voice, like every now and then, SURPRISE US! Because I zoned out a few times because your voice rarely changes octaves or pause for a second to grab my attention. After a while it just sounds like "wah wah, wah wah wah" and that's not your fault, it's just human nature to stop listening after a while. Like a college professor in his classroom talking for long periods of time. After a while one of his students zones out. So when it's been 2 minutes and you're still talking in that same voice, a sound effect or a pause in your commentary may help catch my attention ;) -Griffin
I was equally surprised by the quality. I wish the 3DO had a better frame-rate... but the controls still feel unique and interesting without being cumbersome. Can't wait to visit the 3D follow-ups! Should I be looking for the PSX or N64 versions?
