Gex: Enter The Gecko
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Killer looks, intricate levels, a wry sense of humor - Gex: Enter the Gecko has everything a platform fan could possible want. The work that went into this one really paid off.} {Enter the Gecko teems with well-constructed characters and excellently designed levels. Gex also pulls off effects like transparency and mirror textures, and you'll hardly notice any annoying slowdown or breakup.} {Clever music choices combined with Dana Gould's endless stream of inside-joke wisecracks make every nuance worth hearing.} {With either analog or digital controls, Gex moves smoothly and responsively. Occasionally the camera won't play nice, but most of the time you can get just the view you want.} {Killer looks, intricate levels, a wry sense of humor-Gex: Enter the Gecko has everything a platform fan could possibly want. The work that went into this one really paid off.
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Son of the Tail Quick with a tail-whip and quicker with a joke, Gex heads back into the Media Dimension to unseat Rez once again. This time he'll find himself in a haunted house, in outer space, on a desert isle, inside a computer, in a psychedelic cartoon world, back in the Stone Age, policing the inner city, and fighting ninjas in the streets of China, among other theatrical locales. Every level holds multiple challenges and different-colored remotes to collect. When Gex has enough clickers in his collection, he battles Rez for the ultimate show.
The Lizard's Innards Everything in Enter the Gecko is 3D-even the menu graphics and the words on the screen. Gex alone is made up of hundreds of polygons, which results in smooth, lifelike articulation and animation. You'll be impressed by all the little nuances in his movements and wait animations. Three camera settings give you plenty of viewing options and enable you to see the game from just about any angle you can imagine.
Gex may be a gecko, but the soundtrack's a chameleon, constantly changing with recognizable-but-not-exactly-copyright-infringing musical themes to match each level. From the rasta beats of cops on the street to the Bond-style crescendo of brass and bongos, every track's a winner.
Motor Mouth Of course, Gex wouldn't be Gex without a boatload of wise-ass remarks. Comedian Dana Gould reprises his role as the loose-lipped lizard, spewing 500 or so one-liners over the course of the adventure. Better hope your pop culture chops are up to snuff; Gex riffs on everything from Planet of the Apes to Richard Simmons to Stephen King to Land of the Lost. You may not get all the jokes now, but that's the beauty of Gex's "stealth humor"-next time you see a movie or TV show, don't be surprised if one of the lines sneaks up on you and suddenly makes sense.
Gex supports the Sony Analog Controller, but you're still only moving in just eight directions. The controls prove comfortable and responsive, while the levels are plentiful and not frustratingly hard, which adds up to a high enjoyment factor, even for platform newbies. Hidden and bonus remotes, not to mention entire bonus levels, add to the replay value. Plus, watch for a surprise cameo at the end!
Generation Gex Gex looked good in the preview versions, and it's great to see a game live up to its potential. Gex: Enter the Gecko ranks as a must-own for platform fans, but more importantly, gamers who have grown tired of the hop-n-bop genre may find some of that old magic again.
