PixlBit

It's time to hit rewind on a platformer of old.

It’s been a long week, but it has finally come to an end and you know what that means.  That’s right -- it’s time for another explosive installment of Missing in Action!

For all of those new to MIA, let me explain how it works.  MIA is a weekly column where I pick out a game or franchise of old, dust it off and present it for a possible current generation entry.

To qualify for the MIA treatment the game or franchise cannot have appeared on any of the current generation consoles, nor can a new title be currently in development, though unconfirmed rumors, speculation, and hearsay are certainly permissible.  Also the title or franchise must be well served by a current generation entry.  Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis will never grace these digital pages.

This week we present for your consideration, Gex!

It may be hard to believe that while our video game world may be filled to the brim with bland first person/cover based shooters, there was once a time when the colorful platform game was king.  Back in the early 90s it was commonly thought that to succeed, a video game platform needed a mascot of sorts.

Nintendo had Mario, Sega had Sonic, Sony would have Crash Bandicoot and the ill fated Panasonic 3DO would have a spokeslizard in the form of Gex. In 1994 Gex was bundled with the 3DO and was ported over to the Playstation, Saturn, and N64 years later (the N64 got the sequels and not the original).

Developed by then fledgling developer Crystal Dynamics, Gex started off as a simple 2D side scrolling platform game starring the titular gecko.  The game followed Gex as he made his way through television world after television world – finding remotes and cracking jokes of the pop culture variety along the way. 

The story of Gex is surprisingly convoluted.  Gex lived in Maui with his mother and three siblings while his father made a living working for NASA.  One fateful day the family finds out that dad was killed in a freak accident that resulted in their rocket being blown to smithereens. The death of his father affected Gex on a deep level and he took refuge in the warm glow of television, to which he quickly became addicted.  When his mother took his television away in an attempt to break him of his addition, Gex runs away and begins his life on the streets.

And then he inherits a ton of money.  What does he do with this money?  He only does what is natural and buys a mansion and the world’s biggest television.  All seems fine and dandy until one day while watching television, a large hand bursts out of the television and pulls him into TV land.  The hand belonged to the man that would become his nemesis, Rez, overlord of the Media Dimension. 

Rez’s plan is an odd one.  He wants to use Gex as a mascot of sorts and conquer the world – a very similar plan to the one hatched at Pannasonic with the 3DO.  Of course this plan doesn’t fare well and Gex eventually thwarts Rez and returns to his mansion to watch some HBO.

Four years after the initial release of Gex, Crystal Dynamics did what so many other companies were doing and brought Gex to glorious 3D in Gex: Enter the Gecko.  Amazingly, this actually worked out rather well.  While Gex certainly imitated 3D precursors such as Super Mario 64, Gex had retained enough of his old charisma to set it apart and sell well enough for a third game, Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko.

The three Gex games sold over 15 million copies across various platforms – a good haul by anyone’s standards – with the third title being the best selling at over 6 million units.  A fourth title was in development for the Playstation 2, but was mysteriously cancelled for reasons unknown. 

Aside from a cameo in Hot Shots Golf 2 as an unlockable character, Gex hasn’t starred in a game of his own since 1999, which is far too long if you ask me.  The sheer amount of new media and pop culture just begging to be lampooned is dizzying.  With platform games making a kind of comeback with the upcoming releases of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and Rayman Origins, the time is ripe for a new Gex game.

While the general concept of the game doesn’t need to be changed, there is a lot about the game that needs to be updated to make a new game relevant.  While I enjoy a good pop culture reference from the 90s, there are certainly a lot of folks who would groan.  Stand-up comedian and long time writer for the Simpsons Dana Gould provided the voice and lot of the material for the US version of the little green gecko back in the day (there were other voice actors for other territories) and while Gould could certainly use the work, I think it’s time to insert some fresh blood.  In this instance, while some may disagree heartily, I think that Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame would be a perfect fit for the wise cracking gecko.  MacFarlane’s vocal range along with his pop culture sensibilities would fit in well, but I could be wrong – feel free to make your own suggestions in the comments.

Since Gex centers around the world of television entertainment, certain changes in terms of gameplay will need to be made.  In the original Gex games you had to find a VHS tape to save your game.  Obviously this would be quite dated in today’s world, but you could do the same with the DVR.  However, the possibilities are not limited to saving.  Game mechanics involving pausing, rewinding, fast forwarding and recording could be added to enhance gameplay.  It would be like combining the time control from Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and the time abilities that Clank has in Ratchet and Clank: Crack in Time.  Really this could give the game an entirely new shot of life and the possibilities are many and varied.

So there you have it. Gex would make a welcome addition to the new wave of classic platformers.  With some new additions to classic gameplay mechanics and updated sense of humor this game could really do some damage – in a good way.

Share your thoughts on this series of old and feel free to post suggestions on how the game could be updated by sounding off in the comments section below!