When you think of the late ‘90s in gaming, you think of the classics. Final Fantasy VII, Resident Evil, Half-Life, and Super Mario 64 are all games that come to mind. Games that helped shape an entire generation of gamers and introduced new standards into the world of gaming. But does anyone ever really think of Gex: Enter the Gecko?
The franchise hasn’t received world fame and it’s not up there on the list of best video games of all time. However, there’s still some charm to seeing that 3D gecko pop up on your screen and spew some ‘80s and ‘90s references while fighting enemies. Those who have played through the games will know what we’re talking about. Some even find him endearing enough to advocate for the series’ return.
Regardless, if you’re new to the world of Gex, and you want to know more about Gex: Enter the Gecko, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll be covering some of the most important gameplay aspects of the 1998 platformer, reviewing the story elements, and offering some information on the franchise as a whole.
Gex: Enter the Gecko Gameplay
Gex: Enter the Gecko is a platform game, which means that there are several fairly challenging levels leading you throughout the game. Comparing it to Gex, the first game in the series, it becomes evident that there have been many improvements in the 3 years it took to develop Gex: Enter the Gecko.
Gex the gecko has a few different sets of attacks he can use on enemies. He can use his tail to damage them and even do a karate kick. But Gex doesn’t only use his tail for combat, he can also use it to break obstacles and interact with the world around him. Other than that, he has abilities such as climbing and jumping around the map. Of course, this is customary for any platformer game to have, so it’s no surprise.
Overall, the point is to use all the objects around Gex on the map to try advancing through the game. The 3D aspect of it only adds to the adventure!
How many levels are in Gex: Enter the Gecko?
The fun part about this gecko game is the different kinds of levels you can play through. Most levels feature different themes such as the horror and sci-fi channels in the Media Dimension.
There are four categories of levels: main levels, boss levels, bonus levels, and secret stations.
The main levels are the ones you’ll mainly be playing in. They feature 8 “channels”, each with about 1 to 3 levels, adding up to 15 levels. This also depends on the platform you’re playing on. Some of these levels, namely Gecques Cousteau and Poltergex are exclusive to the N64 and PC/PS platforms, respectively.
The boss levels are just that, levels where you have to fight the boss and advance to the next stage. There are four boss levels in total: The Tiki Brothers, Mooshoo Pork, Mecharez, and Rez.
The only way to access the bonus levels is to acquire a certain amount of Silver Remotes throughout the regular levels. Once you enter the bonus level, you have a certain objective such as collecting Gold Remotes or other items before time runs out. There are 9 levels in total.
Finally, the game also has three secret levels, making for a total of 31 levels in Gex: Enter the Gecko. You can unlock secret levels by collecting the aforementioned Gold Remotes. It’s crucial to clear these levels if your playstyle is completionist, as you need the Red Remote from them which gives you 100% completion of the game.
How long does it take to beat Gex: Enter the Gecko?
When answering this question, we have to take into account the different playstyles. Some may like to enjoy the game casually, while others like to speedrun it. Some are only interested in the main story, while others want to explore everything Gex: Enter the Gecko has to offer.
Depending on which type you are, the playtime will be different. Those who are only interested in playing through the main story can expect around 9 hours of fun. However, even with all the extra content, the game only adds up to around 9.5 hours. Completionists, however, can expect to add an extra hour of playtime for a total of 10 hours.
While speedruns of this game aren’t a very famous nor common occurrence, it’s still possible to do. If you’re looking to speedrun the game, you can expect to spend around 40 minutes playing through it. That is, once you’ve put in all the practice.
Gex: Enter the Gecko Story
This Gex game focuses on continuing the events from the original game. Gex’s enemy and villain of the first game, Rez, makes another appearance. This time, he aims to destroy the Media Dimension, and the government seems to think it’s Gex’s responsibility to stop him.
After some twists and turns, you’ll find that the plot of the game is pretty lighthearted. The main selling point is the many pop culture references such as the ones alluding to Star Wars, certain bands, and comedy duos such as Cheech and Chong.
What Gecko is Gex!?
However, we haven’t spent nearly enough time unpacking the actual character of Gex the Gecko.
Gex is essentially an anthropomorphic gecko. There hasn’t been any official information about Gex’s species. However, by examining the pictures, we can see some similarities between Gex and a Gold dust day gecko (Phelsuma laticauda). Namely, the markings on Gex’s tail match that in pictures you can see online.
Perhaps Gex’s species was meant to be ambiguous in case of design changes. The creators also could’ve just forgotten to define it anywhere. Or maybe the series just wasn’t famous enough to warrant any guidebooks or further media. Either way, this leaves the question of what gecko is Gex up to speculation.
How many Gex games were there?
In total, the Gex series consists of three games. The first game, Gex, saw its release in 1995 as a 2d platformer with an interesting storyline. The protagonist, Gex, ends up in the Media Dimension at the hands of Rez, the antagonist, and has to jump, climb, and fight his way out.
We’ve already covered the events of the second game, released in 1998, so we’ll just move on to the third game.
Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko, released in 1999, is the final installment of the series. While the gameplay doesn’t change all that much, there is a new storyline to follow. This time, Gex returns to the Media Dimension to save his partner and lover, Agent Xtra. Once again, she has fallen victim to kidnapping at the hands of Rez.
Although the end of Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko alludes to a fourth game being in the works, it seems like it never got to see the light of day. Presumably, this is due to the third game’s reception and mixed reviews from critics. Regardless, the trademark Square Enix recently filed could spell some good things for Gex fans!
