Gex (video game series)
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Image:Gex gecko.jpg Image:Gex undercover.jpg
Gex is a video game series featuring the adventures of a gecko named Gex who has a passion for TV. He gets in and out of many predicaments, usually involving the evil Rez. He is voiced by comedian Dana Gould.
The games reference and are inspired by American TV-culture. Gex also contributes to the games with wise-cracking remarks laced with media and pop-culture references reminiscient to the catchphrases of Duke Nukem and most notably those of Ash Williams the protagonist from The Evil Dead films. Gex opens up gateways to new levels by collecting TV remotes.
Contents |
The games
GEX
| GEX {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Beam Software (Lyle Hall, Justin Norr, and Mira F. Ross) {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | August 28, 1996 and August 30, 1996 (BMG Entertainment) |
| Genre(s) | side-scrolling platform game |
| Mode(s) | single player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | Sega Saturn, PC, 3DO, and PlayStation {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Game information
The 2D game, released August 28, 1996 and August 30, 1996, was published by Crystal Dynamics and Microsoft for Sega Saturn, PC, 3DO, and PlayStation. The ESRB rating is E.
The plot
Gex is a gecko who becomes attached to the television after his father dies in a rocket explosion. When he suddenly becomes rich, the couch potato moves into an expensive house and begins to rot away in front of his favorite channel. Rez, a television overlord, decides that Gex will be his new mascot and sends a robotic bug to Gex's house. After eating the bug, Rez was able to pull Gex into the tube. Now Gex must battle the demented world of The Media Dimension to get back out.
Game overview
Game worlds
A Summary of the game worlds which appear in the Media Dinemsion of GEXTemplate:Ref:
- The Cemetery (Graveyard World): Gex hurtles through the Media Dimension, back to the time and place when Abbott and Costello met Frankenstein. Gex is caught is a creepy horror flick alive with Franken-geckos, mad slashers, crazy tomatos, and other Fright Night foes. Slime, fog... an exorcism in the offing! Better check your calendar, cuz you're stuck on Friday the 13th.
- Missions: Frankie & Hell, Grave Danger, Tomato Soup, Disco Inferno, Spin N' Puke (Boss Level)
- New Toonland (Cartoon World): Toon Town this ain't! Gex battles cheesy characters from thoes crack-of-dawn Saturday a.m. cartoons. Retired heroes and thieves and out-of-work toon slouchers line up to take a swipe at Gex. There's nothing like getting a safe dropped on your head. Itchy & Scratchy, eat each other's heart out!
- Missions: Pow!, Twin Towers, Rock It!, Knock! Knock!, The Flatulator (Boss Level)
- Jungle Isle (Jungle World): Go native! Feel the beat of the bongos. Gex stalks through a malaria factory packed with carnivores & cannibals (who like the taste of gecko better than chicken), moving walls, hidden booby-traps, and breakaway bridges. You may have named the dog Indy... but there's a gecko with the same hat.
- Missions: Feeding Frenzy, Congo Chaos, Jungle Gym (Boss Level)
- Kung Fuville (Kung Fu World): There's nothing like getting hung up in Channel 26. Fighting your way through moronic martial arts scenes is bad enough, but can't they get that voice track in sync? It's Big Trouble in Little China with ninjas, samurai geckos, sumo wrestlers... enough is enough. Walk softly, little grasshoppers, and whip a fast tail!
- Missions: Sumo City, Fish Bait, Chop Chop, Toxic Turtle (Boss Level)
- Rezopolis (Rez's Nerve Center): A world beyond insanity takes center stage. Vast installations of alien hi-tech circuitry fume with electrical force! Energy geysers leap from pulsating waves of liquid television. This is the twisted reality where network programmes are chosen. At last, Gex confronts Rez himself in a battle that will decide the fate of the universe... and more importantly, whether a gecko will be next season's network mascot!
- Missions: Rez Knight Fever, On The Move, Rez's Lair (Boss Level)
- Planet X (Secret World): The infamous secret world. It is rumored that it is the most challenging of the worlds, but defeating it brings sweet rewards because the ending of the game is much sweeter if you manage to pull it off.
- Missions: Saucer Station, Free Fall, Bombs Away, Newton's Fourth Law, Head To Head, The Project, The Web, Clothesline
Gex moves
A list and explanation of the moves that the character of Gex can perform in the gameTemplate:Ref:
- Tail Whip
- Whack skanky foes. Some enemies are tougher than others.
- Smack bug power-ups to fill one empty hi paw (your lives).
- Whack items like shooting skulls to use them as weapons.
- Execute a jumping tail whip for an awesome display of gecko power.
- Tounge Lash
- Snag gold flies, bugs and power-ups in mid air.
- Hurl
- Spit a fire ball, ice ball, or other weapon, depending on the power-up Gex swallowed last.
- Jump
- Get air to avoid enemies.
- Swallow high power-ups with a high tongue lash.
- Tail Bounce
- Destroy enemies, bust breakable blocks and bounce on to high platforms.
- Wall Stick
- Jump while pressing the Direction Button against a wall's surface and Gex sticks with his suction cup paws!
- Gex can stick & crawl up the sides & faces of walls & buildings.
- Gex can spin while sticking.
- Snag power-ups from a wall stick-position. Use the Direction Button plus a Tongue Lash.
- Don't forget about thoes ceilings!
Memorable quotes
- "That's for twelve years of Full House."
- "Kill your TV man." [repeated line]
- "It's tail time!"
- "I feel like Ben Franklin's wallet."
- [impersonating Johnny Carson] "It reminds me of Ed tapping his birthday keg."
- "Yeah, this place has all the warmth of a Dick Clark special."
- "This place is weirder than Rick James' place on the 4th of July."
- [to zombie-like Franken-geckos] "Do your arms ever get tired?"
- "Big fan of Kid-n-Play?"
- "I'm too young to have a second childhood."
- "My inner child is coming out, and it hurts!"
- "I don't remember reading about this' in the manual."
- [in cartoon world] "Wish these stars looked more realistic."
- [in jungle] "All this thanks to Miracle Grow."
- "And they said atomic testing would have no affect here."
- "Looks like someone had too much chili at Wendy's."
- "It's nice to see Gamera get another gig."
- "Hey! It's Darth Vader's younger brother Myron."
- [in Rez's city] "So this is New Jersey."
- "Great, I've found a health club in the belly of Hell."
Note: for more quotes please check Gex catchphrases
Gex: Enter the Gecko
| Gex: Enter the Gecko {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Crystal Dynamics (Glen A. Schofield and Jeffrey Zwelling) {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | November 21, 1997 (BMG Entertainment & Eidos Interactive) |
| Genre(s) | 3D platform game |
| Mode(s) | single player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Game Boy, PC, and Nintendo 64 {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Game information
Gex is back in stunning 3D with over 30 missions for you to solve. Rez has returned, and a secret government agency has brought Gex in to stop him. Rez is attempting to once again rule over the Media Dimension - a large world which has several TV's which you can access to various levels with the aid of red, silver or gold remote controls.
It was released November 21, 1997 and November 14, 1998 (Game Boy). It was published by Crystal Dynamics and Crave Entertainment (Game Boy). The ESRB rating is E. It uses 3D and 2D for the Game Boy version. It was released for the PlayStation, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 (as Gex 64), and PC.
Leslie Phillips provided the voice for Gex in the UK and European release of Gex: Enter the Gecko.
The plot
Since Gex's retirement from the public eye in 1996, television held the only enjoyment in his life. Gex resigned himself to a life of solitude away from the Paparazzi frenzy of a few years ago, tucked away in the Maui hillside with his life partner, a big-screen TV. Only things take a turn for the worse when Gex is visited by secret government agents who tell Gex that Rez has returned and hijacked the Media Dimension. A world which has power over all of the world's television. Gex's mission is to rescue television from Rez, and make him "disappear." Plain and simple.
Game overview
TV rejects
Description of the following channel-worlds which play host to the different TV-related missions upon which Gex must fight through in order to acquire the special remotesTemplate:Ref:
- Pre-History Channel: "Go back to your distant roots when reptiles ruled the world and... yada, yada, yada. Hey, that guy could almost buy beer with my ID." – A TV channel-world that references pre-history and the stone-age with extensive references to the Flintstones.
- Missions: Pangaea 90210, This Old Cave
- Secret Level: Lava Dabba Doo
- Scream TV: "Who's ready to turn a headless 12-year-old knife-wielding brat into bratwurst? Hey, the little zombie has a discipline problem, OK? Meet a guy who lost his soul and other body parts. Check out some artwork that's worth dismembering. You gonna choose what's behind Door #1, Door #2, or Door #200?" – This channel-world is heavily inspired by American horror movies throughout.
- Missions: Frankensteinfeld, Poltergex, Smellraiser
- Bonus Level: Thursday the 12th
- Secret Level: Texas Chainsaw Manicure
- Circuit Central: "Pay homage to all those strange Sci-Fi shows that snatched control of your TV set. Grab a charge and hit the launchers." – References the Net and computer science with slight homage to Tron.
- Missions: Honey I Shrunk The Gecko, www.dotcom.com
- Bonus Levels: Bugged Out, Chips & Dips
- Rocket Channel: "There are billions and billions of ways to get the intergalactic shaft here. GEXNIE needs air!" – Another channel-world paying homage to genre of science-fiction television and film, such as Star Wars and Star Trek.
- Missions: Pain In The Asteroids, The Umpire Strikes Out
- Bonus Levels: I've Got The Reruns, Trouble in Uranus
- Toon TV: "It's open season on rabbits but you're a lizard, right? Beware of flowers bearing mallets. Drop into a hutch for a makeover. Those ears are just you!" – Gex explores a channel-world home to the Saturday morning American cartoons.
- Missions: Fine Tooning, Out Of Toon
- Kung-Fu Theater: "Grab some take-out and then turn some guy into Kung-Fu Chicken. Pulling out chest hair is no fair." – Another genre inspired channel-world with references to martial arts cinema.
- Missions: Mao Tse Tongue, Samurai Night Fever
- Bonus Level: Lizard In A China Shop
- Rezopolis: "Look out for Copafeelbots. After you see what Rez has to offer, you'll run to Rupert begging for shelter." – Rez's personal channel-world inspired by various genres in TV-culture and movie genres such as crime drama and the disaster movie etc.
- Missions: No Weddings and a Funeral , Channel Z
- Bonus Levels: In Drag Net, The Spy Who Loved Himself
- Secret Level: Mazed & Confused
- Boss Levels:Giligex Island (battle against the 3 Tiki Bros. for the next stage), Mooshoo Pork (defeat Mooshoo to pass on to the next level), Gexzilla vs. Mecharez (a fight of disaster movie proportions, defeat Mecahrez to pass on to the next stage)
This gecko moves
Gex basically possesses the same moves as found in GEX, the only difference is that they can now be played out in a 3-dimensional environmentTemplate:Ref:
- Jump - Use to reach high platforms.
- Tailbounce - Tap the button twice and hold for AIR GEX.
- Tailwhip - Use to dismember enemies and destroy objects. Some monsters love punishment; they will hold out for several whacks before disintegrating.
- Eat Bug - Use tongue to grab flies into your mouth and down the hatch. Important in order to acquire health and special power-ups.
- Wall Climbing - Jump while pressing the Directional buttons toward a wall or ceiling. Gex will stick with true gecko grit. Gex's suction-cup paws can only stick to certain surfaces.
- Karate Kick - Run, and when ready, press Jump to leap huge spans and kick some hairy monster butt.
Memorable quotes
- "All right, Rez, it's tail time."
- "A little tongue now, a lot of tail later."
- "Welcome to the only thing scarier than the IRS Headquarters."
- "My name is Caine. I seek water."
- "Would Cheech and/or Chong report to the front desk?"
- "Reminds me of Halloween at Rip Taylor's!"
- "Hey, I feel like I'm trapped in Boy George's pants."
- "There's a gecko on my tail! R2, see what you can do with it."
- "Has anyone seen Fox Mulder's sister?"
- "Goodness gracious! Great balls of fire!"
- "Lickin' my way to the top!"
- "Oh no! I'm too young to have a second childhood!"
- "I'll beat this level, but in an hour, I'll be hungry for another."
- "Look, I just wanted the gift shop and the bathroom."
- "Is this the year of the gecko?"
- "It beats the Matterhorn. What are you gonna do?"
- "My tail's gonna kick your butt!"
- "Don't take career advice from Joe Piscopo!"
- "DADDY WANTS AIR! DADDY WANTS AIR!"
- "No, no , no, I wanted the pit there and the pendulum there!"
- "Note to self, never step on any brown squishy rocks."
- Rez: "Gex, I am your father."
- Gex: "Yeah, I can see the resemblance."
Note: for more quotes please check Gex catchphrases
Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko
Title Note: The Game Boy Color edition was retiltled Gex 3: Deep Pocket Gecko.
| Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Crystal Dynamics {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | February 14, 1998 (Eidos Interactive) |
| Genre(s) | 3D platform game |
| Mode(s) | single player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Game Boy Color, PC, and Nintendo 64 {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Game information
It was released February 14, 1998, June 26th, 1999 (N64), and October 27, 1999 (GBC). It was published by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Interactive. The ESRB rating is T for the PlayStation version and E for the N64 and GBC versions. It uses 3-D graphics, and 2-D for the Game Boy Color version. It was released for the Nintendo 64, PC, Game Boy Color, and PlayStation.
Danny John-Jules known for his performance as The Cat in the British sci-fi comedy seriesRed Dwarf provided the voice for Gex in the UK and European release of Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko.
The plot
Gex discovers that Rez has kidnapped the lovely Agent Xtra (played by Baywatch star Marliece Andrada) that he met in Gex: Enter the Gecko's backstory. He rushes to the batcave-like lair he has in the TV world, and begins another adventure. Each level parodies a certain aspect of television culture. Gex enters each level through a television set. He must collect remote controls to advance to the next level in order to complete his mission.
Game overview
Two new characters appear in this sequel. Gex is joined by Agent Xtra, a buxom blonde bombshell who works for the government and whom Gex must help rescue from the clutches of Rez. Gex is also joined by his faithful butler, Alfred the tortoise who is a slight character reference to Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred basically helps around and maintains Gex's secret lair which is known as "Mission Control".
Game stages
In Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko the layout of the channel-worlds has been divided differently than the last two games. In Gex's third installment, we find that the channel-worlds exist as stand alone stages which obtain TV sets which teleport Gex to particular programming worlds of the current game stage that Gex has unlocked. The following is a run down of the game stages and worlds within these levels:
- Mission Control: The starting point and main area of the game. Mission Control bears a resemblance to spy movie secret headquarters, most notably the secret laboratories of secert agent technicians. This level enables navigation to the following channel worlds:
- The Pole: Holiday Broadcasting, a channel-world that is dedicated to the holidays, particularly the Winter season, which is apparent from it's snow-related missions.
- Mission: Totally Scrooged
- Clueless: Mystery TV, this channel-world pays homage to Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries.
- Mission: Clueless In Seattle
- The Pole: Holiday Broadcasting, a channel-world that is dedicated to the holidays, particularly the Winter season, which is apparent from it's snow-related missions.
- Lake Flaccid: The second stage which opens up to a variety of channel-worlds which pay tribute to different action-based genres:
- Tut TV, based around the themes of egyptology.
- Mission: Holy Moses
- Army Channel, dedicated to the war film genre.
- Mission: War Is Heck
- Western Station, as it's name implies this channel-world revolves around the western genre.
- Mission: The Organ Trail
- Buccaneer Program, a channel-world paying homage to pirate films.
- Mission: Cutcheese Island
- WWGEX Wrestling, an end boss stage that mimicks the infamous World Wrestling Entertainment.
- Mission: Invasion Of The Body Slammers
- Tut TV, based around the themes of egyptology.
- Slappy Valley: Third stage to the game that relates to the fantasy genre as well as animation:
- Mythology Network, a channel-world referencing ancient Greco-Roman mythology.
- Mission: Unsolved Mythstories
- Fairytales TV, as the name implies, this channel-world relates to typical fairytale themes.
- Mission: Red Riding In The Hood
- Anime Channel, this channel-world references Japanimation, commonly known as anime.
- Mission: When Sushi Goes Bad
- Lizard of Oz, the end boss level which pays homage to The Wizard of Oz.
- Mission: Lions, Tigers And Gex
- Mythology Network, a channel-world referencing ancient Greco-Roman mythology.
- Funky Town: The final stage of the game bears the appearance of downtown New York City. The channel-worlds found here also use the theme of the "big city" as their main proponent:
- Gangster TV, references the gangster crime genre found in cinema, especially those of big city mobs.
- Mission: My Three Goons
- Superhero Shows, pays homage to the world of comicbook superheroes borrowing elements from Superman and Spider-Man alike.
- Mission: Superzeros
- Spacestation Rez, the final boss stage is Rez's hideout - his secret spacestation where he is transmitting his madness across the Media Dimension. This stage heavily reference's James Bond's Moonraker.
- Mission: Rez-raker
- Gangster TV, references the gangster crime genre found in cinema, especially those of big city mobs.
See also
- Gex gecko the protagonist of the Gex game series, and former mascot of Crystal Dynamics.
- Gex 64 the Nintendo 64 version of Gex: Enter the Gecko.
- Crystal Dynamics