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Pop Culture References And Insurance Jokes - Let's Play The Gex Series! Gex? What the hell is that? In 1994, Crystal Dynamics, a small video game developer, decided to toss their hat into the "memorable character" ring and created Gex, an anthropomorphic gecko with a penchant for pop culture one-liners. Gex was featured in three console games, as well as two handheld ports of the latter two titles. The first title in the series was a pretty standard 2D platformer, and met the market with not-so-stellar results. The second and third were more open-ended, and made the jump to the third dimension. They were decidedly more well-received. Who are you? I'm Korremar, and this is my first LP. Joining me as a co-commentator is Vrikkian, whose currently running stream-LP of the entire US SNES release catalog has a small following here. Gex is fairly under-appreciated, and as far as I can tell hasn't been done on SA before. So, what's this thread about? I'll be playing through the entirety of the Gex console series, starting with the first release, and moving on to Gex 2: Enter The Gecko, and finally Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko. Assuming the thread works out (and if people want to see them), I'm planning on doing the handheld releases as well. While this technically isn't a blind LP, as both I and Vrikkian have played the games before, our experience is very slim, and it was a very long time ago. As such, this probably won't be a smooth, stylish 100% LP. However, hopefully it'll be entertaining, and showcase what the games have to offer. Anyone else who wants to contribute something to the thread, have at it; outside input is definitely welcome. With that said, let's hop right in. Gex: PART 1: This doesn't make any goddamned sense. PART 2: Geckos and Ghosts PART 3: A Remote Island PART 4: Rocket Man? What an awful superhero. PART 5: Gecko's Modern Life PART 6: Water levels are awful. PART 7: China is full of fish. PART 8: Turtle Power PART 9: Rezopolis PART 10: Bonus Round PART 11: If gimmicky levels were a species, Planet X would be their home. PART 12: End of the line. PART 13: The Bonus Ending Gex 2: PART 1: Enter The Gecko PART 2: We haven't heard "Gee, Scoob!" yet. That's a good sign. PART 3: So that's where my Red Cross donations went. PART 4: Actually a Mozilla project. PART 5: A series of tubes. PART 6: Psuedo-racist stereotypes. PART 7: Is it ever not tail time? PART 8: Zoinks, Scoob. PART 9: In which I am bad at titles. PART 10: Lock and load, Luke and Leia. PART 11: The essence of Geico. PART 12: Dangerously close to copyright infringement. PART 13: Bonus levels. PART 14: The Haunted Mansion was an awful movie. PART 15:  more like :fliez:PART 16: Tyrannosaurus Gex PART 17: Gexzilla Vs. Mecharez PART 18: Historically inaccurate architecture. Contest Standings: Sudden Javelin - 6 Daigerus - 4 Waffleman_ - 2 UZWorm - 1 Korremar fucked around with this message at Aug 8, 2012 around 22:50 |
| # ? Mar 17, 2012 18:16 |
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| # ? May 21, 2013 18:12 |
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Reserving, just in case.
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 18:16 |
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It's about drat time! I played Gex 64 all the time when I was a kid, but I never got a chance at the first.
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 18:23 |
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I played the second of these religiously as a kid and I'm definitely looking forward to revisiting it and seeing the rest.
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 18:27 |
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I really hope the first game isn't incredibly long, mainly because the 3D ones are much better (as I said in the video), and for the fact that there's a lot more going on in them to commentate on.
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 18:28 |
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Those purple butterfly pickups you mentioned that you weren't sure about looked like they gave you an extra life. I think you could stand to either raise the volume on the commentary track or lower the volume on the game audio track a little bit, but other than that, I'm looking forward to the rest of this LP. I don't remember these games at all, and I at least know I've never owned any of them, so it'll be interesting to see them for the first time.
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 18:50 |
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God, I played Enter the Gecko all the time as a kid. Really wanted to play Deep Cover Gecko when I heard about it as well. I only ever had an N64 and was only marginally aware of the PS1, so I thought Enter was the first game and kept wondering where the second one went. I agree about the volume, but overall this is a pretty strong start for your first LP.
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 19:07 |
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Not only did I not know of this games existence, I thought the second one was the first and then played the third. For years I thought I somehow missed the second game. I guess that comes with Titling them Gex, Gex64, Gex3
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 19:08 |
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Cool! I never played these. Looking forward to more. 
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 21:25 |
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Hrm...if I recall correctly, the guy who voiced Gex did something else more recent and popular...
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 22:01 |
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Cangelosi posted:Hrm...if I recall correctly, the guy who voiced Gex did something else more recent and popular... Dana Gould? He's been in lots of things and is overdue for a big breakthrough, but it hasn't happened yet.
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 22:21 |
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I'm excited to see the later games in the series. The first one is quite annoying due to... well, as mentioned in your video, the one-liners are repeated often.
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 22:43 |
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drat, this game is 90's as hell. I am so glad the Tubular Dude With a Hip Attitude trend for game mascots is behind us. Anyway, chalk me up as another person who had no idea this game existed, and who also thought Enter the Gecko was the first one. I still have Enter the Gecko sitting on my shelf. I play it from time to time whenever I get an N64 jones, but I don't think I've ever actually finished it, so it'll be interesting to see where this LP goes.
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| # ? Mar 17, 2012 23:55 |
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This should be interesting. I have Gex 3 for the N64, never got very far with it though since its save function relies entirely on the N64 Memory Pack, and my one never actually worked properly. Will talk a bit more about that when it comes about though. It's strange that this is a 2D title, as I could never imagine what it would look like outside of a 3D environment, but this makes a bit more sense in the grand scheme of things. Will definitely be following this LP. Venomous fucked around with this message at Mar 18, 2012 around 00:18 |
| # ? Mar 18, 2012 00:05 |
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Ah, good old Crystal Dynamics. This is one of those games I would play round a friend's house but by god I would never actually but it myself.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 00:20 |
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I remember playing gex 3d as a kid and liking it. Your right about what you said in the video because I never knew there was a 2d gex game.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 00:32 |
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I was recommended this game (rather, the whole series, and told to start with Gex 2, but I love playing in order) recently, and instantly fell in love. Whoever remembers the 3D games fondly should not be averse to the first game just because it's a 2D platformer. It's a really good 2D platformer. Controls are tight and responsive, being able to crawl on every wall is an absolute stroke of genius and at the same time a big demand for very tight level design - which is met - and the soundtrack is one of the best I've heard in recent memory. Hell, if I wasn't bogged up in other projects, I would have LP'd this some day or another. Looking forward to you doing it, would like to give more input later.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 00:40 |
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I remember Gex: Enter the Gecko for the N64 and I loving loved it. I had one of the GBC games too, and I never managed to beat either of them. I am going to follow the gently caress out of this LP.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 00:53 |
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Admission time: I actually thought Gex was an awesome character when I was a kid.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 01:23 |
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Aren't those chainsaw wielding dudes human? So you see a human pretty quickly.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 01:47 |
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I suppose we don't get to see the original 3DO version, though I understand it's nigh identical to the PS1 version. The fact that Gex is a port from 3DO is likely why it uses passwords.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 04:17 |
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Dana Gould was a writer and producer of The Simpsons but it was after the tenth season so it doesn't really count. Gex 2 was the first 3D Platformer I ever completed to 100%.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 04:37 |
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I used to have the PC version of this game. It was entertaining and the levels were well made. Here's hoping you good luck.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 05:23 |
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I actually still own a copy of this for the Sega Saturn, and is currently sitting with the Saturn collecting dust in a cabin up in the Adirondack Mountains. Never did beat it though
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 05:56 |
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Maremidon posted:Admission time: I actually thought Gex was an awesome character when I was a kid.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 05:56 |
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gently caress the haters, Gex is still a cool character in my mind, although, as has been said, he's '90s as gently caress. I loved the cheat in Enter the Gecko where pressing Select would have Gex say a random one-liner. I've never played the first Gex, but I knew it existed. I'm glad you're playing the Playstation versions because the N64 version of Enter the Gecko is atrocious- in that version, Gex gets significantly less one-liners, there are a lot of levels removed, and the added water level is a slog. I stuck with the Playstation version of Deep Cover Gecko (the third game) because I was expecting the N64 version to be similarly horrible. I wish this LP good fortune.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 10:25 |
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Actually watched the video now. So yeah, the purple dragonflies give you an extra life. You might want to remember the location of the bonus levels. If you want a certain something at the end (a HUGE something), you will need to perfectly clear those. One per world is enough, though, for a total of four, if I remember correctly. Have I mentioned already that the soundtrack for the game is incredible? Because it is. Here's a playlist on YouTube. To bad that the Megaupload link in the video descriptions doesn't work anymore for obvious reasons; I snagged it, it's awesome. Spoilers for later levels, of course. Also, the credits theme is absolutely fantastic, if you want to get surprised from the LP, don't listen too far in! Oh, and I know Gex is pumped up on the Nineties like his life depended on it (and it kind of does), but you know what? I'm buying it. Dana Gould has SUCH fun delivering all those cheesy one-liners, he really brings the character to life. And it's not like Gex is naturally super suave or anything. He's the biggest loser. The game doesn't hide at all that his greatest accomplishment so far was purchasing the world's largest couch potato status symbol. That's a refreshing honesty. Of course he's a pretender with nothing to back it up. They rub it in your face. Give me that over other mascots who took themselves and their "radical coolness" far too seriously every day. Oh, and almost forgot for all that talk, you're doing a very good job at being informative and entertaining, keep it up!
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 12:09 |
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Whoa, hello, my childhood, so nice to see you again! I never owned this game, I just rented it. The opening scene always bugged out, probably because the disc was scratched to hell. I owned the next two games, though! In fact, they're still around somewhere... I'm pretty sure I beat them both, but I don't think I ever got 100%. By the way, the backstory of the game, with Gex's father and all that, is in the manual. I'm guessing that's where Wikipedia got it from.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 13:43 |
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I only ever played the third game as a kid, rented several times from the store. Weird that the first game is 2D, I had no idea. Looks pretty fun, though.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 14:32 |
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I'm surprised so many people played the N64 version and not the PS1 version of Gex: Enter the Gecko. I absolutely loved that game as a kid, and beat it 100% a couple of times. I still consider it one of the best platformers of that era. The first game, on the other hand...
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 15:40 |
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Simply Simon posted:And it's not like Gex is naturally super suave or anything. Depends on what version of the second game you're playing! Here in the UK (I don't know if it was the same for all PAL countries), the only game that used Dana Gould's voice was the first one. The third game used Danny John-Jules i.e. the cat from Red Dwarf, which I think was a good choice. His voice is still suitably wacky and fitting for Gex, and also more recognizable to a British player. The second game, however, used Leslie Phillips, who has the most refined, upper class voice in the world. I think most of the one-liners are the same, but the simple change in voice transforms Gex from this massive loser into, well, a really dapper lizard.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 15:50 |
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Yeah, the character of Gex in the British Enter the Gecko is completely different. I was surprised by the voice when listening to the video having only played that one.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 15:58 |
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Mmm, nothing like the smell of dated pop culture.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 16:03 |
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Man, if you make it to gex 2 and give it the love it deserves I swear i'm buying you an upgrade. Also I demand an all remote run of Gex 2. Game is awesome.
Captainsalami fucked around with this message at Mar 18, 2012 around 16:22 |
| # ? Mar 18, 2012 16:08 |
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Simply Simon posted:Actually watched the video now. You are correct - the purple dragonflies do give us an extra life. Thanks. And a perfect run?! Ugh, I don't know if we would be able to do that, especially since it seems like a lot of people want to see the 3D ones as soon as possible. Still, it's up to Korremar if he wants to perfect all of the bonus levels to get the extra special help at the end. That might be torture, though. I know our only goal at the moment is to give each game the justice it deserves.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 20:33 |
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What are you playing it on? If it's an emulator, just save state before each bonus level. They're not really tough to learn. Even on console, it's not that big of a deal. You can revisit bonus levels as often as you want to; one of the most tedious might actually be the first, because you have to do that whole shebang with getting up there. I mean, you don't have to do it. Would just be a shame to miss out on a whole extra world.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 20:43 |
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Ah, hell yeah. '90's mascots with attitude were so much better than all the gruff space marines and poo poo we have today. My favorite was always Tiny Tank. Anyway, this was one of those series I was pretty curious about but never got around to actually playing; totally following this.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 23:38 |
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God, I played this game all the time as a kid and it frustrated me like no other game has since. I don't envy you playing this. Also I stand by that these games were terrible and not funny or clever in the least.
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| # ? Mar 18, 2012 23:54 |
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Cardboard Box posted:God, I played this game all the time as a kid and it frustrated me like no other game has since. I don't envy you playing this. I agree, same goes for the 3D ones. I remember having sooo much fun with them as a kid, but...*takes off nostalgia glasses* It was really just a really terrible 3D plat former with 5 lvl pallets pasted over and over and over.
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| # ? Mar 19, 2012 00:20 |
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| # ? May 21, 2013 18:12 |
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Cardboard Box posted:God, I played this game all the time as a kid and it frustrated me like no other game has since. I don't envy you playing this. Crazy, next you'll be saying that the ghost level in Rugrats: Search For Reptar wasn't the masterpiece of survival horror I remember it being.
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| # ? Mar 19, 2012 00:52 |
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