Gex

Gex is a side-scrolling platformer that follows the title character Gex, an anthropomorphic, television-obsessed gecko who must travel through the "media dimension" and defeat the game's antagonist, Rez. Gex must traverse through 24 levels contained in five different TV channels which act as game worlds (accessed through a world map), each filled with platforming stages and ending with a boss stage. The goal of each stage is to explore and locate hidden television remotes which are used to unlock more levels. The original 3DO version of the game allows players to save their progress and resume from where they left off; all other versions use a password system.

The player unlocks passwords or is granted a save opportunity by beating a boss stage or finding video tapes hidden in certain levels. Every level contains a hidden portal that leads to a bonus level, the perfect completion of which earns the player a piece of the Planet X remote. Collecting every piece of this remote allows them to reach Planet X, an optional secret world.

The concept for Gex was created by Lyle Hall, who began work on the project shortly after joining the newly-formed Crystal Dynamics in 1993. Hall wanted the game to "take advantage of both the graphics prowess and the CD audio capabilities" of Panasonic's 3DO console, intending to create a 2D platform game starring "the coolest character I could come up with". It was created with the intention of a new mascot in mind, with Crystal Dynamics pushing for a character who could rival the likes of other gaming icons such as Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. Initially, the development team consisted of four people; Hall, who served as the game's producer, Mira Ross and Susanne Dougherty as artists, and Gregg Travers as the lead programmer (later on, Justin Knorr was hired as the game's lead designer).

The game initially centered around a Hollywood film stunt performer named "Gecko X" who needed to help save his contracted film studio from going bankrupt at the volition of the antagonist, Karl Chameleon. g. a level inspired by Western films) and would begin by showing stock footage from a vintage film of that genre. The player would then traverse the level and perform "stunts" along the way, with the player's performance dictating the amount of money the film would earn at the box office and how well the studio would do.

GamePro highly praised Gex, stating that he "sets high standards for all future 3DO platform-hoppers" and predicting that the character would reach popularity levels similar to Sonic and Mario. Next Generation called it "one of the most solid and enjoyable side-scrolling action games in a while." Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game their "Game of the Month" award. The game was awarded "Best 3DO Game" at the 1994 Consumer Electronics Show by GamePro and "Best 3DO Game of 1995" by Electronic Gaming Monthly. In 1996, GamesMaster ranked the 3DO version 9th on their "The GamesMaster 3DO Top 10."

GamePro highly praised Gex's visuals, and wrote that it would "win a 3DO beauty pageant". Prior to release, GameFan's E. Storm called Gex's model "one of the best looking and animated characters that [they] have ever seen" and praised the game's environments and parallax scrolling; however, he also expressed disdain in the game's titular character dawning the only pre-rendered model out of all of the characters, although he admitted that they were still "drawn well for the most part." In a later set of reviews from the same publication following the game's release, reviewer K.