Gex is back. In the year 2025, you are now able to play the entirety of the Gex console catalogue (some Game Boy Color titles did not make the cut) in a modern system, all thanks to the efforts of Limited Run Games. Even if their Carbon Engine is nowhere near as good of a remastering tool as Nightdive’s and Digital Eclipse’s techs, I appreciate how they always manage to come up with a collection of titles that are absolutely worth checking out, even if just out of sheer curiosity. Now, Gex is a noteworthy figure in the gaming industry, but mostly as a meme, due to his insane one-liners. Not many people have actually played the Gex games… so are they even good to begin with?

Well, that is a tough question. If you ask me this question in the purest, most robotic and technical sense of the word, then the Gex Trilogy collection is just a bunch of dated and crappy forgotten titles from the 90s, stuff that became famous because they were mascot platformers mostly plying their trade in non-Nintendo systems, so they were treated as alternatives to Mario, Yoshi and Banjo (sure, two Gex games were released for the Nintendo 64, but after their original debuts on PS1), and because of their voice acting. Comedian Dana Gould voiced Gex in all three games, firing off one-liner after one-liner, referencing every single pop culture icon or movie quote you could think of.

Even if they are not the best 2D and 3D platformers from the 90s, I had a lot of fun with the Gex Trilogy. Yes, the games are dated. Yes, the controls may drive you mad. But honestly, they are fun. That’s what really matters. Granted, two of them mostly managed to stand the test of time, but still, as a reminder of the simpler days of the late 90s, with games being goofier, more light-hearted, and with up and coming game developers flexing their creative muscles in a clear labor of love (seriously, the people behind Gex would eventually create The Last of Us, Dead Space, and The Callisto Protocol), the entire collection is worth giving a shot.

Let me start off by talking about what’s easily the weakest game in the collection, the original Gex. This game was originally developed for the 3DO, being that console’s best-selling title. It was ported to PS1 further down the line. Unlike the other two games in this collection, the original Gex is a traditional 2D platformer. The titular gecko can run, jump, use his tongue, attack enemies with his tail, and attach himself to walls and ceilings and crawl along them, being able to explore secret areas and get into tight paths. It’s a pretty straightforward game, with each level containing a macguffin you need to collect before reaching the end goal.

I honestly think this first game has aged quite poorly. The main reasons lie in the camera and the gameplay. It’s quite odd to complain about the camera work in a 2D platformer, but that’s due to how close to Gex it is. Whenever he jumps, the camera follows suit, resulting in a really nauseating sensation, as it’s very floaty, just like his gecko-like jumps. I also don’t like how there’s a run button assigned to LB, which simply doesn’t feel right when so many other buttons on the controller are left unattended. Still, even if the gameplay ain’t that great, and the one-liners aren’t as memorable, I guess this is still novel enough to warrant, say, an hour of your time.

The best game in the trilogy, in my opinion, is Gex: Enter the Gecko, originally released for the PS1 in 1998. It would make its way to the N64 a year later. Unlike its predecessor, Enter the Gecko is a full-fledged 3D platformer inspired by Super Mario 64, although I wouldn’t call it a complete collectathon like the N64 juggernaut. It has a hub world, 3D levels, and an emphasis on exploration, but each level is quite small, with just two to three objectives (and, as a result, macguffins) each. In a way, it feels more like Super Mario Galaxy than 64 in this regard.

It features colorful visuals, but the traditional texture warping seen in most PS1 games. Limited Run’s Carbon Engine is meant to basically recreate the original games as they were, and not properly remaster them, after all. That doesn’t mean the game is an eyesore; its resolution has been expanded, the 3D games run at 16:9, and there are some screen filtering options. It’s also easy on the eyes, as characters have a cartoonish charm, with exaggerated animations and creative designs.

Even if the controls feel a bit awkward (as to expected, the camera controls aren’t great), you can get used to them after a while. Neither Enter the Gecko or its sequel feature challenging platforming sections, so you can practice the off-putting controls as much as you want. The game isn’t hard at all, and there’s plenty to do and explore. I was also pleasantly surprised to realize its level design and sense of humor have aged gracefully.

Even if the Gex games are known for their “this reminds me of X with celebrity Y” one-liners, to the point of even becoming memes, I was impressed with how smart some of them ended up being. There are some really obscure references, such as Gex quoting The Crazy World of Arthur Brown whenever he picks up a fire-themed powerup, and a Chinatown level being named Mao Tse-Tongue. Is it silly? Yes, yes it is. But it’s also the quintessential kind of stupidity that became synonymous with 90s humor. It feels nostalgic, easygoing, self-aware, and not at all tryhardish, almost like a more subtle and less chaotic Deadpool. Without a doubt, a lot funnier than the humor seen in modern games like Borderlands…

Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko was developed with the same engine as its predecessor, retaining a lot of its assets, such as character models, sound effects, and sadly, their one-liners. It feels a bit less creative, more like an expansion of the original, even if a lot more polished – the camera works a lot better, the framerate is a little bit smoother, and the levels are a bit bigger. Still, well worth your time. The humor is still on point, with loads of suggestive themes and smart quips scattered throughout the levels. There’s also something oddly amusing about seeing a low-poly gecko constantly interacting with a live-action Playboy Playmate in a 3D platformer. The 90s, everyone.

There are three games in the Gex Trilogy collection, but that’s not all this package contains. Besides the now-expected inclusion of features like savestates and rewind functionalities, the collection includes a sound test mode, concept art, TV ads from back in the day, and an awesome interview with Dana Gould himself, the man behind Gex’s voice. It seems like Limited Run Games have learned from their initial releases, as titles like Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection and Felix the Cat were devoid of additional content. The Gex Trilogy collection feels a lot more complete and polished, even if some of the games themselves haven’t aged that well.

There are two correct answers to the question, “is the Gex Trilogy collection worth your time”. If you want to be technical, no, the collection ain’t worth it. The games have never been part of the upper echelon of platformers from the 90s, and haven’t aged that well. The other, more emotional and subjective answer, is that, yes, this collection is worth your time, as these are funny, creative, and inventive games from a bygone era. Even if the original Gex just isn’t good at all, both Enter the Gecko and Gex 3 are hilarious and inventive titles that will easily please any 3D platforming fan, no matter their age or experience. It’s tail time once again!

Gex (30%) : 5.5 This 3DO platformer just hasn’t aged well at all. The nauseating camera, stretched visuals and poor sound mixing are disappointing. Still a novel game worth playing, like, once, but easily the least interesting game in the collection.	Gex: Enter the Gecko (30%) : 7.5 Color me impressed. It may have aged poorly gameplay-wise, but its level design and sense of humor have aged gracefully. The highlight of the collection.
Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (30%) : 7.0 Even if it’s a bit more polished than Enter the Gecko, I can’t help but notice the sheer amount of reused assets and one-liners. Still, a really fun (and funny) platformer, despite its issues.	Extras and Bonus Content (10%) : 8.0 Without a doubt, the best thing you can find in the bonus vault is a neat interview with Dana Gould, the comedian who voiced Gex in all North American releases of the game. Savestates and a rewind functionality have also been added.
Final Verdict: 7.0

Gex Trilogy is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC and Switch

Reviewed on Xbox Series S.