Author Topic: Sega Gamegear Discussion Thread! (Read 15277 times)

Chozo Ghost · « **on:** July 21, 2007, 08:15:57 PM »

The Sony thread mentioned the Gamegear as being the longest lasting non-Nintendo handheld of all time. The PSP has outsold it so far by more than double, but the Gamegear still holds the record in longevity. It came out in 1990 and Sega didn't fully pull the plug on it until 1997, although you could probably make the case that it was essentially dead in 1995.

Even after Sega dropped support of it it was picked up by Majesco and remanufactured for awhile until 2000. I think even now there are probably some Gamegear like hardware being made with the pre-loaded games as opposed to cartridges...

Anyway, I actually have a Gamegear. It did seem like such a "cooler" thing than the original Gameboy to me, because it had the color screen and all.. but I never played it that much. All the talk of it being a battery hog are true. I think it took like 6 AA batteries! And it at those up pretty quick.... but it did have some cool accessories like that tv tuner and so on. I never got that myself, though.

I believe when I got mine it came with some baseball game (which was okay) as well as a Sonic game (which was also okay). I picked up a handful of other games for it, but I can probably count my entire library on one hand. It is down in the basement somewhere where it has say untouched for many years. I don't know what games I got, but I know one of them is Bram Stoker's Dracula.... I loved that movie back when it came out, the game was terrible, though.

But anyways, there just weren't many great or interesting games for it. There was nothing like Tetris, Metroid II, Wario, Kirby, or any of the many other great Gameboy games for it. The color screen looked nice, but it couldn't make up for the low battery life and weak library of games.

In many respects the Gamegear really was the PSP of its day. I can imagine there are probably many kids out there now who are just like I was back then, who own both the DS and PSP handhelds but get much more play out of the graphically weaker one just as I did with my Gameboy.

Anyways, what do you guys think about the Gamegear? I'm mildly interested in expanding my meager library of games for it, but that's only if the prices are cheap and if there are any gems. Anyone have any recommendations?

ShyGuy · « **Reply #1 on:** July 21, 2007, 08:29:34 PM »

I never actually got to play one. I knew some people who had them, but their batteries were always dead.

Kairon · « **Reply #2 on:** July 21, 2007, 09:23:18 PM »

My brother and I asked Santa for a Game Boy for Christmas. Our aunt gave us a Game Gear instead. We were horribly depressed.

However, it wasn't too bad. We got a rechargeable battery pack for it (still short life, but at least no fiddling with 6 AAs), and our Mom made some great game choices for us later on: Shining Force II: The Sword of Hayja and Ristar! (Our initial games: Sonic and Ecco, were sort of boring...) Surprising life lesson: Mother know's best.

I actually ended up playing the thing quite often and obsessively for the SRPG Shining Force II: The Sword of Hayja. And Ristar was such a relaxing straightforward platformer romp that I've bought it on VC. Believe it or not, the Nintendo fanboi in me has good memories of the Game Gear.

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #3 on:** July 21, 2007, 09:30:37 PM »

Game Gear gave me a headache and was a battery pig.

Stogi · « **Reply #4 on:** July 21, 2007, 10:55:00 PM »

This thread should be renamed to "Learn why to not fondle feces. Plus, 10 things you can do to avoid feces!"

As in this threads pointless.

/nottryingtobeadickoranything

Shift Key · « **Reply #5 on:** July 21, 2007, 11:12:24 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Chozo Ghost
Anyways, what do you guys think about the Gamegear?

OH NO NOW I'M REMEMBERING IT ALL OVER AGAIN.

Quit living in the past. The horrible, bleak, remove-your-eyeballs-with-rusty-scissors, throw-your-money-down-the-drain-on-batteries, you-have-no-idea-how-awful-the-games-really-were past.

Chozo Ghost · « **Reply #6 on:** July 21, 2007, 11:46:24 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: KashogiStogi

As in this threads pointless.

Isn't that true of all video game related threads?

raptorspike · « **Reply #7 on:** July 22, 2007, 03:57:12 AM »

You are bringing up good memories for me. I was about 6 when the Game Gear came out. I saved every dollar I got so I could buy one (for a six-year-old, I still think that was impressive). When I got it, I played it every day. I was a platform gamer, mostly sonic. I would remember when I my cousin would come over for the weekend, we would exchange systems for the weekend. I would get my gameboy fix, which was ok (couldn't stand the green-scale). I brought that system on family vacations for a number of years, until I got my gameboy pocket in 1998. I still have mine today (sitting under the bed I am sitting on right now). I whip it out from time to time, but I mostly play my DS for a handheld. I almost wish someone would release a gamegear slim. Uses all the game carts, but has a modern screen and uses fewer batteries. If they released something I could tote around with me with ease and not blow my cash on batteries, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Ceric · « **Reply #8 on:** July 22, 2007, 04:09:02 AM »

lol. I remember my first true experience with GameGears. I always knew about them but I never really got to play one until I was casted for a bit part in an Opera when I a was younger. It was me and the other kids and their was a lot of down time for us. So we play are handhelds. I had an original GB at the time and it seemed like almost everyone had a Gamegear. The lights would go out randomly and they keep playing. I got to play Ren and Stimpy which wasn't bad. I always wanted one for the TV Tuner. I'm a sucker for those type of multiuse things.

Arbok · « **Reply #9 on:** July 22, 2007, 09:05:36 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ceric
I always wanted one for the TV Tuner. I'm a sucker for those type of multiuse things.

Hell yeah. As a kid, that's what really got me interested in it. Simply the thought of being able to "watch TV while in class". Later, I got a Gamegear for Christmas, but never got the TV Tuner in the end (definitely for the best...). As many stated, that thing would eat batteries like no tomorrow. Was hardly even suited for a long car drive on account of it.

It was my only handheld for many, many years though, up until high school, in fact. I got hooked on Pokémon, though (which I actually played through a Super Gameboy on the SNES), so when the Gameboy Color finally came out, I took the plunge and have been a fairly avid handheld gamer ever since.

Stogi · « **Reply #10 on:** July 22, 2007, 12:41:54 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Chozo Ghost
Quote
Originally posted by: KashogiStogi

As in this threads pointless.

Isn't that true of all video game related threads?

Touche'

darknight06 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 22, 2007, 01:02:44 PM »

I remember the Game Gear. Got it a good long time ago because I thought the idea of a color backlit handheld with awesome games was cool. One year later I realized that it got the first part somewhat right but completely failed the second. By somewhat I now realized the difference between a passive matrix and an active matrix screen and why I prefer the latter over the former. Also got tired of having to plug it into a wall like a console or use a car adapter on the go. 1 7/8 full games of Sonic 1 on good batteries and it was dead. Mortal Kombat and Battletoads killed it in 30. Sega's games were the only good thing on it while the Gameboy got everything else plus Nintendo's own games. Games were $10 more on average. On the good side of it all, the Sonic's weren't bad at all, at least the first 3. MK had some entertainment value on there if you could look past it's flaws. Discovered Chuck Rock though I never did play the second. Shame that once the Super Gameboy was announced the GG was dead with us.

Kairon · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2007, 01:11:14 PM »

The PSP of its day. *salutes*

capamerica · « **Reply #13 on:** July 22, 2007, 01:39:34 PM »

My name is Cap and I was a GameGear fan.

Curse you Power Rangers, Mortal Kombat II and Sonic!!!!!

I actually liked the GameGear, I wanted one over the GameBoy.
I had a lot of fun with it, I also didn't have any home consoles so I used the GameGear as my home console. The graphics were really nice and I liked the games a lot more then the GameBoy games. It truly was the PSP of its time.

UERD · « **Reply #14 on:** July 22, 2007, 01:45:48 PM »

Quote
It truly was the PSP of its time.

Of course, one of the key differences being that the Game Gear actually had games.

raptorspike · « **Reply #15 on:** July 22, 2007, 04:03:47 PM »

UERD, that is so true. PSP would have been the nail in the coffin for the DS, had they not went primarily as a portable movie player.

EasyCure · « **Reply #16 on:** July 22, 2007, 06:45:32 PM »

yeah i was really young and even though i was a nintendo fanboy back then i still got a gamegear for the color screen. Even then at such a young age i knew what i had gotten myself into when i opened the battery cover.

we didn't have much money then so once the batteries drained i wouldn't play it again for a long time. I don't think it came with an ac adapter either. but it did have two games: sonic and soon football game. I wasn't into sports games so i didn't play that one much ann in sonic i couldn't get past the first boss.

it wasn't even a hard boss it was turtle impossible to get to it, you started off going down a slope to gain speed then jump just right to make it across some huge chasm. I finally made it with some luck and the boss was easy enough. I make it to the next level and it had some hangglider i had to use but i couldn't get past that so i gave up and never played the game again.

Kairon · « **Reply #17 on:** July 22, 2007, 06:50:56 PM »

No, there's.. that's impossible. It HAD to have come will a wall plug. That's ridiculous.

nickmitch · « **Reply #18 on:** July 23, 2007, 04:42:15 PM »

The worst part about the six batteries thing was that batteries came in packs of four. So, you had to buy 2 packs, then, some arse-hole would use the other 2, making you need to buy 2 more packs the next day! Well, I always had a GB and preferred it to the GG, but I still played my big bro's GG because he though he was better than me at video games, also VR Troupers. That show was the sh!t.

Adrock · « **Reply #19 on:** July 23, 2007, 05:12:17 PM »

Game Gear was utter ass, but damn, I always wanted that TV tuner.

In my ongoing game collection adventures, I bid and won a Game Gear on ebay (my old one was lost a long time ago though I still have the phallic-esque battery pack). There was ONE game I was interested in, which was Lunar: Walking School.... then I looked it up on wikipedia and found out it was Japan only. Motherfu..... At least I got Sonic Triple Trouble....

EasyCure · « **Reply #20 on:** July 23, 2007, 05:58:23 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
No, there's.. that's impossible. It HAD to have come will a wall plug. That's ridiculous.

maybe it did i honestly can't remember. Maybe my mom bought it used with the two games because i don't remember the packaging at all and if the game choices were mine i would of never asked for a football game.

i just remember playing it rarely because my mom refused to supply me with batteries.

I also wanted that tv tuner, it was my dream to take it to school and watch my favorite shows at recess.

couchmonkey · « **Reply #21 on:** July 24, 2007, 04:47:13 AM »

My orthodontist had Game Gears at every chair, but I preferred to suffer 10% less.

Seriously, I played once or twice while waiting and it was fine, but clearly the battery life was a huge problem for this system. The game selection seems so-so as well, but frankly I'm not all that happy with most pre-Game Boy Color games anymore either. Link's Awakening and Donkey Kong 94 are about the only ones that I consider to be amazing games.

I think you had to play a lot of these games in the time to appreciate them: they couldn't live up to the home versions, but that wasn't the point. The point was that you were playing Metroid or Mario or Sonic on vacation or whilst riding in the back of the car.

UncleBob · « **Reply #22 on:** July 24, 2007, 05:00:39 AM »

What's a 'se-ga'?

Stogi · « **Reply #23 on:** July 24, 2007, 06:38:04 AM »

I use to play Morkat Kombat 2 (the only game I had) in the bath tub with my gamegear plugged into the wall jack. True story.

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #24 on:** July 24, 2007, 06:54:43 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: KashogiStogi
I use to play Morkat Kombat 2 (the only game I had) in the bath tub with my gamegear plugged into the wall jack. True story.

That explains alot.

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Author Topic: Sega Gamegear Discussion Thread! (Read 15277 times)