Gex 64: Enter the Gecko

Mario-lite, with a reptilian protagonist whose attitude sits somewhere between that of the plumber and Conker 2001. Like Mario 64, Gex features a hub connected to various themed worlds, just on a much smaller and less impressive scale.

The themes of these worlds seem to be based on pop culture or television; I might have a better idea if the N64 version actually had any cut scenes or story. Regardless, they haven't aged well, nor has the rest of the game's references or Gex's one-liners. It all feels very 90's, but not in a good way, and I get the impression it wasn't even that fresh on release.

Beyond its unimpressive design, Gex's real downfall is its atrocious handling and camera, by far the worst to this point on the console. Gex is floaty and imprecise, and judging object distances is more difficult than it should be. The camera is so uncooperative that you'll soon not bother to adjust it manually, instead allowing it to swing wildly and clip into scenery. It's all so unacceptably poor juxtaposed against the game's competition.