The Game Gear was the second system I ever own following the acquisition of my Genesis, which was a Christmas gift actually. After becoming quite a fan of Sega I scraped together my meager earnings and bought a Game Gear so I could take my gaming with me. I was immediately torn between buying games for my Genesis or my Game Gear but having adopted the GG late in it's life cycle a good number of decent games could be had for reasonable prices. I managed to amass quite a system with a good selection of games and all the nifty peripherals such as rechargeable batteries with an AC adaptor, a Wide Gear screen magnifier, a car adaptor, even the TV Tuner and an official Sega carry case to house it all. At the time the TV Tuners were REALLY hard to find and I can still remember the day when I found one for sale but it was while I was unemployed and that I bought it anyway (I got a new job a week later) because it was just so cool.
I'm kind of anal so I had kept all the original boxes for everything, even the box for the carry case! Unfortunately in a fit of needing money more than a game system I didn't use much at the time, I sold off my collection some years ago. But, the guilt of doing so coupled with much more liquid income now has allowed me to rebuild my Game Gear collection beyond what I ever had had in the past, though I am STILL looking for a couple of the rare games I had in the past which are proving hard to find nowadays such as Desert Strike. And as I continue to pick up games to round out my collection with the pleasing knowledge that the Game Gear is not regional, it strikes me as very odd that the games in the best condition and which are complete with the box and instructions mostly come from outside the US. Or maybe that doesn't strike me as odd, but am I the only American who collects and wants their games complete? The shipping rates can sometimes be deal breakers.
However, the point of my thread is to ask why the Game Gear is almost entirely overlooked on this and other forums? Does it just not garner much interest among retro gamers? I'll admit I don't play my systems every day, though I did play through an entire level of Krusty's Funhouse just yesterday, and I concentrate as much on the collecting as the playing but I really get a kick out of these old handhelds. I can still remember the thrill of holding a fairly powerful system, for it's day at least, that was entirely self-contained. Back in the day, you could also get pretty decent broadcast TV signals so it could make a fine little TV in the right circumstances. Just try finding a TV Tuner nowadays complete with the box AND the ever so rare wire prop stand that came with it.
A search here on Racketboy yields very little on the Game Gear. Other handhelds have gotten some space so it's not a console vs. handheld bias. The Game Gear, with Majesco's help at the end, helped the Game Gear last 10 years and it sold not quite as well as the Saturn (8.5 million vs. 9.5 million) so SOMEBODY liked it. Add to that that with the Master Gear converter it allowed you to take your Master System games portable it had to have had some kind of a fanbase.
Does no one else retrogame on a Game Gear? I'd love to see some articles on this site about the Game Gear.
What about Sega Game Gear, why the redheaded stepchild?
A couple of possible reasons...
1. Some people stop at 16 bit and don't go older - you will notice there isn't also that much talk on GB, GBC (although there is more).
2. I'm guessing few people actually had one, so the nostalgia doesn't work on them as it does on you.
3. It is basically a Master System on batteries (with more colours but less resolution). There are very few games that you can't play on a Master System instead.
I used to really want a Game Gear back in the day, and my parents (I think by mistake) gave me a MegaDrive instead of the Game Gear I wanted (I think that was a lucky mistake in hindsight), so I still have some nostalgia. I have been thinking of getting one for a while, but I consistently decide not to because the think isn't that mobile due to the huge battery intake (6!) and I can emulate the few exclusive games if I actually want to.
Ivo.
1. Some people stop at 16 bit and don't go older - you will notice there isn't also that much talk on GB, GBC (although there is more).
2. I'm guessing few people actually had one, so the nostalgia doesn't work on them as it does on you.
3. It is basically a Master System on batteries (with more colours but less resolution). There are very few games that you can't play on a Master System instead.
I used to really want a Game Gear back in the day, and my parents (I think by mistake) gave me a MegaDrive instead of the Game Gear I wanted (I think that was a lucky mistake in hindsight), so I still have some nostalgia. I have been thinking of getting one for a while, but I consistently decide not to because the think isn't that mobile due to the huge battery intake (6!) and I can emulate the few exclusive games if I actually want to.
Ivo.
There were 250 titles published for the Game Gear not counting the SMS games available via the Master Gear adaptor, so it was hardly lacking in choice or support. I'll admit many of the games were lesser ports also available on more powerful systems or that a few were simply bad games, but there are dozens of great games available. Since I was an adult when I got my GG, I guess I never truly understood the griping done about the short battery life. I played my system while plugged into the house or the car or I used my rechargeable battery, I don't thing I ever even put a set of AAs in my machine.
I'd take a guess that for anyone who didn't have one back in the day a Game Gear now would be a disappointment in that the screen resolution is rather low and we are all quite used to at least basic TV screen resolution and now are growing used to high definition viewing. The view on the Game Gear improves greatly however with a Wide Gear installed since it also helps keep external light and glare off the screen, but a Wide Gear does make the unit rather bulky.
I guess I just have a soft spot in my heart for anything with a 2D side scrolling Sonic game on it. The systems, games and peripherals sure seem to sell well on ebay so someone must be collecting them other than me!
I'd take a guess that for anyone who didn't have one back in the day a Game Gear now would be a disappointment in that the screen resolution is rather low and we are all quite used to at least basic TV screen resolution and now are growing used to high definition viewing. The view on the Game Gear improves greatly however with a Wide Gear installed since it also helps keep external light and glare off the screen, but a Wide Gear does make the unit rather bulky.
I guess I just have a soft spot in my heart for anything with a 2D side scrolling Sonic game on it. The systems, games and peripherals sure seem to sell well on ebay so someone must be collecting them other than me!
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lordofduct
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I own probably 4 or 5 of these. I have quite a bit of nostalgia with it (more then the GameBoy)
I'm not one to start topics about my nostalgia for a system though... well not anymore. I used to back in the day over on SX (probably about 6 years ago now). Today though, I don't really care to anymore. I'm more of a, hey someone else is talking about it, I'll chime in, kinda guy now.
Really though in a while... I never really liked any handhelds all that much. To small of a screen, the games always felt underdeveloped, and I enjoy big screen fun. When I wasn't in my house as a child and as an adult I was doing other stuff then playing video games.
Car rides consisted of reading books, outdoors consisted of climbing trees, building forts, playing adventure games like pretending to be monsters or vikings. The only time it really got use was laying in bed at night when I couldn't sleep and mom would yell if I went out to the living room to jam out Sonic or something. (I probably was younger then you... the game gear came out when I was like 10... the perfect age for tree forts and the sort). My teenage years on the other hand lost all gaming, as drugs and sex tempted me much more then video games. It wasn't until the DC was released that I got back into gaming again. (i did play still kinda, but I stayed on my Sega CD from its release until 2000 when I bought my DC and Saturn)
thusly I agree about the battery thing, I never noticed as I kept it plugged into something all the time. But you know, a lot of people like playing their handheld where that isn't a possiblity so I can see where the complaint came from.
I'm not one to start topics about my nostalgia for a system though... well not anymore. I used to back in the day over on SX (probably about 6 years ago now). Today though, I don't really care to anymore. I'm more of a, hey someone else is talking about it, I'll chime in, kinda guy now.
Really though in a while... I never really liked any handhelds all that much. To small of a screen, the games always felt underdeveloped, and I enjoy big screen fun. When I wasn't in my house as a child and as an adult I was doing other stuff then playing video games.
Car rides consisted of reading books, outdoors consisted of climbing trees, building forts, playing adventure games like pretending to be monsters or vikings. The only time it really got use was laying in bed at night when I couldn't sleep and mom would yell if I went out to the living room to jam out Sonic or something. (I probably was younger then you... the game gear came out when I was like 10... the perfect age for tree forts and the sort). My teenage years on the other hand lost all gaming, as drugs and sex tempted me much more then video games. It wasn't until the DC was released that I got back into gaming again. (i did play still kinda, but I stayed on my Sega CD from its release until 2000 when I bought my DC and Saturn)
thusly I agree about the battery thing, I never noticed as I kept it plugged into something all the time. But you know, a lot of people like playing their handheld where that isn't a possiblity so I can see where the complaint came from.
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opticledilusi0n
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I was given a Game Gear last year, that kind of sparked of my current interest in collecting retro stuff. I've gotta say that the batteries put me off as well and unfortunatley I dont even have an AC apapter to play it at home and all of the ones I see for sale come with another Game Gear. When I find a plug I'll start buying games for it again
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d123456
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Get Wonderboy III, Fatal Fury and Samurai Spirits/shodown.
Get the mastergear and get the Sega Master system version of Shinobi.
Good luck. There are a few number of colored game gears.
Here's the sega hard site: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/gg/
Get the mastergear and get the Sega Master system version of Shinobi.
Good luck. There are a few number of colored game gears.
Here's the sega hard site: http://www.sega.co.jp/archive/segahard/gg/
Would this apoter work with the GameGear?
MegaDrive Apopter
If so then I may as well get a Mega Drive for an extra fiver
MegaDrive Apopter
If so then I may as well get a Mega Drive for an extra fiver
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lordofduct
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nope...Curlypaul wrote:Would this apoter work with the GameGear?
MegaDrive Apopter
If so then I may as well get a Mega Drive for an extra fiver
the GameGear can use the MegaDrive model 2 or 32x adapter though. (smaller tip)
I remember when Radioshits sold affordable AC/DC adapters that supported a large range of voltages amps and tips. But for some reason a couple years ago they changed it... now they sell them as a converter, plug and tip all sold separately and for a defined voltage and amperage... meaning you need to buy multiple ones for different voltages. I was so pissed... especially because they also are like 30 dollars more expensive this way.
though I must admit it does allow for more amperage!