So, having accumulated quite a few retro consoles, it dawned on me that I didn't have any hand held systems. Wanting to rectify the situation, I started researching various systems, and eventually decided on a Game Gear. I never owned one as a kid; all I ever had was a Gameboy, which I eventually traded in toward Genesis games. To be honest, I never really could get into handhelds all that much, but I thought I would give them another try. That, and being able to play Master Gear games on it seemed like an added bonus. So, off to ebay I went, and about a week later, my Game Gear arrived. I popped in Sonic Chaos, and was...disappointed. That's it? I mean, don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting a DS here, but really, come on. I could barely see the screen. Even with the magnifier, I still could barely make out what the hell was going on. Clearly, I expected too much.
The system itself works fine (you know, in case anyone is interested), but I have to say, I think this may be one of those cases where playing emulated roms is actually preferable to the real thing. Has anyone else had this experience before, or something similar?
Unrealistic expectations, or why I don't like my Game Gear
i´ve had similar expirince not with a gamegear tho since i dont have one but with an original gameboy and as much as i´d like to play the games i got i simply cant since seeing whats happening on screen is nigh on impossible.
So i have to agree there emulation for old handhelds is preferable than the real thing.
So i have to agree there emulation for old handhelds is preferable than the real thing.
There are certain games I really do enjoy on the game gear, without the magnifier. I have a magnifier, but have yet to use it.
Mortal Kombat is okay on the game gear. I have no idea how well the master system games play on the handheld, I recommend just getting a Master System or a PBC for your genesis 1 or getting one and chopping it for a model 2 genny (that's what I did).
Mortal Kombat is okay on the game gear. I have no idea how well the master system games play on the handheld, I recommend just getting a Master System or a PBC for your genesis 1 or getting one and chopping it for a model 2 genny (that's what I did).
Atari 2600 (AV mod), NES, SNES (region switch for PAL), Virtual Boy, Gamecube, Wii (D2CKey), PSX (Stealth V), PS2 (independence exploit w/ 160 GB HDD), Goldstar 3DO, Philips CD-i, Dreamcast, Saturn (racketboy's chip), Sega Genesis 2 + CD2 + 32X + Power Base Converter, Game Gear.
Some games play better on Game Gear than others, but you shouldn't have great difficulty seeing what's going on. I'm going to guess that the capcitors that support the screen display are going bad. It does take a deft touch to adjust the screen resolution and holding it at the right angle sure helps, I prefer just off center of straight on with the top of the machine slightly further away than the bottom. The screen resolution is actually pretty good considering the technology in hand (pun intended). If the screen looks washed out your system is suffering from bad caps.
One thing the Game Gear screen does not handle well is fast action and/or a rapidly scrolling screen. Sonic 2 especially can scroll so fast the screen is hard to read. If you want to test your system, get a copy of Tom & Jerry which should be easy to find and really cheap. It has some of the absolute best graphics as far as clarity is concerned of any Game Gear game you'll find. This game also has very bright colors and strong contrasts. That said, Game Gear in general is somewhat of a let down even when the screen is working right if you are used to HDTV or a modern hi res handheld like a DS or PSP. One additional ego boost with Tom & Jerry is that you should be able to beat the game in one hour sitting, it is really pretty easy!
One thing the Game Gear screen does not handle well is fast action and/or a rapidly scrolling screen. Sonic 2 especially can scroll so fast the screen is hard to read. If you want to test your system, get a copy of Tom & Jerry which should be easy to find and really cheap. It has some of the absolute best graphics as far as clarity is concerned of any Game Gear game you'll find. This game also has very bright colors and strong contrasts. That said, Game Gear in general is somewhat of a let down even when the screen is working right if you are used to HDTV or a modern hi res handheld like a DS or PSP. One additional ego boost with Tom & Jerry is that you should be able to beat the game in one hour sitting, it is really pretty easy!