How is your Game Gear gaming going?

[noiseredux]

I used the Master Gear Converter A LOT... but that was like 20 years ago.

[PartridgeSenpai]

I used the my Master System to GG converter a lot during the period where I wanted to play R-type, but had no Master System. Other than that, I don't use mah GG too much because there really aren't too many games on it that are worth playing that aren't super expensive, or worth sacrificing all of those batteries for.

On that note, I did notice that, unlike its American counterpart, the Japanese 3DS VC-store has not only Shining Force for GG, but also Shining Force II and Shining Force Gaiden! Definitely interested in those bad boys, especially in a format that doesn't involve actually using an achy-breaky Game Gear :I

[nightrnr]

I think I finished off Miracle Warriors on a Master (Game) Gear. Worked well for that game, especially given the low selection of RPG's for the system.

The Master Gear converter showed me how badly my original system was failing. The screen mode for SMS games got all flickery, besides being hard to see. That's when I knew I had to replace those caps, at all costs, sink or swim, triumph or die (I had never soldered electronics before that).

My original currently works fine, but I still need to add another LED or 2 (was also my 1st mod attempt and it shows).

[Tanooki]

I saw this topic hasn't been dusted off in awhile, but I have reason to. I've been looking casually locally for a few years to get a Game Gear (back in my life) as the games were fun and still are starkly cheaper than most everything else still.

I found this post local Saturday night for $40 for a Blue Game Gear, 1st party AC and car adapters, 5 overly common games (World Series Baseball, MK2, Lion King, XMen and NFL-bleh).

The guy had made the screen out better than it was, so I had said I'd have to get it repaired and said I'd do $30. He wasn't feeling it, I went inside (met outside a shop) came out like 10min later, he flagged me over and took it saying he was waiting on his wife to pop up to go eat. Yay. The screen (but not the audio) has the classic cap issue, it's somewhat dim, not awful, but as it heats up it will improve. The only real flaw there is this annoying scratch like 1/4" by 1" right center of screen I can't seem to buff out yet.

Cool thing is, re-connected with an online friend the other day, he's great with electronics work with a degree around it, and he made my Starfox 2 cart a few years back. He said he'd fix it, but also would upgrade it if I get the parts so I went and snapped up a LED kit to replace the junk source inside, which in turn will like double the battery life. I just have to send him $30 for his time/effort/return.

I'll be into it $30+$30+20+10 (20+10 the 2 kits) which I think is pretty good as the blue game gear isn't common.


I am curious though, anyone have any preferences in games on it? Any other tips? There a good storage solution for something as big as it? He gave me the tray that goes into the old black Sega fold over bag (but the bag is gone.) I am curious how dim it is currently, still going to fix it, that's already set, but it's so hard to get a phone/camera phone to pick up on the loss.

[alienjesus]

I am curious though, anyone have any preferences in games on it? Any other tips? There a good storage solution for something as big as it? He gave me the tray that goes into the old black Sega fold over bag (but the bag is gone.) I am curious how dim it is currently, still going to fix it, that's already set, but it's so hard to get a phone/camera phone to pick up on the loss.

As far as games go, that depends: Do you own a Master System. I personally find a lot of the Game Gear games are better experienced on the home console instead for obvious reasons.

As far as exclusives, both of the Shinobi games on the systems are must-owns. There are a variety of GG exclusive Sonic games of varying quality - most are probably worth avoiding but I hear good things about Tail's Adventure which is apparently a bit more like a metroid game, but not.

I only have a few Game Gear games myself. Halley Wars is a solid shmup. Sonic 1 and 2 and Chaos are all better on Master System. The Castle/Land/Legend of Illusion games may be on Master System too. but their slow pacing makes them pretty great options on Game Gear. Lucky Dime Caper and Deep Duck Trouble are OK on GG but benefit more from the screen space compared to the Mickey Mouse games. Columns plays the same as always, but ti's a pretty ugly port. Ax Battler is an exclusive, but it's a pretty awful Zelda II clone, I wouldn't bother.

[Tanooki]

I had a SMS about 2 years ago and quite a few years before that. I totally feel the GG handles games better than SMS and those games ported between felt downgraded but being on a TV are easier to see but the GG screen never bothered me as a negative.

I've never had Tails Adventure but it is one I'm actively going to go after this go around. Any of the SMS-GG conversions I had before I'll snap up too. Shinobi, thanks, that I'll keep an eye out for. The Mickey games I had 2 of them on SMS had enjoyed them on GG before but never had the third, and the Lucky Dime game for some reason I didn't click with and I got angry at it on SMS and ditched it so I wasn't thinking about it. Ax Battler I was considering, maybe not eh? Columns I learned on the GG so it's a must and I did buy a couple cheap lots on ebay the other night and it's in there.

The first lot of 4 has Sonic Spinball and Sonic 2, G-Loc, and Columns
The second lot is bigger with Aerial Assault(favorite), Ecco, Castle of Illusion, Jurassic Park, Bust-A-Move, MK1, and NHL All Star. Paid $11 and $25 shipped respectively for the pair.

Also alone I got a Wonderboy Dragon's Trap EU import from Netherlands coming for $15 shipped and domestic Wonderboy (Drancon) for $7 shipped too.

I stopped there, felt it was a good start, but if I see a quite cheap price on Streets of Rage 1 and 2 I'll grab them as they're awesome.


Any way to buff this out??

[Snatch1414]

Get Shinobi I & II asap. Great games. The rest of the library is pretty so so in my opinion. As much as I love Sega I don't think the Game Gear is that great. There's other games on it to be sure, but nothing much else that's notable. I actually have more interest in collecting all the goofy peripherals like the TV tuner than the games.

As far as storage, people sell the old carry bags and hard cases (which usually hold the system, some games, and some peripherals) for like $20 on eBay.

[nightrnr]

I've never taken a gg screen to a buffer before. Always wanted to, but never really had to opportunity. Not sure how well it works in practice.

For game recs, a lot of my fave have been mentioned, but...
A lot of people forget about Fantasy Zone. It is a different game than the SMS game and is well worth having.
I also like:
Space Invaders (as in Space Invaders '91 arcade, I think)
Devilish (like a breakout adventure)
Woody Pop (standard breakout type)
Dragon Crystal (rougue-like, love or hate it)
And I Like the puzzle game selection:
Bust a Move (very good port for the time)
Baku Baku (the only portable port of the game, I think)
Mean Bean Machine (puyo is a good fit on any system)
Need to try Slider sometime, not sure how that is.

There are others I like, but think that the quick fun/casual games get the most attention from me on gg these days.

I wish Mega Man (not even original content) and Ninja Gaiden (original, but weird) were better games on the system, but enjoyed them anyways.
Also like X-men for some reason.

--edit--
For game storage, has anyone put them on display via a golf ball display cabinet?
Failing that, a jewelery hanger (has clear pouches and hangs on closet bar, might work.
I really wish they fit in card holders like Game Boy games.

[SpaceBooger]

Ok, I need some Game Gear help.

I bought a Game Gear off ebay a couple years ago. All of the caps were replaced. I recently got Shining Force and started playing it. All worked well. A week in the unit wouldn't turn on every once in a while. I would have to turn it on and off a couple times to get it to work. Then is started not turning on two or three days at a time. Now it wont turn on at all. I tired everything from cleaning the contacts (at first if I wiggled the batteries it would cause it to boot up) to checking each capacitor.

I have no idea what to do next, I have scrubbed the battery contacts and all the caps are soldered and connected correctly.

[Exhuminator]

I played some Game Gear recently on my DS. The game was Sylvan Tale. The emulator I used was S8DS. As a kid never would I have imagined someday using a Nintendo handheld to play SEGA handheld games.