System: 3DO
Release date: 1994

Gex on the 3DO is the game that decided a wisecracking gecko with a chip on his shoulder was exactly what the platforming genre needed, and the 3DO’s CD-ROM drive was exactly the tool to deliver it.

This Gex title launched as a genuine 3DO exclusive before later finding its way onto other systems, and it’s very much a product of its moment – full-motion video sequences of Dana Gould voicing constant TV and movie one-liners, wrapped around a fairly standard platforming skeleton. You climb walls, flick your tongue at enemies, and generally cause reptilian mischief across a string of TV-themed dimensions. In 2026, does this Gex 3DO original still stick the landing, or has the wisecracking finally worn thin?

Gameplay: Climb, Cling, and Crack Wise

Gex on the 3DO puts you in control of the titular gecko as he scales walls, ceilings, and pretty much any surface going, using his sticky feet and tongue-flick attack to work through a series of TV-parody worlds – a horror channel, a kung-fu channel, a cartoon channel, each one stuffed with genre-appropriate hazards and enemies.

The wall-climbing is the mechanical centrepiece and it does give the platforming a different flavour to the usual run-and-jump formula – levels are built with verticality and surface-switching in mind, and once you’re comfortable with it the movement has a genuine rhythm to it. Between-level FMV cutscenes deliver Gex’s constant stream of pop-culture one-liners, which were the game’s headline selling point at the time.

The Sticky Landing? Gex on the 3DO shows its age in the controls department more than the wall-climbing gimmick can compensate for. Precision platforming sections can feel stiff, hit detection on the tongue attack is occasionally generous to the enemies rather than you, and a handful of the TV-themed worlds lean on repetitive layouts that the humour alone can’t quite carry. The jokes themselves land with mixed success three decades on – some still raise a smile, plenty feel firmly of their era.

Graphics: Cartoon Colour with Genuine FMV Ambition

Gex on the 3DO leans into a bright, cartoonish visual style that suits its TV-parody premise well – each dimension has a distinct colour palette and set dressing that sells the genre it’s spoofing, from gothic horror reds to neon arcade brights.

The FMV sequences were a genuine showcase for the CD format, and while the video compression shows its age badly today, the ambition of blending full-motion cutscenes with traditional 2D platforming was a proper technical statement for 1994. Character sprites are chunky and expressive, and Gex himself animates with plenty of personality.

Sound: One-Liners on a Loop

The audio package on Gex on the 3DO is built almost entirely around Dana Gould’s constant wisecracking commentary – a relentless stream of pop-culture references delivered with proper comic timing, even if the material itself hasn’t all aged gracefully.

Music tracks match each TV-themed world’s genre convincingly, and sound effects for jumps, tongue attacks, and enemy defeats are crisp and satisfying. It’s an audio-forward game in a way most platformers of the era simply weren’t attempting.

Replayability: A Channel Worth Revisiting

Gex on the 3DO has decent replay incentive for genre fans – hunting down remote control pieces scattered through each world, mastering the wall-climbing movement well enough to speed through familiar stages, and simply enjoying the one-liners on a second pass once you know which ones actually land.

It’s not a lengthy game by modern standards, which suits repeat sessions well, and completionists chasing every hidden collectible will find enough here to justify a second look.

The Retro Looney Verdict

Gex on the 3DO is a fascinating snapshot of mid-90s platforming ambition – a mascot game that bet heavily on FMV production values and constant pop-culture patter to stand out from an increasingly crowded genre. The wall-climbing mechanic gives it real identity, and the sheer confidence of the presentation is admirable even where the jokes miss.

The controls have dated more than the wisecracking has, and a handful of the TV-themed worlds outstay their welcome. None of that erases what this Gex 3DO title represents – a genuinely original mascot platformer that launched exclusively on the format and gave the 3DO a proper personality-driven hit. Grab that remote control, climb something you shouldn’t, and brace for the one-liners.

Don’t forget to check out my other 3DO Reviews!