Sega Game Gear

Game Gear

Japan

For emulators, see Master System/Game Gear emulators and Emulators on Master System, and for system information, see Sega Game Gear.

"Serious portable fun!"

The Game Gear is a handheld produced by Sega in the 90s. Out of all the portable systems that tried to front the Game Boy behemoth, it was possibly the most successful one. As it was derived from the Master System, easy porting led to a sizable game library. And the color display looked impressive next to its monochrome rival.

But should you get one now? Clearly, no. Its screen is horrible by modern standards, it eats enough batteries to choke a hungry hungry hippo, and many games can be very hard to find. So, it makes much more sense to simply emulate.

However, if you insist on having the real thing... and you're willing to do some modding and buy the proper accessories, then your Game Gear can be turned into an absolutely wonderful little handheld.

1. EverDrive GG. Enough said.
2. McWill's LCD upgrade, it's pretty expensive but makes a huge difference in quality.
3. A backlight mod, far cheaper than the LCD upgrade; improves the looks quite a bit, and battery life is quadrupled.
4. Buy the rechargeable battery, not only will the also increase battery life but it's a damn rechargeable battery! No more wasting your money on those batteries.
5. You may or may not want the Wide Gear accesory, but it's pretty cool to have a screen that much larger than the GameBoy's!
6. I know it looks tempting but don't buy the Master System Converter. You won't be able to use it with the battery pack, most games look bad when converted, and most of them already have ports on the Game Gear. Also don't bother with the TV Tuner, it's useless now that there are no analog transmissions anymore.

The List

Cover	Title	Genre	Description	Screenshot
	Alien Syndrome	Run 'n Gun	This edition features improvements from the original Alien Syndrome. You can access a map screen at any time, and you can power up weapons by grabbing the same kind of item twice (similar to the recent Contra 4). Save your fellow comrades (similar to Zombies Ate My Neighbors), navigate to the stage exit, beat the gruesome stage boss, and move onto the next level, because if you don't hurry, a timebomb will destroy you all. The Master System version is lacking compared to this, so stick with this version.
	Baku Baku	Puzzle	This is a strange tile-based puzzle game that came out on different systems. The concept revolves around feeding animals food, which helps you beat the other player somehow. Unlike the other versions, this one has extra modes and prettier graphics.You might like it if you've played something like Puyo Puyo.
	Batman Returns	Platformer	Pretty solid platformer where you play as Bats and kick some movie-tie-in ass. You have a neat grappling hook which works a bit like Bionic Commando, and can glide slightly from high distances, thanks to your cape. Your standard attack can aim in 3 directions, but you can adjust the power:length ratio in the pause screen. The big draw about this game is each stage has different routes, which feature harder challenges, and sometimes harder bosses (more damage to you and less hitboxes on them). The SMS version is practically a beta version of this, especially since you can only take one hit per life in that (yikes...), so this is the way to go.
	Battletoads	Platformer/Beat 'em up	It's a bit slower, one-player only, and the stages are a bit shorter. Why play this? It's also much fairer! Deaths come far less cheaply and stages are less brutal. The infamous Turbo Tunnel is much less of a dick (outside of pitfalls, driving into a wall only knocks off a life point, and you can get right on and keep going). If you're tired of being shit-slapped by the other versions, and you wanna say you beat Battletoads, then play this. That said: It's still Battletoads, it's still tough, and still pretty fucking fun.
	Chakan	Platformer	Much like the 16-bit cousin, Chakan is a dude who can't die until he kills the evils of the world. Nobody said it'd be easy, though, as this game is a challenge. Chakan starts with his dual-blades, but can obtain other weapons and skills in his selection of different stages and worlds. The timer doesn't seem to be present, and it's a little easier than 16-bit thanks to the designers working with 8-bit limitations, thus changing level designs and a few other adjustments, but it's still a hell of a ride!
	Crystal Warriors	Tactics RPG	A tactics RPG that resembles Fire Emblem and Shining Force. Instead of a "weapons triangle", all characters have an element and this effects damage dealt and taken from other elemental characters, be it physically or from skills and magic. You can also recruit your enemies to fight on your side. Curiously, this plays a bit more like Shining Force than the Shining Force Gaiden games, as you get to explore a few towns.
	Defenders of Oasis	RPG	An Arabic-themed RPG that's damn tough. Your party features a prince, a dancing man, a thief, but most importantly a Genie. The genie is not only important plot-wise, but is your ONLY magic caster. Teach him spells by reading ancient writings and increase his stats by pimping his lamp with exotic luxuries. The visuals are impressive for its hardware, and the desert-themed soundtrack is catchy. If you're up for the challenge, try it out. Note: Despite the name, this is not related to the Beyond Oasis series. This is called "Shadam Crusader" in Japan and features no definite connections.
	Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf	Shoot 'em up	This version is really well done and preferable OVER the SMS version due to being better sound, crisper graphics, nicely done speed, and a superior interface. On top of that, it controls really well, especially the guns being separated versus overlapping buttons. Hell, this version even beats out the later strike entries on Sega's 8-bit machines. Suit up, and lift off.
	Devilish	Arcade/Puzzle	Imagine if Devil's Crush and Breakout had a baby from the abyss. That's pretty much this. Guide a magic ball via your magic flippers as you tear through demonic locals, fight boss monsters, and try to solve a story nobody cares about. The neat thing is that your flippers can change formation, which is handy, because stages go all sorts of directions, not just vertically. The time limits can be a bit tough, but luckily you can find power-ups to help you out. It takes fast thumbs and a true eye to match wits with these devilish stages (hurr). There's a sequel on Genesis/MD, which is a bit cooler looking, and a spiritual successor on the DS, which has mixed responses.
	Earthworm Jim	Platformer	"Portable Jim? No way, man. The Gameboy games were bad enough." Well, Gene-I mean, Game Gear does what Nintendon't in this case (the colors and depth make a huge difference versus monochrome). This is a pretty damn good conversion of the 16-bit classic, and the best portable version (at least on a retro handheld). In addition to being a solid conversion, it's neat to see how they worked some of the effects and music within 8-bit limitations. Worm whip yourself a copy and have a blast. Groovy!
	Ecco the Dolphin	Puzzle	Play as a fucking dolphin while doing flips and shit. Save your Dolphins friends from aliens! Also, puzzles. And dying! Oh God, the dying! If you're a chickenshit like me, you might prefer this version, since it isn't as scary as the others. You'd think it'd be worse as 8-bit, but nope, not quite as creepy. The action's still solid, though there's no way to pause, since Start activates your echo-song. So, yeah. Hope you don't have to take a shit. No worries though, because there's still passwords.
	Ecco: The Tides of Time	Puzzle	More of the original. Looks and sounds a little better, but runs on the same engine (so don't play this right after you eat). You pretty much do the same stuff as the original. You can also transform into other creatures during certain stages, and occasionally must jump through literal hoops in mini-stages. If you liked the original, you'll like this as well. And yeah, there's still passwords. Strangely, you don't get a life or air bar until a few stages in, so don't think your game's busted. It's not.
	Fatal Fury Special	Fighting	I know what you're thinking: "OH FUCK NO. A HANDHELD PORT OF FIGHTING GAME BY TAKARA." Well, get this: It's actually GOOD. It doesn't really resemble the Nettou games on Game Boy at all. The action is as good as the consoles of the time, the music is pretty nice too. The sounds are a bit weird, and the roster's slim, but when all 9 characters included have every move from the arcade, and their arenas, who gives a shit? Grab 6 AAs and get bustin'.
	Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball	Sports	Damn, look at that cover. That's as cool as this game is. Not only does it look, sound, and play great, it gives you a LOT of options in menus. I mean, you can check your opponents, your players, and so much more, MID-GAME, AT DAMN NEAR ANY TIME. Now, this may sound a bit odd, but when you consider that Baseball is all about the stats, you can really get a feel for how deep a single game can be. I would go so far as to say this rivals some major console releases, even now! Definitely go for this, fan or not.
	Fred Couples Golf	Sports	Well, it's golf game, but it's a damn good one. Very easy to control, but several factors considered with each and every stroke to help determine the exact distance, curve, etc. Even allows topography-viewing! Choose 4 different golfers with different stats. Allows to play with friends (which is at least a neat feature). Also has a tournament mode with saving/loading, but it sadly uses passwords.
	G-LOC: Air Battle	Rail shooter	One of those first person jet fighting games that sound awesome in practice, but bad in execution. Except this one is actually WELL DONE! Surprisingly, it's even better than the Master System version. You have various missions with different targets to take down. However, in-between segments, you can repair and upgrade your jet and arsenal in a shop (It even has the Fantasy Zone shop theme!). It's about as close to portable After Burner as one might get. There's a Genesis version, too, but that one kinda sucks, since it was supposedly done by Probe. That said, the arcade version happens to be pretty damn cool.
	Halley Wars	Shoot 'Em Up	Sequel to Taito's obscure arcade shmup Halley's Comet, a classic-styled vertical shmup in the vein of Star Soldier. You control a ship that starts weak, but can upgrade numerous times in weapon power (in strength and spread), speed+control, and options (up to four, each of which fire along with you and each can be shot forward to act as full-screen bombs). Pretty standard, not as good as the Aleste series, but still kinda fun. Protip: At the Title Screen press Left, Left, Left, Left, Right, Right, Right, Right, then start to unlock extra settings.
	Jurassic Park	Platformer	A pretty good movie tie-in. Has dual sections in each of the stages you can choose. The first half has you protecting your vehicle by shooting at attacking dinos. Strangely, the life upgrades you get (fuel tanks) transfer into the second half of the stage. The second half is much cooler. You go on foot to take out the boss dino and any others in your way with three different guns on hand, each with different effects. You can also crawl to hidden areas and grapple-climb across certain ceilings like a ninja. The action stage design and boss challenges are surprisingly well done. This game's worth hunting down, but its GG sequel, "The Lost World", isn't. Stick with this.
	Legend of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse	Platformer	This game has one fault: It's too easy. That said, it does some AMAZING things both graphically and musically for hardware from 1985. The morning daybreak over Castle Goofstein, the shimmering of the Crystal Forest, and others are a splash of color on the eyes. Even without many sound channels or the FM chip, songs like the Forest and Gardens of Illusion replicate the sensation of having more with clever use of techniques, pitch, and dynamics. It runs on a slightly improved Illusion engine, and now Mickey can throw magic balls to damage foes in place of his hip drop, and can store food to revive when his life bar hits zero. A lovely conclusion to a magical trilogy.
	Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie	Fighter	Don't give me that look. This is a surprisingly solid fighter. It controls great, and each character has a hefty number of moves. You can play as both heroes and villains, and even the lowly Putty Patrol! 15 characters, various arenas, and pretty groovin' tunes makes this a fan-favorite. One last note: STORY MODE SUCKS. Versus only, unless you want to fight tons of Putty Patrol...
	NBA Jam: Tournament Edition	Sports	First off: T.E. only! Avoid the GG port of the first NBA Jam, it fucking sucks in comparison. This one is much smoother and not laggy at all. Other than that, it lacks most of the graphic cheats of its console brethren (There are a few cheats to use though), but its still damn fun. Although you can't tell the differences between most players, the graphics are also pretty good too. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be any multiplayer, so this is best used for training on the go for any rematches you and your pals might have. Unlike every other portable version of NBA Jam that sucked, this one really stands out.
	Pengo	Puzzle	Well, there's stages filled with ice blocks and you shove them at your enemies to kill them. The closest thing I can compare it to is: Pac-Man meets Amazing Penguin with a dash of Sokoban. Also, the Popcorn song. Holy shit. Other than that, there's not much to say about this that isn't obvious as you play it. Also, the Genesis version is a lot different, playing like a shoddy arctic version of Bomberman, and it doesn't even have Popcorn! Boo to that.
	Popils	Puzzle	You and a princess are in love, but some buck-tooth asshole puts your sweetheart in a number of puzzling castles. Any normal hero would go into the castles, right? Not the case here. You punch the castle apart in a tile-based manner. But since it's all 2D, and your princess is constantly moving left-to-right, there are a number of interesting and irritating solutions to get to or else the current puzzle becomes unwinnable and you have to start the stage over. Of course, that alone is half the fun.
	Power Strike II (EU) GG Aleste II (JP)	Shoot 'em up	This is NOT the same as the Master System game. This returns to more traditional Aleste settings. Still, it's Compile, so you know you're in for a good shmup.
	Psychic World	Platformer	This is sort of like Megaman, except stages are predetermined. You do get a large variety of psychic powers though, each with different effects. ALL of them (except one that is pretty useless) can be upgraded to become more potent, be it in regards to damage or duration. This is one hardass platformer, though. How hard? One of your earliest powers is temporary invincibility, and you will need it VERY often.
	Ristar	Platformer	8-bit Version of the 16-bit classic. There are differences in level design, and the graphics aren't as good as the the 16-bit, but the gameplay is spot on. Use your stretchy arms to get a leg up on enemies by swinging, ramming, and rocketing yourself throughout stages and through enemies. Features very surreal worlds and a pleasant soundtrack. Changing the region to Japan lets you play an extra (hard) level and some other minor differences.
	Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya	Strategy/RPG	Aka Shining Force Gaiden 2, and the only one out of three SF games on the Game Gear that got a Western release. Plays like the first, but a bit more refined. The story is about Guardiana's ally-kingdom, Cypress, and its rescue mission to save Prince Nick from the cultist Iom Kingdom. Pretty decent story, although music is mostly the same. For those seeking a more challenging AI: Tap down rapidly as the SEGA logo forms. This will activate "EXCELENT" mode for a harder new game.
	Shinobi (US/EU) The G.G. Shinobi (JP)	Action/Platformer	Red must save his fellow Shinobi, who have been brainwashed by evil. After being saved, you'll find that each has their own weapon, ninjutsu, and skill. These are great for finding extra power-ups in levels. These different skills and the boss set up slightly resembles Megaman X. The last stage is huge, and requires all Shinobi skills.
	Shinobi II: The Silent Fury (US/EU) The G.G. Shinobi II (JP)	Action/Platformer	More of the first, but difficulty has become more balanced. Stages are bigger, and you must also find orbs hidden within stages (which allows you to revisit them). Protip: Some Shinobi have changed since the first entry, so you'll have to get used to their new skills. This also has a huge last stage like the first game had.
	Sonic Drift 2 (US) Sonic Drift Racing (EU)	Racing	You know why overseas never got Sonic Drift 1? Because SD2 blows it the fuck out of the water. It's about as close to portable Mario Kart as one could get back in the day, and it still holds up fairly well today. In addition to picking up items (use up on the control pad), each character also has their own special skill at the cost of 2 rings (use up when not holding an item). Pretty fun and even has a versus mode option, along with a hidden GP selection in single player.
	Sonic Spinball	Pinball	A strange mix between platforming stages and pinball. Some love it, some hate it. The stage layouts and a few other factors are a bit different from the 16-bit version. In general, it's a little slower and controls a little bit tighter and the bosses are different. Not as cool as the 16-bit one, but puts up a good fight. It's definitely one of the better Sonic spinoffs to say the least.
	Sonic Triple Trouble (US/EU) Sonic & Tails 2 (JP)	Platformer	The sequel to Sonic Chaos, this is arguably the best 8-bit Sonic platformer. The game itself almost looks 16-bit! Tails and Sonic have unique power ups, and both can access special stages, which are now 2D and 3D. 2D stages are tough platformer sections and 3D have plane flying to collect rings (similar to 16-bit Sonic 2's special stages) This features Nack/Fang, an adversary you must fight to get Chaos Emeralds, in addition to Robotnik's other bosses at the end of Zones. There's a fanmade Master System port and a modernized PC reimagining.
	Streets of Rage II	Beat 'em Up	"Why would I want to play this, when I can play the kickass Mega Drive version?" Well, it's more of an alternate take really, kinda like Sonic 2 and Sonic CD. This version may be 8-bit, lack Max, and not be as rad as the 16-bit version, but it's still a damn good game. It's almost like a mix of SoR 1, 2, and 3. It has the smooth controls, combos, and other content from 2, but it keeps something neat from 1. Charge up the attack button and unleash a powerful one-per-life super-strike that hits the entire screen. Also, like in 3, normal specials don't cost life either. If you can play this with someone else, do so. Even if you can't, it's worth playing alone, especially if you love the 16-bit version and want to try something just a bit different from the norm.Note: Do NOT get the Master System version of this. That one uses the shitty SoR1 Game Gear's engine. This one uses a souped-up version of SoR1 Master System's engine, which worked great, but only supported 1 player. This one allows 2 players AND controls better!
	Super Columns	Puzzle	Much like the original except you can turn your columns at 90 degree angles as they fall. There's also bomb blocks which can clear a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, depending on how you align them. There's also Flash and Story modes, but frankly, they're cheap as fuck. The AI pretty much cheats at times in Story, and it feels like you can never get close enough to the target gems in Flash mode unless you're stupid lucky. If you want maximum enjoyment, stick with the Endless mode.
	Tails Adventure	Platformer/Action/RPG	A platformer/action-RPG hybrid starring Tails from Sonic. You use gadgets (up to 4) to explore areas, fight enemies and bosses, and find more gadgets. You can even find new paths and gadgets in areas you've already been to, giving it some Metroidvania elements. There's no experience points, but you can level up your HP and flight meter by finding hidden Emeralds. This uses passwords, although on some collections you can opt for a "save state". A very unique experience that you should definitely try!
	The Chessmaster	Strategy/Board Game	Pretty decent chess game. Gives you lots of options like clock, castling, AI difficulty, hints, and other miscellaneous things. You can play straight, or set up the board for hypothetical situations, such as being against seven knights with three rooks, etc. Allows for 2 player on one system as well, which is kinda cool if you ever had someone willing to play this with you. The voices are pretty mechanical, and there's no animation or tune for winning, the game just ends. However, at any time in the game, even after ending the game, you can rewind moves of both sides, which helps you figure out how to counter a strategy or figure out what was flawed with your own.
	Virtua Fighter Animation	Fighting	Not the best fighter around, but it has its charms. A small 7 person roster makes this seem weak, but each character plays rather differently, with individual specialties. There's a neat option for "pseudo-camera" control to zoom in or out depending on the fighters' locations, making it feel a bit like the arcade. Although versus mode is the main meat, there's also a goofy little story mode, worth a single playthrough. It's kinda cool in that you gain more fighters in your "party" and use one each as continues in the story battles. Overall, this game's pretty solid, considering it's just a curiosity nowadays.
	World Series Baseball '95	Sports	It's no Frank Thomas, but this manages to still be an enjoyable baseball game. The best things about this are how fast and smooth it is. You can probably clear an inning in the time it'd take you to get an out in other games (maybe). There's also some amusing little animations and ditties played as well, keeping it lively. If you're a baseball fan, but want to get things over with quick (especially on a Game Gear), this is the game for you. It may not be the best, but it's still a great alternative.

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