Whenever discussions of the first major gaming handheld war (Game Boy, Lynx, Game Gear) come up, I feel there are often people underestimating the quality of the non-Game Boy line ups due to their lesser popularity and often more obscure games.
I previously did a Lynx thread https://www.resetera.com/threads/atari-lynx-appreciation-thread.19300/ There didn't seem to be one devoted to the Game Gear.
The Sega Game Gear was released in Japan in October 1990 and in Western countries starting in April 1991 with the puzzle game Columns as a pack-in title. The hardware was based on Sega's existing 8-bit Master System console but with a much larger colour palette. Its backlit screen made it good for indoor use although it wasn't quite as sharp as the one on the Atari Lynx. Unfortunately these lit screens sucked batteries at a much faster rate than the Game Boy's.
What I loved about all three of these portables is that they excelled in different areas when it came to software. There wasn't that much overlap between the portables' line ups.
Several games did appear on both the Game Gear and Master System (usually with minor differences) due to easy porting between the two. Japan and North America often only received the Game Gear versions due to the Master System being discontinued earlier than in PAL territories. While today I prefer playing the SMS versions for many 8-bit Sega games, back then I was happy to have the GG ones. In the early '90s living in Vancouver I had some access to Japanese imports but very little for European ones outside of magazines.
There were also devices made to play Master System games on Game Gear. The Master Gear Converter I had wasn't perfect as a bunch of games had graphical glitches but overall I thought it was pretty neat to able to play SMS games on the go.
Anyway, here are some quality GG games:
Shinobi II: The Silent Fury
The first GG Shinobi in 1991 was an excellent action-platformer (check it out on 3DS if you haven't played it) and the sequel expanded it further with more exploration and password saves. Despite audio-visual similarities to Revenge of Shinobi, these weren't downports of console or arcade Shinobis. In these you would rescue ninjas with unique abilities and add them to your party, giving the games a more Mega Man-like structure.
Power Strike II/GG Aleste II
The two Game Gear Aleste games were exclusive titles in Compile's acclaimed shooter series. If you're a fan of games like Blazing Lazers (TG16), MUSHA (Gen/MD), or Space Megaforce (SNES), then you will probably enjoy them.
Sonic The Hedgehog
I bought my Game Gear prior to Sonic's release with Columns in the box but I was able to mail in my UPC code for a free copy promotion months later. And it was a damn good game. Instead of a half-assed port from Genesis, Ancient developed a unique version and it had catchy Yuzo Koshiro tunes.
Sonic had some nice sequels but I recommend playing Sonic 2 on the Master System instead as the screen cropping in the Game Gear version harms the gameplay a bit too much.
Crystal Warriors
This was one of the earlier Japanese Strategy/RPGs released in English so it definitely stood out having it on a portable.
Royal Stone
Royal Stone was the follow up to Crystal Warriors. For years it was only in Japanese but now it has a fan translated rom available. It holds up really well.
Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya
Thankfully this impressive SRPG was released in English back in the day. And like Crystal Warriors, it's still cheap to buy on 3DS Virtual Console.
Devilish
Ball and paddle/Breakout-style games really suited handheld gaming and I felt this was the most impressive one at the time. It had epic boss fights and a soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto, later more known for his work at Square.
Dropzone
This was a remake of Archer Maclean's Defender-inspired game that originated on Atari 8-bit. I don't think it was released outside of Europe so a lot of people missed out on it.
Ristar
Game Gear Ristar was quite similar to the Genesis game but the redone level design made it feel more like a spin off than a port. It's worth checking out if you're a fan.
Defenders of Oasis
This nicely filled the RPG void on the system at the time. Its Middle Eastern setting also made it stand out thematically.
Soukoban World
Many systems had their versions of the classic box pushing puzzle game. I think the GG version was the ideal one for its era with its faster pacing.
Galaga '91
A really well made, atmospheric Galaga game based on the 1988 arcade version.
Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck
Even with graphically superior 16-bit versions I played first, I find myself going back to the GG version. It's just a well crafted platform game, one of the best Western-style games in the genre for portables back then.
Dragon Crystal
Rogue-likes were a rarity outside of computer formats. I always felt it worked really well as a quick fix portable game.
Kishin Douji Zenki
Anime action.
Sylvan Tale
Unfortunately this action-adventure was left in Japan but I think it's playable without Japanese knowledge. There is a translated rom now anyway.
Gunstar Heroes
Developer M2 has made a name for itself over the years for quality ports and emulation. This impressive conversion from Genesis to Game Gear was M2's second game after Gauntlet IV.
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
This was generally considered the best of the 8-bit Mickey games and had more adventure elements than Castle of Illusion before it.
Fatal Fury Special
Prior to the Neo Geo Pocket, I considered this the smoothest playing fighter made for portables.
Coca Cola Kid
This had similar vibes to Aspect's Sonic Chaos but with kicking, wall jumping, and strange cross marketing.
I previously did a Lynx thread https://www.resetera.com/threads/atari-lynx-appreciation-thread.19300/ There didn't seem to be one devoted to the Game Gear.
The Sega Game Gear was released in Japan in October 1990 and in Western countries starting in April 1991 with the puzzle game Columns as a pack-in title. The hardware was based on Sega's existing 8-bit Master System console but with a much larger colour palette. Its backlit screen made it good for indoor use although it wasn't quite as sharp as the one on the Atari Lynx. Unfortunately these lit screens sucked batteries at a much faster rate than the Game Boy's.
What I loved about all three of these portables is that they excelled in different areas when it came to software. There wasn't that much overlap between the portables' line ups.
Several games did appear on both the Game Gear and Master System (usually with minor differences) due to easy porting between the two. Japan and North America often only received the Game Gear versions due to the Master System being discontinued earlier than in PAL territories. While today I prefer playing the SMS versions for many 8-bit Sega games, back then I was happy to have the GG ones. In the early '90s living in Vancouver I had some access to Japanese imports but very little for European ones outside of magazines.
There were also devices made to play Master System games on Game Gear. The Master Gear Converter I had wasn't perfect as a bunch of games had graphical glitches but overall I thought it was pretty neat to able to play SMS games on the go.
Anyway, here are some quality GG games:
Shinobi II: The Silent Fury
The first GG Shinobi in 1991 was an excellent action-platformer (check it out on 3DS if you haven't played it) and the sequel expanded it further with more exploration and password saves. Despite audio-visual similarities to Revenge of Shinobi, these weren't downports of console or arcade Shinobis. In these you would rescue ninjas with unique abilities and add them to your party, giving the games a more Mega Man-like structure.
Power Strike II/GG Aleste II
The two Game Gear Aleste games were exclusive titles in Compile's acclaimed shooter series. If you're a fan of games like Blazing Lazers (TG16), MUSHA (Gen/MD), or Space Megaforce (SNES), then you will probably enjoy them.
Sonic The Hedgehog
I bought my Game Gear prior to Sonic's release with Columns in the box but I was able to mail in my UPC code for a free copy promotion months later. And it was a damn good game. Instead of a half-assed port from Genesis, Ancient developed a unique version and it had catchy Yuzo Koshiro tunes.
Sonic had some nice sequels but I recommend playing Sonic 2 on the Master System instead as the screen cropping in the Game Gear version harms the gameplay a bit too much.
Crystal Warriors
This was one of the earlier Japanese Strategy/RPGs released in English so it definitely stood out having it on a portable.
Royal Stone
Royal Stone was the follow up to Crystal Warriors. For years it was only in Japanese but now it has a fan translated rom available. It holds up really well.
Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya
Thankfully this impressive SRPG was released in English back in the day. And like Crystal Warriors, it's still cheap to buy on 3DS Virtual Console.
Devilish
Ball and paddle/Breakout-style games really suited handheld gaming and I felt this was the most impressive one at the time. It had epic boss fights and a soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto, later more known for his work at Square.
Dropzone
This was a remake of Archer Maclean's Defender-inspired game that originated on Atari 8-bit. I don't think it was released outside of Europe so a lot of people missed out on it.
Ristar
Game Gear Ristar was quite similar to the Genesis game but the redone level design made it feel more like a spin off than a port. It's worth checking out if you're a fan.
Defenders of Oasis
This nicely filled the RPG void on the system at the time. Its Middle Eastern setting also made it stand out thematically.
Soukoban World
Many systems had their versions of the classic box pushing puzzle game. I think the GG version was the ideal one for its era with its faster pacing.
Galaga '91
A really well made, atmospheric Galaga game based on the 1988 arcade version.
Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck
Even with graphically superior 16-bit versions I played first, I find myself going back to the GG version. It's just a well crafted platform game, one of the best Western-style games in the genre for portables back then.
Dragon Crystal
Rogue-likes were a rarity outside of computer formats. I always felt it worked really well as a quick fix portable game.
Kishin Douji Zenki
Anime action.
Sylvan Tale
Unfortunately this action-adventure was left in Japan but I think it's playable without Japanese knowledge. There is a translated rom now anyway.
Gunstar Heroes
Developer M2 has made a name for itself over the years for quality ports and emulation. This impressive conversion from Genesis to Game Gear was M2's second game after Gauntlet IV.
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
This was generally considered the best of the 8-bit Mickey games and had more adventure elements than Castle of Illusion before it.
Fatal Fury Special
Prior to the Neo Geo Pocket, I considered this the smoothest playing fighter made for portables.
Coca Cola Kid
This had similar vibes to Aspect's Sonic Chaos but with kicking, wall jumping, and strange cross marketing.
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