Game Gear

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Game Gear
AA batteries, 3 to 5 hours
Dimensions210 × 113 × 38 mm
Best-selling gameSonic the Hedgehog 2 (400,000)[4]
SuccessorGenesis Nomad

The Game Gear

landscape format
, as a technologically superior handheld to the Game Boy.

Though the Game Gear was rushed to market, its unique game library and price point gave it an edge over the Atari Lynx and TurboExpress. However, due to its short battery life, lack of original games, and weak support from Sega, the Game Gear was unable to surpass the Game Boy, selling 10.62 million units by March 1996. The Game Gear was discontinued in 1997. It was re-released as a budget system by Majesco Entertainment in 2000, under license from Sega, this continued into the following year until about 2002.

Reception of the Game Gear was mixed, with praise for its full-color backlit screen and processing power, criticisms over its large size and short battery life, and questions over the quality of its game library.

History

Developed as

monochromatic.[8] According to former Sega console hardware research and development head Hideki Sato, Sega saw the Game Boy's black and white screen as "a challenge to make our own color handheld system".[9]

To improve upon the design of its competition, Sega modeled the Game Gear with a similar shape to a

Tetris which was bundled with the Game Boy launch.[7]

Game Gear displays the Sega trademark in color.

With a late start into the handheld console market, Sega rushed to get the Game Gear into stores quickly,

AA batteries and the Game Gear runs for three to five hours on six AA batteries.[10] Its quick launch in Japan sold 40,000 units in its first two days, 90,000 within a month, and more than 600,000 back orders. According to Sega of America marketing director Robert Botch, "there is clearly a need for a quality portable system that provides features other systems have failed to deliver. This means easy-to-view, full-color graphics and exciting quality games that appeal to all ages."[5]

Release and marketing

Before the Game Gear's launch in 1990, the

16-bit Genesis had been successfully marketed as a "more mature" option for players, and this was repeated against the Game Boy. Sega's marketing in Japan did not take this perspective, instead opting for advertisements with Japanese women featuring the handheld, but Sega's worldwide advertising prominently positioned the Game Gear as the "cooler" console than the Game Boy.[10]

In North America, marketing for the Game Gear includes side-by-side comparisons against the Game Boy and liken Game Boy players to the

color blind and had an IQ of less than 12, then you wouldn't mind which portable you had."[10] Such advertising drew outrage from Nintendo, who sought to have protests organized against Sega for insulting disabled persons. Sega of America president Tom Kalinske responded that Nintendo "should spend more time improving their products and marketing rather than working on behind-the-scenes coercive activities". Ultimately, this debate would have little impact on sales for the Game Gear.[12]

Europe and Australia were the last regions to receive the Game Gear. Due to delays, some importers paid up to £200. Upon launch in Europe, video game distributor

Virgin Mastertronic unveiled the price as £99.99, positioning it as being more expensive than the Game Boy, but less expensive than the also full-color Atari Lynx.[5] Marketing in the United Kingdom includes the slogan, "To be this good takes Sega", and advertisements with a biker.[10] In the United Kingdom, the Game Gear had a 16% share of the handheld market in January 1992, increasing to 40% by December 1992.[13]

Decline

Sega reduced support for the Game Gear in favor of

Game Boy Pocket running on two AAA batteries.[10]

Plans for a

fifth generation direct successor to the Game Gear were made and canceled, leaving only the Genesis Nomad, a portable version of the Genesis.[15] Moreover, the Nomad was intended to supplement the Game Gear rather than replace it; in press coverage leading up to the Nomad's release, Sega representatives said the company was not discontinuing the Game Gear in favor of the Nomad, and that "We believe the two can co-exist".[16] Though the Nomad had been released in 1995, Sega did not officially end support for the Game Gear until 1996 in Japan, and 1997 worldwide.[10]

Though the system was originally discontinued in 1997, third-party developer Majesco Entertainment released a version of the Game Gear at US$30 (equivalent to $50 in 2023), with $15 games in the year 2000. New games were released, such as a port of Super Battletank. This machine is compatible with all previous Game Gear games,[8] but incompatible with the TV Tuner and some Master System adaptors.[5] The system and its repressed games were likely sold throughout 2000 and 2001 but were likely discontinued the following year.[3][17][18][19] Over ten years later, on March 2, 2011, Nintendo announced that its 3DS Virtual Console service on the Nintendo eShop would feature Game Gear games.[20]

Technical specifications

A Game Gear with TV Tuner

The Game Gear was designed to be played horizontally.

stereo sound via headphones. Game Gear is 210 mm (8.3 in) wide, 113 mm (4.4 in) high, and 38 mm (1.5 in) deep.[21]

Accessories include a

cigarette lighters to power the system while traveling, and the Gear to Gear Cable (VS Cable in Japan) establishes a data connection between two Game Gear systems using the same multiplayer game.[7] Master Gear enables the Game Gear to play Master System games.[24]

Game Gear model variations include several colors, including a blue "sports" variation in North America bundled with World Series Baseball '95 or The Lion King.[5] A white version was bundled with a TV tuner. Other versions include a red Coca-Cola theme bundled with Coca-Cola Kid, and the Kids Gear Japan-only variation for children.[6]

Game library

Main article: List of Game Gear games
Sonic the Hedgehog
(1991) for Game Gear

Over 300 total Game Gear games were released,

The GG Shinobi, Space Harrier,[8] and Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, which was considered the best game for the system by GamesRadar+.[25] Later games include franchises that had originated on the successful 16-bit Genesis[6] and much of the Game Gear's library is Master System ports. Because of the landscape orientation of the Game Gear's screen and the similarities to Master System hardware, it was easy for developers to port Master System games to the Game Gear.[5]

Because of Nintendo's control over the console video game market, few third-party developers were available to create games for Sega's systems. This contributed to the many ports from Master System. Likewise, because of this, much of the Game Gear library is unique among handhelds, pulling sales away from the Atari Lynx and NEC TurboExpress and helping to establish the Game Gear's market position.[5][12] However, the Game Boy's library is over 1000 individual games.[10] Several Game Gear games were released years later on the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console service on the Nintendo eShop.[26][27] The emulator for the Virtual Console releases was handled by M2.[28]

Game Gear Micro

On June 3, 2020, as part of its 60th anniversary, Sega revealed the Game Gear Micro[b] retroconsole. The Micro was released in Japan on October 6, 2020, through Japanese storefronts in four different versions, varying in color and the game selection, with each containing four separate Game Gear games. Each unit otherwise is the same size, measuring 80 mm × 43 mm × 20 mm (3.15 in × 1.69 in × 0.79 in) with a 29 mm (1.1 in) display, and is powered by 2 AAA batteries or through a separate USB charger. Each unit also includes a headphone jack. A magnifying accessory modeled after the original system's Big Window accessory was included with preorders.[29][30] A special version of the device (published by M2 and licensed by Sega) was being shipped with a limited edition of Aleste Collection in December 2020. This version includes a newly developed Game Gear title G.G. Aleste 3 as well as four other Aleste titles.[31]

Reception

Game Gear surpassed the Atari Lynx and NEC TurboExpress, but lagged far behind the Game Boy in the handheld marketplace. Retrospective reception to the Game Gear is mixed. In 2008, GamePro listed the Game Gear as 10th on its list of the "10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time" and criticized aspects of the implementation of its technology, but also stated that the Game Gear could be considered a commercial success at nearly 11 million units sold. According to GamePro reviewer Blake Snow, "Unlike the Game Boy, the Game Gear rocked the landscape holding position, making it less cramped for human beings with two hands to hold. And even though the Game Gear could be considered a success, its bulky frame, relative high price, constant consumption of AA batteries, and a lack of appealing games ultimately kept Sega from releasing a true successor."[32] In speaking with Famitsu DC for its November 1998 issue, Sato stated that the Game Gear achieved significant handheld console market share, but that "Nintendo's Game Boy was such a runaway success, and had gobbled up so much of the market, that our success was still seen as a failure, which I think is a shame."[9]

GamesRadar+ offered some praise for the system and its library, stating, "With its 8-bit processor and bright color screen, it was basically the Sega Master System in your hands. How many batteries did we suck dry playing Sonic, Madden and Road Rash on the bus or in the car, or in the dark when we were supposed to be sleeping? You couldn't do that on a Game Boy!"

Sony PSP. For its fans, it will remain a piece of classic gaming hardware whose legacy lives on forever."[5]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Japanese: ゲームギア, Hepburn: Gēmu Gia
  2. ^ ゲームギアミクロ, Gēmu gia mikuro

References

  1. Imagine Media
    . March 1996. p. 34.
  2. ^ "The Real Cost of Gaming: Inflation, Time, and Purchasing Power". October 15, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Game Gear - Hardware". SMS Power. SMS Power. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  4. ISBN 978-1910561096
    .
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Wild, Kim (2009). "Retroinspection: Sega Game Gear". Retro Gamer (41). Imagine Publishing Ltd.: 78–85.
  6. ^
    ISBN 3-0001-5359-4
    .
  7. ^
    AllGame. Archived from the original
    on November 14, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Buchanan, Levi (October 9, 2008). "Remember Game Gear?". IGN. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-4-75770789-4. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help) | others=Translation by Shmuplations Archived August 14, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
    )
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kapa, Damien (2005). "Sega Game Gear". Retro Gamer. No. 17. Live Publishing. pp. 26–35 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ "Gear Up Master System Games" (PDF). GamePro. No. 68. IDG. March 1995. p. 136. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 13, 2020.
  12. ^
    ISBN 978-0-5660-9167-4
    .
  13. ^ "Geared For Success" (PDF). Sega Force. No. 16 (April 1993). March 4, 1993. p. 17. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 29, 2016.
  14. ^ "Weekly Famitsu Express". Famitsu. Vol. 11, no. 392. June 21, 1996. Retrieved August 2, 2019. See lines 8 and 20 for units sold in Japan and other regions, respectively.
  15. ^ Fahs, Travis (April 21, 2009). "IGN Presents The History of SEGA". IGN. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  16. Imagine Media
    : 31.
  17. ^ GamePro (US) Issue 152 - May 2001 (PDF) (Issue 152 - May 2001 ed.). GamePro (US). May 2001. p. 26. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  18. ^ "Amazon.com - April 05, 2001 - Archive.org Capture". Archive.org Amazon.com. Archive.org. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  19. ^ "IGN.com Sonic Advance Article - Dec 2001". IGN.com. IGN. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  20. Nintendo Life. Archived
    from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  21. ^
    Sega Enterprises Ltd.
    1990. p. 18.
  22. ^ "TASVideos / Platform Framerates". tasvideos.org. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  23. ^ "GamePro Labs". GamePro. No. 57. IDG. April 1994. pp. 104–106.
  24. ^ "GameSpot Presents: The History of Video Game Compatibility". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 31, 2004. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
  25. ^ a b GamesRadar Staff (June 23, 2012). "Best Sega Game Gear games of All Time". Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  26. Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Archived
    from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  27. ^ Drake, Audrey (May 17, 2013). "3DS eShop: Zelda Sale and Tons of GameGear Games". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  28. Engaget. AOL. Archived
    from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  29. ^ Plunkett, Luke (June 2, 2020). "Sega Is Releasing A Game Gear Micro". Kotaku. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  30. ^ Byford, Sam (June 3, 2020). "Sega's Game Gear Micro is four $50 consoles with four games each". The Verge. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  31. ^ Romano, Sal (September 16, 2020). "Aleste Collection announced for PS4, Switch". Gematsu. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  32. ^ Snow, Blake (July 30, 2007). "The 10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time". GamePro.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2008.

External links

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