The 90s were a competitive time for the video game industry, with the console war still in full force between Nintendo and Sega. Similar to today, consoles competed through the biggest titles. Many gaming icons would rise during this time, others found it harder to escape the 90s.One such would-be gaming icon was Gex, created by Crystal Dynamics with the hopes of the gecko becoming its household name, company mascot in the same vein as gaming titans Mario and Sonic. Now owned by Square Enix, Gex was originally a 2D platformer on the 3DO. But the game saw its brief chance at budding relevancy with its two 3D sequels for the massively popular Nintendo 64 and Sony PlayStation. It wouldn’t last however, and the series has been dormant ever since, though still with a cult appreciation for the 3D sequels.It might not be the end for Gex however, as Square Enix has just filed a new trademark on the title in Japan. This does not mean a definite sequel or remaster, like what happened with other Spyro and Crash Bandicoot, is on the way. But filing a trademark does stop the title falling out of Square Enix’s ownership, so it can use the title if and when it decides to.
Gex came under Square Enix’s ownership as part of its acquisition of Eidos in 2009. It hasn’t touched the property since, but does remain dedicated to retaining the trademark. Last year it also filed the trademark for Gex in Europe. Square Enix did launch a project in 2015, through which it was accepting independent studio pitches for dormant Eidos properties, including Gex.
Gex is one of the quintessential examples of the mascot race that got out of hand in the 90s. So many studios looked to the unsurpassable success of Mario, and how Sega managed to rival it with its own mascot, Sonic. Every developer wanted to make the next character to rival these giants. Other notable, platforming non-starters include, Croc, Ristar, Bubsy the Bobcat, and Glover, who was an anthropomorphic glove.
The best games of the pre-internet 90s were not made obvious by online reviews and popular culture. Kids without inside knowledge simply had to play the games they had access to, which leads now to countless communities of players that rally around games they had when they were younger but felt like no one else had heard of. Gex is a fun oddity from the early 3D era, but with Square Enix's catalog of classic titles like Chrono Trigger also laying dormant, It's highly unlikely that Gex will be first in line for a sequel.