Game Gear System by SEGA Reviewed by Adrock Released: 1991 Battery Life: 5 hours. CPU: 8-bit. Compatible with: Game Gear and Master System (through an adapter.) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Opening Snide Remarks: This is Sega's competitor for the Game Boy. During it's life-span, it was color and Game Boy wasn't. Which is what it had going for it. Read on. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Impressions: It uses 6 AA batteries and lives a lot less on one pair than Game Boy. It is a backlit system, like Nomad. It has an adapter which lets you play the Sega Master System games. If you're not familiar with the Master System, it is Sega's 8-bit console. Which was supposed to compete with the NES but did considerably terrible. It also has a TV Tuner, where you can watch TELEVISION on it. (Costs extra.) Well, basically it is a handheld version of a Master System, with new games and smaller carts. It's got all the same hardware that the Master System does. Since this is an adaption of a system that was meant to be played on a television, and hooked into a wall outlet. So it's going to use up your batteries very fast. But, batteries ain't no thing, if you think about it. Long road trips, you can get a car adapter, and you can always get an AC adapter and play somewhere where there is power (which is only a minor hassle.) Some of my favorite games for this system are the Sonic games and the Columns game. Columns rocks. It's a puzzle game where you match up different circles/fruits/whatever (you can pick different playpieces) in rows of 3, horizontally, vertically, and diagnally. Simple to learn but hard to master. The Sonic games are watered down versions of the Genesis series (although some of the later Sonic games came very close to matching the Genesis ones.) There are also some RPG's for Game Gear like Defenders of Oasis, and Shining Force - Sword of Hajya. Those might be the only two but I can't be sure, oh and also the Master System had games like Phantasy Star, if you want to buy the adapter. Also, there are two Shinobi games and two Streets of Rage games. There's fun software to be had here, amidst all of the crappy movie/TV show licensing. An advantage over Game Gear's backlit screen is that you can play in the dark. It is also easier to see in darker places, as to where you might have to get by a window to see the Game Boy Color's screen. But this is all at a cost. If that one backlight goes out, your system is screwed over. You can't see it at all without a backlight, even when there's plenty of light in a room. Asto where if your GBC's Worm/Flexi Light (seperate) breaks, you can just buy another one for cheap. Oh, the system is also very big. It's comparable in size to... hmm... a thick book. It is bigger than the original DMG model Game Boy. Yeah. That big. ^_^ Liked: The screen was nice and big. Some cool games, even some RPGS. Sonic is awesome. Hated: The system is huge. It won't live long at all on one set of batteries. You need an adaptor to play those Master System games. If the backlight goes out you've got a big black (or blue) piece of trash. Sega's ads made fun of Game Boy, and showed a kid hitting himself with a stick just to see colors on his Game Boy. Who needs color? Isn't it fun that matters? Obviously, people thought so. And Game Boy is still around while Game Gear is in the Bargain Bin. ^_^ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Improve: If it got rereleased... in a SMALLER size... with no more backlight and rereleased games, and maybe even a beefier processor... it could fight in the battle of the handhelds. Not that it would win. ^_^ Sega has already said though, that they don't want to invest any more into handheld gaming and will stick to Dreamcast and it's online presence. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Final Words: Well, there are some OK games for it. If you're a Sega nut then you should own this... it's a true sign of Otaku... but, you'll find games a lot easier and maybe even BETTER games, if you get Sega's Nomad. Nomad lets you play Genesis games. VERY cool. Nevertheless, Game Gear is still an alternative for portable gaming, and if you find it really cheap you could pick it up and play some fun games. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Score: 65% +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "^_^" count: 3 If I ever start doing it as much as Akemi and Philip do, I want you to shoot me. ^_^ D'oh!