
Sega Game Gears - still a quality console.
Review created: 30/01/08(updated 30/01/08)

Sega Game Gears are brilliant. Well I love videogames anyway, in whatever format it happens to be a good game will keep me occupied for hours, days, dare I say months? In recent years though it's mostly been on the PC, on the internet of course. Then, mid December 2007, I did my first search for Game Gear bits on Ebay. I used to own one of these when I was younger and remember how much fun they were, so I decided to look into it as a cheap alternative to a PSP or Nintendo DS.
I have to say I truly was surprised at how much Game Gear equipment was available, and instantly decided to get one with a small collection of games. Of course as I looked further I realised many more games are now available than when I used to own one, and then remembered how much fun the link-up games were, where you had 2 consoles connected, but also needed a copy of the game in each machine. So, I've had to double up on the greatest 2 player games - Streets of Rage, Mortal Kombat and Lemmings for example, get another console and the cable to link them.
They still eat batteries like they are going out of fashion so AC adapters to run from mains power are a must when playing at home, and get a rechargeable pack for on the move. You can get one set here on Ebay that comes with the AC in the same box, and it's a nice option as it's not expensive at all.
So are they any good? Of course they are!! They're brilliant, in fact I'd say just as good as I remember them. Do they match up to a PSP or DS? Well, it's probably quite unfair for me to answer that as I've not played either of those consoles for any length of time. The graphics are much better obviously, and you can play films on the PSP which is very cool. The Game Gear does have the TV tuner, which provides a fully watchable picture when plugged into a decent aerial - we checked yesterday and had The Weakest Link in full colour. Shame terrestrial TV is going to be turned off.
The most important thing though, are the games, obviously, so how do they match up? Well as I've said the graphics don't really compare to the modern handheld console and are well inferior, but if you're anything like me it's the gameplay of any vidoegame that will keep you coming back for more every time. So for the Game Gear it has to be a massive thumbs up. With classic coin-op conversions, Sega's ground-breaking (at the time) Sonic series and a large back catalogue of games including classics from all genres, the playability is unquestionable. For the price of a new handheld and a game or two, you'll end up with a couple of Game Gears to link up, all the cables and adapters necessary to play uninterrupted and a fairly decent sized collection of games considering auctions here on Ebay often start from under a pound each.
Did I make the right choice going for Game Gears over a new handheld? I've no idea to be honest and at this rate I'm never going to find out. My 'Gears have already been responsible for several late night gaming link-up sessions 'till the early hours of the morning with a good friend and a few beers (I am over 18), and my collection of games is still growing. Yesterday I found out that my favourite game on the Megadrive - Micro Machines 2 is a link-up game for the Gear, so my second copy is in the post as we speak.
Sega Game Gear or new handheld? I'll leave that one up to you then. ;-)
Review ID: 10000000005284731

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