 | |
 | |
| Manufacturer | Sega |
|---|---|
| Type | Handheld video game console |
| Generation | Fourth |
| Released | |
| Introductory price | ¥19,800 (equivalent to ¥24,000 in 2024) US$149.99 (equivalent to $350 in 2024)[2] £99.99 (equivalent to £270 in 2023) |
| Discontinued |
|
| Units sold | 10.62 million |
| Media | ROM cartridge |
| CPU | Zilog Z80 @ 3.5 MHz |
| Memory | 8 KBRAM, 16 KBVRAM |
| Display | 3.2 in (81 mm) backlitLCD, 160 × 144 px |
| Graphics | 4,096-color palette, 32 colors on-screen |
| Sound |
|
| Power | 6 ×AA batteries (3 to 5 hours) |
| Dimensions | 210 × 113 × 38 mm (8.3 × 4.4 × 1.5 in) |
| Best-selling game | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (400,000)[4] |
| Successor | Genesis Nomad |
TheGame Gear[a] is ahandheld game console developed and marketed bySega. It was released in Japan on October 6, 1990, in North America and Europe in April 1991, and in Australia in 1992. The Game Gear was Sega's first handheld console and competed withNintendo'sGame Boy,Atari'sLynx, andNEC'sTurboExpress in thefourth generation of video game consoles.
Sega rushed the8-bit Game Gear to market to compete with the Game Boy. It shares much of its hardware with theMaster System, and can play Master System games with an adapter. Its hardware is superior to the Game Boy's, with a full-colorbacklit screen and aZ80 CPU. However, it resulted in a much shorterbattery life, running for three to five hours on sixAA batteries. Sega based thelandscape design on theSega Genesis controller and sought to repeat the Genesis's success by positioning the Game Gear as a more mature and attractive alternative to the Game Boy.
The Game Gear received praise for its hardware, but criticism for its short battery life, large size, and weak support from Sega. Itsgame library—which includes manyports of Master System games—and price point gave it an edge over the Atari Lynx and TurboExpress, but it was unable to effectively compete with the Game Boy. Sega canceled plans for a16-bit successor and reduced Game Gear support to prioritize itshome consoles. It sold 10.62 million Game Gears before discontinuing it in 1997.Majesco Entertainment rereleased the Game Gear as a budget system between 2000 and 2002, under license from Sega.
Developed ascodename "Project Mercury",[5] the Game Gear was launched in Japan on October 6, 1990,[6] in North America and Europe in 1991, and in Australia in 1992.[5] Originally retailing at¥19,800 in Japan,[6]US$149.99 (equivalent to $300 in 2024) in North America, and£99.99 in the United Kingdom,[5] the Game Gear was developed to compete with theGame Boy, whichNintendo had released in 1989.[7] The decision to make a handheld console was made by Sega's CEOHayao Nakayama and the name was chosen by newly appointed Sega of America CEO Michael Katz. Both Sega's chairmanIsao Okawa and cofounderDavid Rosen approved of the name.[citation needed] The console had been designed as a portable version of theMaster System, with more powerful features than the Game Boy, including a full-color screen instead ofmonochromatic.[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 aGenesis controller, intending the curved surfaces and greater length to be more comfortable to hold than the Game Boy.[10] The console's mass was carefully considered from the beginning of the development, aiming for a total mass between that of the Game Boy and theAtari Lynx, another full-color screen competing product.[9] Game Gear can use the Master Gear adaptor to play games from the similar Master System.[11] The original Game Gear pack-in game wasColumns, which is similar toTetris which was bundled with the Game Boy at launch.[7]
With a late start into the handheld console market, Sega rushed to get the Game Gear into stores quickly,[12] having lagged behind Nintendo in sales without a handheld on the market.[10] To simplify development, Sega based the Game Gear hardware on the Master System, with a much larger 4,096 colorpalette compared to the Master System's 64 colors.[5] Part of the intention was easy conversion of Master System games. The Game Gear's stronger hardware impacted its battery life, running for three to five hours on six AA batteries, falling short of the Game Boy, which could run for more than 30 hours on fourAA 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]
Before the Game Gear's launch in 1990, the16-bitGenesis 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 approach, instead opting for advertisements with Japanese women featuring the handheld, but Sega's worldwide advertising prominently positioned the Game Gear as the "cooler" alternative to the Game Boy.[10]
In North America, marketing for the Game Gear included side-by-side comparisons against the Game Boy which likened Game Boy players to theobese and uneducated. Most of these advertisements feature the "Sega Scream" with a person yelling the name. One Sega advertisement in early 1994, which contained a dog looking between the two consoles, features the quote, "If you werecolor blind and had anIQ of less than 12, then you wouldn't mind which portable you had."[10] Such advertising drew criticism from Nintendo, who sought to have protests organized against Sega for insultingdisabled people. Sega of America presidentTom 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 per system. Upon launch in Europe, video game distributorVirgin 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 theUnited Kingdom included the slogan, "To be this good takes Sega", and advertisements with abiker.[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]
Sega reduced support for the Game Gear in favor ofhome consoles. The successful Genesis yielded two major peripherals, theSega CD and the32X. The 32-bitSaturn console was launched in 1994.[5] Though selling 10.62 million units by March 1996 (including 1.78 million in Japan),[14] the Game Gear was never able to match the success of its main rival, the Game Boy, with ten times the sales.[8] Sales of the Game Gear were further hurt by Nintendo's release of the smallerGame Boy Pocket, running on twoAAA batteries.[10]
Plans for a16-bitfifth generation direct successor to the Game Gear were canceled, leaving only theGenesis 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 publisherMajesco Entertainment released a version of the Game Gear atUS$30 (equivalent to $50 in 2024), with$15 games in 2000 under license from Sega. New games were released, such as a port ofSuper 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 re-released games were sold throughout 2000 and 2001 but were discontinued the following year.[3][17][18][19] Over ten years later, on March 2, 2011,Nintendo announced that its3DSVirtual Console service on theNintendo eShop would feature Game Gear games.[20]
Much of the Game Gear's internal hardware is derived from theMaster System, as the handheld was designed to be compatible with that system's library of games. It shares the sameZilog Z80 CPU,[21] an8-bit processor clocked at 3.5 MHz, and theTexas Instruments SN76489 sound chip, aprogrammable sound generator. The chip generatedstereo sound, audible usingheadphones as the device only included a singlemonaural speaker. The system also contains 8 KB ofRAM and 16 KB ofvideo RAM.
The Game Gear measures 210 millimeters (8.3 in) wide, 113 mm (4.4 in) high, 38 mm (1.5 in) deep,[21] and was designed to be played horizontally.[8] At the center of the device is a colorliquid-crystal display that measures 3.2 inches (81 mm) diagonally and is able to display up to 32 simultaneous colors from a total palette of 4,096,[7] with aframe rate of about 60 Hz[b] with 160 × 144non-square pixels.[5][6] The screen is backlit for low light using a smallcold cathode fluorescent lamp tube.
The Game Gear is powered by sixAA batteries which provide an approximatebattery life of 3 to 5 hours. This was a source of significant criticism from reviewers.[10] In response, Sega released two types of external rechargeable battery packs, intended to lengthen play time and reduce consumer cost.[7][23]
Available accessories included aTV Tuner with awhip antenna for the cartridge slot, to become ahandheld television. Released at£74.99 (equivalent toUS$130), the add-on was expensive but unique for collectors and contributed to the system's popularity.[5] The Super Wide Gear magnifies the screen. The Car Gear adapter plugs intocigarette 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 samemultiplayer 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 withWorld Series Baseball '95 orThe Lion King.[5] A white version was bundled with a TV tuner. Other versions include a redCoca-Cola theme bundled withCoca-Cola Kid, and the Kids Gear Japan-only variation for children.[6]
Over 300 total Game Gear games were released,[6] with six titles available atlaunch. Prices forgame cartridges initially ranged from $24.99 to $29.99 in the United States. The casings are molded black plastic with a rounded front to aid in removal.[7] Games includeSonic the Hedgehog,The GG Shinobi,Space Harrier,[8] andLand of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, which was considered the best game for the system byGamesRadar+.[25] Later games included entries in franchises that had originated on the successful 16-bit Genesis.[6] Much of the Game Gear's library consists of 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, fewthird-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 andNECTurboExpress and helping to establish the Game Gear's market position.[5][12] However, theGame Boy's library includes over 1000 individual games.[10] Several Game Gear games were released years later on theNintendo 3DS'sVirtual Console service on theNintendo eShop.[26][27] Theemulator for the Virtual Console releases was handled byM2.[28]
On June 3, 2020, as part of the company's 60th anniversary, Sega revealed the Game Gear Micro[c]dedicated console. 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 2AAA 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 byM2 and licensed by Sega) was being shipped with a limited edition ofAleste Collection in December 2020. This version includes a newly developed Game Gear titleG.G. Aleste 3 as well as four otherAleste titles.[31]
Game Gear surpassed theAtari Lynx andNEC TurboExpress, but lagged far behind theGame 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 toGamePro 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 withFamitsu DC for its November 1998 issue, Sato stated that the Game Gear achieved "a respectable chunk of market share" since overall "about 14 million systems" were sold, 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!"[25] By contrast,IGN reviewer Levi Buchanan opined that the Game Gear's biggest fault was its game library when compared to the Game Boy, stating: "the software was completely lacking compared to its chief rival, which was bathed in quality games. It didn't matter that the Game Gear was more powerful. The color screen did not reverse any fortunes. Content and innovation beat out technology, a formula that Nintendo is using right now with the continued ascendance of theDS andWii." Buchanan praised some of the library: "Some of those Master System tweaks were very good games, and fun is resilient against time."[8]Retro Gamer praised Sega's accomplishment in surviving against the competition of Nintendo in the handheld console market with the Game Gear, noting that "for all the handhelds that have gone up against the might of Nintendo and ultimately lost out, Sega's Game Gear managed to last the longest, only outdone in sales by theSony PSP. For its fans, it will remain a piece of classic gaming hardware whose legacy lives on forever."[5]
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