Gex and Croc

[Thenewguy]

Croc 1 was good for its time on PS1, but is a little dated now, mainly because the controls aren't that great, and because the bar on PS1 was raised by later games like the Spyro's & Ape Escape

The 3D Gex games are much better than the original game, Gex 1 is basically the definition of a "decent" though largely forgettable 2D platform game, whilst the 3D games had pretty good 3D engines and good level designs for what they were (albeit they could never be considered leaders in their field).

Glover is crap on the PS1 from what I can recall, its the N64 original which has a small fanbase

Medievil is more of a mix of hack n' slash elements and adventure games, there's not really any platforming in it.

Top 10 3D platformers on PS1? well, it depends on a few factors really, if you're including multiple's of each series (ie all three Spyro games allowed inclusion) then no. If you're being loose with your definition (ie including games which play in 2D with a 3D engine, like Klonoa) then no. If you're being strict with your 3D platformer definition, and limiting each series to one game each then one of the Gex games might just about scrape into like #10

If you don't have it already, then Ape Escape should be your next port of call after the Spyro and Crash games, then maybe Rayman 2 (albeit there are much better versions of the game out there).

The Jumping Flash games are also interesting, and quirky, but are a bit lightweight and short (Gex is probably a little better than the Jumping Flash games, all in all, but Jumping Flash is more unique).

[StarMist]

You didnt mention MediEvil and I thought it was considering a high quality platformer at the time.

That's because I never played it. Can't play them all. Yes it is highly regarded plus it has a sequel. If either's as good as they're supposed to be you'd be better off with them than with the Crocs which were partly void fillers and have been more superseded, especially if you've a 64 to game on.
Most of your responses about Gex seem to have been directed at the 2D game (it sucks a fat one). The 3D games are pleasant to watch but I honestly can't recall whether the voicing can be turned off as it can in the original or I was just a bystander beside somebody merciful enough to mute it. It certainly has a much closer visual relation to Crash than the other games; Croc in particularl looking bare. The third in the series I think a little more intense about collecting/backtracking. My instinct says unless you really hate spending small amounts of money on gambles go for Gex 2, Jersey Devil or Medievil (1), and Croc 2, then work from there.

[DarkDragon]

Top 10 3D platformers on PS1? well, it depends on a few factors really, if you're including multiple's of each series (ie all three Spyro games allowed inclusion) then no. If you're being loose with your definition (ie including games which play in 2D with a 3D engine, like Klonoa) then no. If you're being strict with your 3D platformer definition, and limiting each series to one game each then one of the Gex games might just about scrape into like #10

Yeah I want a list that included multiples of each series and ones that play in 2D with a 3D engine. No need to be strict. Yeah I rented Ape Escape back in the day but it didnt grab me. Id love to see a top 10 3d/2d-3d engine Psone vs N64 platformer thread.

[A Black Falcon]

Own all the Gex and Croc games. The only one I'd really recommend is Gex 1 - the 3DO version particularly (because you can save your game instead of using passwords). The 3D games in the series weren't very good.

You can save in the PC version of Gex as well, you know. (On that note, both Croc games are also on PC.)

Croc is alright - it's the closest the Saturn got to something like Mario 64. But it's not really that great. Croc 2 on the PSX is better, but not by much.

I was actually playing Gex on my 3DO last night. Very fun platformer. High quality, too. Looks sort of like Donkey Kong Country with a similar difficulty level.

I like Croc 1 more than any of the Gex games, myself... I will agree Gex 1 is a fun game, though. Gex 2, not so much (it's bland), but the first one, the 2d one, is good. I haven't played the third Gex, but from what I've seen it seems pretty similar to the pretty average second one.

As for Croc 2, it improved on some things over the first game, but overall I like both of them about equally, really.

Oh, while I like the gameplay, graphics, levels, etc, I do find that in Croc (1, particularly) because of the perspective or something sometimes it can be tough to figure out how far jumps are. I remember regularly missing jumps, more than in, say, Mario 64...

If you've interest in a structured 3D platformer I'd suggest the Pandemoniums and if you've a Saturn to a lesser extent the Bugs. But those are my tastes, not dart throws at yours.

Pandemonium is 2d, not 3d. Okay game, but it's insanely hard... I gave up a few levels in, from what I remember. I haven't played the second game though.

As for Bug, that is a 3d game, though it's more 2d than most 3d platformers. I actually really like Bug; it's one of the first 3d platformers, and it's a very interesting early attempt at integrating 3d into platformers. Very good game too... except for its inordinately cruel save system -- Why in the world is there a limit to how many times you can load your save file? BACKUP IT TO AN EXTERNAL CARTRIDGE! Otherwise you'll be starting from the beginning over and over, and Bug! levels are LONG. Very long, and very hard.

... I haven't gotten more than a couple of levels into Bug either, actually. I love the game anyway though. Bug Too! is pretty good too, though it isn't changed much from the first one. That's a quite different kind of 3d platformer from Croc, though, much more inspired by 2d platformer design. But that's part of what makes it so interesting, that it is both that and also 3d.

If you were to come up with a top 10 list of 3D platformers on PSOne, would Croc and Croc 2 be in the top 10 ? I only really bothered with the Crash and Spyro games so I dont know what else is out there.

The Croc games are some of my favorite 3d platformers on the Playstation, anyway, for sure. Spyro is good as well, sure, but perhaps part for nostalgia reasons (I didn't have a PSX in the '90s, but I did play some of Croc 1 on the PC, so it's got much more nostalgia value for me) I'd definitely give Croc an edge.

This is a blurred distinction. Crash 1 is definitely 2.5D, or had I to choose, 2D rather than 3D; the others incline more to 3D, but if you're including the 1st Crash and games like it I'd say absolutely not for Croc. Soul Reaver's way up there but seeing as you're only a casual gamer now it might be too deep. Its platforming is also secondary but does come up (Mario 64 doesn't have many strict platforms either; his flight almost changes many parts into fps gaming). Croc you may well find endearingly thin. Counting games like Crash 1 I certainly would include at least either of the Pandemoniums if not both--they're very simple and old school with successful employment of 32 bit capabilities and charming presentation--and Klonoa which along with its PS2 sequel gets expensive.
For what else is out there: some people like Glover (it makes me puke, but hey), Jersey Devil has some style and is worth a glance, and you might like the Tomba! games which are both fairly traditional 2D play despite the latter's graphics. These like Spyro and CB are all cute.

Um, what? Crash 1 isn't 2d, you can move left and right while you move forwards. I mean, yeah, it's an entirely linear, narrow-path game, clearly much closer to a 2d platformer than Mario 64, but it's not 2d (apart from the sidescrolling segments in some of the Crash games that is).

As for Pandemonium, that is entirely 2d (2.5d that is), like the Clockwork Knight games on Saturn but with more fancy camera movement. Or, yeah, Klonoa, which is in that category as well. On that note, my favorite 2.5d platformer is Goemon's Great Adventure for the N64... incredible game. (The first N64 Goemon is basically a Zelda/3d platformer hybrid... good game, but the second one is better.)

Glover... I've only played it on N64, but yeah, that game's kind of a pain. It's the same on PSX, I assume... interesting concept, but so frustrating. The graphics (on the N64 version) aren't great, but the ball-and-hand gameplay concept is unique, and if you can get the controls down there's certainly a lot of challenge there.

If you don't have it already, then Ape Escape should be your next port of call after the Spyro and Crash games, then maybe Rayman 2 (albeit there are much better versions of the game out there).

Oh right, Ape Escape... yeah, that is a decent game, definitely better than either 3d Gex game. It's no match for any of the better N64 3d platformers though.

The Jumping Flash games are also interesting, and quirky, but are a bit lightweight and short (Gex is probably a little better than the Jumping Flash games, all in all, but Jumping Flash is more unique).

I haven't played the Jumping Flash games, but I'm interested in trying them sometime...

[TheSonicRetard]

You can save in the PC version of Gex as well, you know. (On that note, both Croc games are also on PC.)

Who is still playing the PC Versions of Gex in this day and age? Last time I tried to run it, it wouldn't boot under vista.

[Markss]

I remember the Gex games getting really bad to average reviews back in the day. myself I have only played the 3d one which I found to be good

[Thenewguy]

I remember the Gex games getting really bad to average reviews back in the day.

Well you remember wrongly, most places gave the two 3D games a mixture of 7s and 8s (on PS1).

The only game which got mixed reviews (including bad ones) was the original 2D game.

[Melf]

I remember the first Gex game being hyped through the roof. That game was in every magazine, on every cover...

Croc is cool, but trying to play it on the Saturn now is just painful. I can't play a 3D platformer with only one analog pad! Same goes for Burning Rangers.

[The Jackal]

While Saturn Croc's been brought up, I wonder -- does anyone else beside me, experience missing graphics when they load the game up? Sometimes the little blighter's missing he's head or the logo doesn't appear; very odd.

[TheSonicRetard]

Well you remember wrongly, most places gave the two 3D games a mixture of 7s and 8s (on PS1).

The only game which got mixed reviews (including bad ones) was the original 2D game.

Maybe in europe. In the US, the original Gex got high reviews from virtually every outlet.

[Markss]

Im gunna have a look back though my old magazines im sure they all didnt rate the 3rd

[old man]

This was a post Mario 64 period in my life where I was rejecting all cartoon animal mascots unanimously. I have played the demo's of some of these games and don't think I missed all that much.

[Genesis Knight]

While Saturn Croc's been brought up, I wonder -- does anyone else beside me, experience missing graphics when they load the game up? Sometimes the little blighter's missing he's head or the logo doesn't appear; very odd.

It was a bug that shipped in some versions of the Croc 1 for Saturn. If you launch the game from the CD player instead of turning the system on with the disc already inserted, you won't get any graphics glitches.

Due to rendering errors, the original European Saturn release of the game would feature a headless Croc (and various other missing polygons) when played, prompting the publisher to include a yellow instruction leaflet to explain to the user how to fix the problem. In order for the game to work properly, the Sega Saturn must first be turned on without the game inserted. When the "no disc" message appears, the user must then insert the Croc CD. The game will then boot normally. However, as this needs to be done every time the game is played, it can be an annoyance.

It also happens to me on my US copy.

[sega16]

gex and croc
sex and cock
notice a similarity anyone (when you say it out loud)?

[Thenewguy]

Maybe in europe. In the US, the original Gex got high reviews from virtually every outlet.

Hmmm, this is interesting actually, I had an idea that the original was better recieved in the US (being that Americans seem more positive towards the game, and the sequels had so much Euro localisation) but I hadn't realised it was this pronounced, most of the US magazines did indeed give the game good scores, whilst most UK magazines gave it ~6/10 or lower.

US and UK magazines seem to be more in agreement with the 3D sequels though, with both giving them selections of 7s and 8s.

I have to say though, god knows what the US reviewers were thinking, the game is clearly not 5/5 (Gamepro) or 10/10 (Video Games & Computer Entertainment) material, I'd say its clearly not 9/10 material either, the highest possible score for the time should be more like 8/10, I'd give it maybe 7/10 I think.

Gamepro - "Gex is destined to become the 3DO equivalent of Sonic or Mario"