The demo is dated January 25, 2001, and features a small playable area that players can guide Gex Jr. So the game likely wasn’t part of an official project but was created to be part of a pitch. According to developer quotes on Hidden Palace, it was made as a development exercise. It seems like ImageBuilder was developing the title instead of Crystal Dynamics. Unfortunately, there’s little information about Gex Jr. Later games changed format from 2D to 3D platformer, but the pop culture parody motif remained consistent throughout the series. People liked his “too cool” attitude and his constant pop culture references. In a time when the majority of games being released were platformers, Gex stood out for its style, level design, and of course, the gecko himself. The original game was first released on the ill-fated 3DO console and was later ported to PC, PS1, and Saturn. The wise-cracking gecko with an attitude was designed to contrast with the more family-friendly Mario and Sonic.

Gex was originally created during a time when developers and hardware makers were fixated on mascot characters. The Gex trilogy sold 15 million copies, and all three received decent reviews. Gex might be little more than a meme these days, but it was once a prosperous franchise.

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