A demo for the previously-unknown Gex Jr. was released

Gex fans have been waiting for a long time for their beloved gecko to come back. The lizard’s last adventure launched in 1999 and over 20 years later, we’ve yet to see him return. But did you know that there was a spinoff planned in 2001 that never released? Its name is Gex Jr. and yes, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds.

We didn’t even know about this game until recently as it had never been officially announced. So you could technically say that this is a new Gex game even in its unfinished and not-planned-for-release state. Not exactly the news fans wanted to hear, but it is an interesting project regardless.

Hidden Palace user Justz00t dumped the game, uncovered from a prototype dated Jan. 25, 2001. It’s not known where they got it or what the demo was meant for, but it’s possible that it was just an internal demo that somehow found its way in Justz00t’s hands.

See some gameplay of the demo below, courtesy of RetroPixelLizard on YouTube:

Exploring the Gex Jr. demo

The demo consists of a single one-room level where your objective is to collect and drink an unhealthy amount of soda cans. It’s got the same platforming and item collection gameplay you expect from the Gex series. You’ve also got a model viewer for Gex where you can see his tongue-extending, jumping, and dancing animations at your leisure.

If you thought that this younger gecko was less blabbermouthed than his older counterpart, you’d be mistaken. (Fortunately or unfortunately mistaken, we’ll leave up to you.) Gex Jr. runs his mouth with references and silly quips, and of course, it’s all very dated. Nods to Who Wants to Be a Millionare?, Teletubbies, Blue’s Clues and “Luke, I am your father?” Yep, it’s a Gex game alright.

You can find more information on the demo (as well as a download link) here.

What do you think of this Gex Jr. demo? Do you wish the game was finished and released? Let us know!

Via Kotaku.