An unannounced Gex sequel demo from 2001 has appeared online. The sequel, titled Gex Jr., lets players play as a younger Gex, complete with old-school platforming and outdated pop culture references. It’s unknown why developer Crystal Dynamics abandoned this sequel.

The demo for Gex Jr. was recently added to Archive.org by a user who found the game on an old CD-R. According to the user, the demo was dated 25 January 2001, but for some reason, Crystal Dynamics chose to leave the project in an unfinished state.

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Judging by the footage of the demo, Gex Jr. was being developed at one point for PS1, though Crystal Dynamics possibly abandoned the unannounced sequel due to the PS2 transition and Gex primarily being a PS1 generation mascot.

The demo certainly appears to be in a rough shape. Right off the bat, Gex misquotes “I am your father, Luke” in reference to Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. He also collects sodas and bounces on old televisions, driving home its dated aesthetic.

Perhaps Gex was being overshadowed by more successful platforming mascots at the time, including Crash Bandicoot and Spyro, that the transition to PS2 wouldn’t have been smooth sailing for the gecko. Despite numerous sequels for the PS1, the Gex franchise never really lived up to its genre counterparts either, making it a product of its time.

However, Square Enix resecured the IP in European territories last year, leading some to believe that Gex might make another appearance on newer hardware some day.

If you’re keen to play the older Gex games again, it’s possible that Sony might include them in the PS1 library for their upcoming revamped PlayStation Plus. It would also explain why Square Enix renewed the rights. That said, there’s debate about whether or not Gex would have any place in the modern gaming sphere at all.

Check out the demo for Gex Jr. below.

Source: Archive.org