Fan Favorite Square Enix Franchise Might Be Making a Return

A new trademark has been filed by Square Enix, and it could indicate that a long-dormant property might be coming back in the near future. According to Gematsu, the publisher has renewed its trademark for Gex, a platforming franchise originally developed by Crystal Dynamics. The first game in the series released back in 1995, followed by sequels in 1998 and 1999. While the character is often associated with the original PlayStation, his games have appeared across multiple platforms, including 3DO, N64, and even Game Boy Color. In that short time span, the franchise sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.

The original Gex was a 2D platformer, but it released at a time when most platforming franchises were starting to shift into the realm of 3D. Given the massive popularity of Super Mario 64 in 1996, it's no surprise that Gex also shifted into 3D with his second game, Enter the Gecko. Unfortunately, Enter the Gecko and Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko did not receive the same level of acclaim, which might be the reason the series inevitably folded.

Over the last 15 years, developers and publishers realized that there is a market for both 2D and 3D platformers, so it would be interesting to see what a new Gex game might look like. A 2D platformer with modern-day graphics and sounds like Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair could be a great way to bring the character back on current platforms. Of course, a 3D option like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart could also work this time around.

Unfortunately, it's all just conjecture, at this time! Publishers and developers regularly re-up trademarks, even if there are no current plans to bring the series back; Nintendo has frequently done the same with Eternal Darkness over the last 19 years, and that series has been missing almost as long as Gex! Over the last few years, Crystal Dynamics has been hard at work on Marvel's Avengers, but perhaps this might be the developer's next project! For now, we'll just have to wait and see.

Were you a fan of the Gex games? Would you like to see the series return? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!