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{{Short description|Handheld game console by Sega}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| title        = Game Gear
| logo         = Game Gear logo Sega.png
| logo_size    = 200px
| image        = Sega-Game-Gear-WB.png
| image_size   = 250px
| manufacturer = [[Sega]]
| type         = [[Handheld game console]]
| generation   = [[Fourth generation of video game consoles|Fourth]]
| releasedate  ={{vgrelease
   | JP | October 6, 1990
   | NA/EU | April 1991<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Next Generation 1996 Lexicon A to Z: Game Gear|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=15 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=March 1996|page=34}}</ref>
   | AUS | 1992
   }}
| price        = {{JPY|19,800|1990|round=-2}}<br>{{USD|149.99|1991|round=-1}}<ref>{{cite web
|date=October 15, 2013
|title=The Real Cost of Gaming: Inflation, Time, and Purchasing Power
|access-date=August 28, 2020
|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power}}</ref><br>{{GBP|99.99|1991|round=-1}}
| discontinued = {{vgrelease
   | WW | April 30, 1997 (Sega)
   | NA | 2002 ([[Majesco Entertainment]])<ref name="SMS Power! - Game Gear Hardware">{{cite web |title=Game Gear - Hardware |url=https://www.smspower.org/Hardware/GameGear |website=SMS Power |access-date=April 13, 2024}}</ref>
   }}
| unitssold    = 10.62 million
| topgame      = ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' (400,000)<ref>{{cite book|title=[[Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition|Guinness World Records 2016 Gamer's Edition]]|date=2015|isbn=978-1910561096|page=149|publisher=[[Jim Pattison Group]]}}</ref>
| successor    = [[Genesis Nomad]]
| media        = [[ROM cartridge]]
| power        = 6 × [[AA batteries]] (3 to 5 hours)
| cpu          = [[Zilog Z80]]
| CPUspeed     = 3.5 MHz
| memory       = 8 KB [[Random-access memory|RAM]], 16 KB [[VRAM]]
| display      = {{cvt|3.2|in}} backlit [[LCD]], 160&nbsp;×&nbsp;144&nbsp;[[pixels|px]]
| graphics     = 4,096-color palette, 32 colors on-screen
| sound        = {{ubl|[[Texas Instruments SN76489|SN76489]]|Mono speaker|Headphone jack}}
| dimensions   = {{cvt|210|xx|113|xx|38|mm}}
}}
The {{nihongo foot|'''Game Gear'''|ゲームギア|Gēmu Gia|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}}<!-- See [[WP:JFN]] --> is an [[8-bit]] [[Fourth generation of video game consoles|fourth-generation]] [[handheld game console]] released by [[Sega]] on October 6, 1990 in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and in 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with [[Nintendo]]'s [[Game Boy]], the [[Atari Lynx]], and [[NEC]]'s [[TurboExpress]]. It shares much of its hardware with the [[Master System]], and can play Master System games through the use of an adapter.

Although the Game Gear was rushed to market, it still went on sale more than a year after the Game Boy. With a full-color [[Backlight|backlit]] screen, a [[landscape format]] and a more powerful [[Zilog Z80|Z80]] CPU, Sega positioned the handheld device as technologically superior to the Game Boy. Ultimately, its unique [[List of Game Gear games|game library]] and price point gave it an edge over the Atari Lynx and TurboExpress, but its short battery life, large size, lack of original games, and weak support from Sega left the Game Gear unable to surpass the Game Boy, selling 10.62 million units by March 1996. 

The Game Gear was discontinued in 1997. It was re-released as a budget system by [[Majesco Entertainment]] between 2000 and 2002, under license from Sega. 

==History==
Developed as [[codename]] "Project Mercury",<ref name="RetroGamer">{{cite journal|last=Wild|first=Kim|year=2009|title=Retroinspection: Sega Game Gear|url=https://archive.org/stream/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_041#page/n75/mode/2up|journal=[[Retro Gamer]]|publisher=Imagine Publishing Ltd.|issue=41|pages=78–85}}</ref> the Game Gear was launched in Japan on October 6, 1990,<ref name="encyclopedia" /> in North America and Europe in 1991, and in Australia in 1992.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> Originally retailing at {{JPY|19,800}} in Japan,<ref name="encyclopedia" /> {{US$|149.99|1991|round=-2}} in North America, and [[Pound sterling|£]]99.99 in the United Kingdom,<ref name="RetroGamer" /> the Game Gear was developed to compete with the [[Game Boy]], which [[Nintendo]] had released in 1989.<ref name="allgame" /> The decision to make a handheld console was made by Sega's CEO [[Hayao Nakayama]] and the name was chosen by newly appointed Sega of America CEO Michael Katz. Both Sega's chairman [[Isao Okawa]] and cofounder [[David Rosen (businessman)|David Rosen]] approved of the name. The console had been designed as a portable version of the [[Master System]], with more powerful features than the Game Boy, including a full-color screen instead of [[monochromatic]].<ref name="IGNGG" /> According to former Sega console hardware research and development head Hideki Sato, Sega saw the Game Boy's black and white screen as "a challenge to make our own color handheld system".<ref name=":0">{{bulleted list | {{cite book|last1=Sato|first1=Hideki|series=[[Famitsu DC]]|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf&page=23|title=Interview: The Witness of History|chapter=セガ・コンシューマー・ヒストリー (Sega Consumer History)|publisher=[[Enterbrain]]|date=February 15, 2002|pages=22–25|language=ja|isbn=978-4-75770789-4}} | [http://shmuplations.com/segahistory/ Translation] by Shmuplations, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814114513/http://shmuplations.com/segahistory/|date=August 14, 2020}} }}</ref>

To improve upon the design of its competition, Sega modeled the Game Gear with a similar shape to a [[Sega Genesis#Peripherals|Genesis controller]], intending the curved surfaces and greater length to be more comfortable to hold than the Game Boy.<ref name="RG2" /> The console's mass was carefully considered from the beginning of the development, aiming for a total mass between that of the Game Boy and the [[Atari Lynx]], another full-color screen competing product.<ref name=":0" /> Game Gear can use the Master Gear adaptor to play games from the similar Master System.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 1995|title=Gear Up Master System Games|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/0/07/GamePro_US_068.pdf|magazine=[[GamePro]]|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|issue=68|page=136|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113193151/https://retrocdn.net/images/0/07/GamePro_US_068.pdf|archive-date=January 13, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> The original Game Gear pack-in game was ''[[Columns (video game)|Columns]]'', which is similar to ''[[Tetris (Game Boy)|Tetris]]'' which was bundled with the Game Boy at launch.<ref name="allgame" />

[[File:Sega GameGear 003.jpg|thumb|Game Gear displaying the [[Sega]] trademark in color]]
With a late start into the handheld console market, Sega rushed to get the Game Gear into stores quickly,<ref name="book">{{cite book|title=Innovation and Marketing in the Video Game Industry: Avoiding the Performance Trap|last1=Wesley|first1=David|last2=Barczak|first2=Gloria|publisher=Gower Publishing, Ltd.|year=2010|isbn=978-0-5660-9167-4}}</ref> having lagged behind Nintendo in sales without a handheld on the market.<ref name="RG2" /> To simplify development, Sega based the Game Gear hardware on the Master System, with a much larger 4,096 color [[Palette (computing)|palette]] compared to the Master System's 64 colors.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> Part of the intention was easy conversion of Master System games. The Game Gear's stronger hardware impacted its battery life, running for three to five hours on six AA batteries, falling short of the Game Boy, which could run for more than 30 hours on four [[AA batteries]].<ref name="RG2" /> Its quick launch in Japan sold 40,000 units in its first two days, 90,000 within a month, and more than 600,000 back orders. According to Sega of America marketing director Robert Botch, "there is clearly a need for a quality portable system that provides features other systems have failed to deliver. This means easy-to-view, full-color graphics and exciting quality games that appeal to all ages."<ref name="RetroGamer" />

===Release and marketing===
Before the Game Gear's launch in 1990, the [[16-bit]] [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] had been successfully marketed as a "more mature" option for players, and this was repeated against the Game Boy. Sega's marketing in Japan did not take this approach, instead opting for advertisements with Japanese women featuring the handheld, but Sega's worldwide advertising prominently positioned the Game Gear as the "[[Cool (aesthetic)|cooler]]" console than the Game Boy.<ref name="RG2" />

In North America, marketing for the Game Gear included side-by-side comparisons against the Game Boy which likened Game Boy players to the [[Obesity|obese]] and uneducated. Most of these advertisements feature the "Sega Scream" with a person yelling the name. One Sega advertisement in early 1994 features the quote, "If you were [[color blind]] and had an [[Intelligence quotient|IQ]] of less than 12, then you wouldn't mind which portable you had."<ref name="RG2" /> Such advertising drew criticism from Nintendo, who sought to have protests organized against Sega for insulting [[Disability|disabled people]]. Sega of America president [[Tom Kalinske]] responded that Nintendo "should spend more time improving their products and marketing rather than working on behind-the-scenes coercive activities". Ultimately, this debate would have little impact on sales for the Game Gear.<ref name="book" />

Europe and Australia were the last regions to receive the Game Gear. Due to delays, some importers paid up to £200 per system. Upon launch in Europe, video game distributor [[Virgin Interactive|Virgin Mastertronic]] unveiled the price as £99.99, positioning it as being more expensive than the Game Boy, but less expensive than the also full-color Atari Lynx.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> Marketing in the [[United Kingdom]] included the slogan, "To be this good takes Sega", and advertisements with a [[Motorcycling|biker]].<ref name="RG2" /> In the United Kingdom, the Game Gear had a 16% share of the handheld market in January 1992, increasing to 40% by December 1992.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Geared For Success |magazine=[[Sega Force]] |date=March 4, 1993 |issue=16 (April 1993) |page=17 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/SegaForce_UK_16.pdf#page=17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329203427/https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/SegaForce_UK_16.pdf |archive-date=March 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Decline===
Sega reduced support for the Game Gear in favor of [[home console]]s. The successful Genesis yielded two major peripherals, the [[Sega CD]] and the [[32X]]. The 32-bit [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] console was launched in 1994.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> Though selling 10.62 million units by March 1996 (including 1.78 million in Japan),<ref name="Sega Stats">{{cite magazine|url=https://imgur.com/hXXa6DE|title=Weekly Famitsu Express|magazine=[[Famitsu]]|volume=11|issue=392|date=June 21, 1996|access-date=August 2, 2019}} See lines 8 and 20 for units sold in Japan and other regions, respectively.</ref> the Game Gear was never able to match the success of its main rival, the Game Boy, with ten times the sales.<ref name="IGNGG" /> Sales of the Game Gear were further hurt by Nintendo's release of the smaller [[Game Boy Pocket]], running on two [[AAA battery|AAA batteries]].<ref name="RG2" />

Plans for a [[16-bit]] [[History of video game consoles (fifth generation)|fifth generation]] direct successor to the Game Gear were canceled, leaving only the [[Genesis Nomad]], a portable version of the Genesis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/974/974695p7.html|title=IGN Presents The History of SEGA|author=Fahs|first=Travis|date=April 21, 2009|website=[[IGN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623173515/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega?page=7|archive-date=June 23, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> Moreover, the Nomad was intended to supplement the Game Gear rather than replace it; in press coverage leading up to the Nomad's release, Sega representatives said the company was not discontinuing the Game Gear in favor of the Nomad, and that "we believe the two can co-exist".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ramshaw|first=Mark James|date=November 1995|title=Generator|url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-011/page/n31/mode/2up|journal=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|issue=11|page=31}}</ref> Though the Nomad had been released in 1995, Sega did not officially end support for the Game Gear until 1996 in Japan, and 1997 worldwide.<ref name="RG2">{{cite magazine|last=Kapa|first=Damien|year=2005|title=Sega Game Gear|url=https://archive.org/stream/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_017#page/n25/mode/2up| magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|publisher=Live Publishing|issue=17|pages=26–35|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

Though the system was originally discontinued in 1997, [[Video game publisher|third-party publisher]] [[Majesco Entertainment]] released a version of the Game Gear at {{US$|30|2000|round=-1}}, with {{US$|15|long=no}} games in 2000 under license from Sega. New games were released, such as a port of ''[[Super Battletank]]''. This machine is compatible with all previous Game Gear games,<ref name="IGNGG" /> but incompatible with the TV Tuner and some Master System adaptors.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> The system and its re-released games were sold throughout 2000 and 2001 but were discontinued the following year.<ref name="SMS Power! - Game Gear Hardware" /><ref name="GamePro (US)">{{cite book |title=GamePro (US) Issue 152 - May 2001 |date=May 2001 |publisher=GamePro (US) |pages=26 |edition=Issue 152 - May 2001 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/c/cc/GamePro_US_152.pdf |access-date=April 13, 2024 |ref=GamePro (US)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Amazon.com - April 05, 2001 - Archive.org Capture |website=Amazon |url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/409566/funlife |access-date=April 13, 2024 |archive-date=April 5, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010405023936/http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/409566/funlife |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=IGN.com Sonic Advance Article - Dec 2001 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/12/14/sonic-the-hedgehog-advance |website=IGN.com |publisher=IGN |access-date=April 13, 2024}}</ref> Over ten years later, on March 2, 2011, [[Nintendo]] announced that its [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]] [[Virtual Console]] service on the [[Nintendo eShop]] would feature Game Gear games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://3ds.nintendolife.com/news/2011/03/sega_names_first_game_gear_games_for_3ds_virtual_console|title=Sega Names First Game Gear Games for 3DS Virtual Console|author=Newton|first=James|date=March 3, 2011|website=[[Nintendo Life]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623175854/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2011/03/sega_names_first_game_gear_games_for_3ds_virtual_console|archive-date=June 23, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref>

==Technical specifications==
[[File:Sega-Game-Gear-Motherboard-03.jpg|thumb|Game Gear motherboard]]
Much of the Game Gear's internal hardware is derived from the [[Master System]], as the handheld was designed to be compatible with that system's library of games. It shares the same CPU, the [[Zilog Z80]],<ref name="Japanese Manual page 18">{{cite book |date=1990 |publisher=[[Sega Enterprises Ltd.]] |page=18 |language=ja |script-title=ja:ゲームギア 取扱説明書 |trans-title=Game Gear Instruction Manual}}</ref> an [[8-bit processor]] clocked at 3.5{{nbsp}}MHz, and the same sound chip, a [[Texas Instruments SN76489]], a [[programmable sound generator]]. The chip generated [[stereo sound]],  audible using [[headphones]] as the device only included a single [[monaural]] speaker. The system also contains 8{{spaces}}[[kilobyte|KB]] of [[random-access memory|RAM]] and 16{{spaces}}KB of [[video RAM]].

The Game Gear measures {{convert|210|mm|sp=us}} wide, {{convert|113|mm|abbr=on}} high, {{convert|38|mm|abbr=on}} deep,<ref name="Japanese Manual page 18" /> and was designed to be played horizontally.<ref name="IGNGG">{{cite web|url=http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/918/918381p1.html|title=Remember Game Gear?|author=Buchanan|first=Levi|date=October 9, 2008|website=[[IGN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623173244/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/09/remember-game-gear|archive-date=June 23, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=March 29, 2009}}</ref> At the center of the device is a color [[liquid-crystal display]] that measures {{convert|3.2|in}} diagonally and is able to display up to 32 simultaneous colors from a total palette of 4,096,<ref name="allgame">{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=25|title=Sega Game Gear - Overview|author=Beuscher|first=David|publisher=[[AllGame]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114094408/http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=25|archive-date=November 14, 2014|access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> with a [[frame rate]] of about 60{{nbsp}}[[Hertz|Hz]]{{efn| The exact frame rate was 59.922751013551{{nbsp}}Hz<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tasvideos.org/PlatformFramerates.html|title=TASVideos / Platform Framerates|website=tasvideos.org|access-date=March 4, 2020}}</ref>}} with 160{{nbsp}}×{{nbsp}}144 [[Pixel aspect ratio|non-square pixel]]s.<ref name="RetroGamer" /><ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Game.Machines: Consoles, Handhelds, and Home Computers 1972-2005|author=Forster|first=Winnie|publisher=Variant Press|year=2005|isbn=3-0001-5359-4|page=139}}</ref> The screen is backlit for low light using a small [[cold cathode fluorescent lamp]] tube. 

The Game Gear is powered by six [[AA battery|AA batteries]] which provide an approximate [[Battery (electricity)#Battery lifetime|battery life]] of 3 to 5 hours. This was a source of significant criticism from reviewers.<ref name="RG2" /> In response, Sega released two types of external rechargeable battery packs, intended to lengthen play time and reduce consumer cost.<ref name="allgame" /><ref>{{cite magazine|date=April 1994|title=GamePro Labs|pages=104–106|magazine=[[GamePro]]|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|issue=57|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_057_April_1994/page/n89/mode/2up}}</ref> 

[[File:Sega-Game-Gear-wTv-Tuner.jpg|thumb|A Game Gear with TV Tuner]]
Available accessories included a [[Tuner (radio)#Television|TV Tuner]] with a [[whip antenna]] for the cartridge slot, to become a [[handheld television]]. Released at {{GBP|74.99}} (equivalent to {{US$|{{to USD|74.99|GBR|year=1991|r=-1}}}}), the add-on was expensive but unique for collectors and contributed to the system's popularity.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> The Super Wide Gear magnifies the screen. The Car Gear adapter plugs into [[cigarette lighter receptacle|cigarette lighter]]s to power the system while traveling, and the Gear to Gear Cable (VS Cable in Japan) establishes a data connection between two Game Gear systems using the same [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] game.<ref name="allgame" />  Master Gear enables the Game Gear to play Master System games.<ref name="Game Gear Compatibility">{{cite web|title=GameSpot Presents: The History of Video Game Compatibility|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/compat/p3_02.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041031213027/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/compat/p3_02.html|archive-date=October 31, 2004|access-date=August 6, 2008|website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref>

Game Gear model variations include several colors, including a blue "sports" variation in North America bundled with ''[[World Series Baseball '95]]'' or ''[[The Lion King (video game)|The Lion King]]''.<ref name="RetroGamer" /> A white version was bundled with a TV tuner. Other versions include a red [[Coca-Cola]] theme bundled with ''[[Coca-Cola Kid (video game)|Coca-Cola Kid]]'', and the Kids Gear Japan-only variation for children.<ref name="encyclopedia" />

==Game library==
{{Main|List of Game Gear games}}
[[File:Sonic the Hedgehog Game Gear.gif|right|thumb|The title screen of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' (1991) for Game Gear]]
[[File:Game gear cartridge.jpg|thumb|134x134px|A standard Game Gear cartridge]]
Over 300 total Game Gear games were released,<ref name="encyclopedia" /> with six titles available at [[Launch game|launch]]. Prices for [[ROM cartridge|game cartridges]] initially ranged from $24.99 to $29.99 in the United States. The casings are molded black plastic with a rounded front to aid in removal.<ref name="allgame" /> Games include ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', ''[[The GG Shinobi]]'', ''[[Space Harrier]]'',<ref name="IGNGG" /> and ''[[Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse]]'', which was considered the best game for the system by ''[[GamesRadar+]]''.<ref name="GamesRadar" /> Later games included entries in franchises that had originated on the successful 16-bit Genesis.<ref name="encyclopedia" /> Much of the Game Gear's library consists of Master System ports. Because of the landscape orientation of the Game Gear's screen and the similarities to Master System hardware, it was easy for developers to port Master System games to the Game Gear.<ref name="RetroGamer" />

Because of Nintendo's control over the console video game market, few [[video game developer|third-party developers]] were available to create games for Sega's systems. This contributed to the many ports from Master System. Likewise, because of this, much of the Game Gear library is unique among handhelds, pulling sales away from the Atari Lynx and [[NEC]] [[TurboExpress]] and helping to establish the Game Gear's market position.<ref name="RetroGamer" /><ref name="book" /> However, the [[List of Game Boy games|Game Boy's library]] includes over 1000 individual games.<ref name="RG2" /> Several Game Gear games were released years later on the [[Nintendo 3DS]]'s [[Virtual Console]] service on the [[Nintendo eShop]].<ref name="3DSVC-NL">{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/03/game_gear_hits_north_american_eshop_on_15th_march |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222125618/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/03/game_gear_hits_north_american_eshop_on_15th_march |title=Game Gear Hits North American eShop on 15th March |first=Thomas |last=Whitehead |work=[[Nintendo Life]] |publisher=Gamer Network |date=March 6, 2012 |access-date=December 11, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref name="3DSVC-IGN-2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/17/3ds-eshop-zelda-sale-and-tons-of-gamegear-games |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224112808/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/17/3ds-eshop-zelda-sale-and-tons-of-gamegear-games |title=3DS eShop: ''Zelda'' Sale and Tons of GameGear Games |first=Audrey |last=Drake |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=May 17, 2013 |access-date=December 11, 2015 |archive-date=December 24, 2015 |url-status=live  }}</ref> The [[video game console emulator|emulator]] for the Virtual Console releases was handled by [[M2 (game developer)|M2]].<ref name="3DSVC emulator">{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/03/14/game-gear-emulation-outclasses-the-other-3ds-virtual-console-gam/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222080311/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/14/game-gear-emulation-outclasses-the-other-3ds-virtual-console-gam/ |title=Game Gear emulation outclasses the other 3DS Virtual Console games |first=JC |last=Fletcher |work=[[Engaget]] |publisher=[[AOL]] |date=March 14, 2012 |access-date=December 11, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

==Game Gear Micro==
On June 3, 2020, as part of the company's 60th anniversary, Sega revealed the {{Nihongo foot|Game Gear Micro|ゲームギアミクロ|Gēmu gia mikuro|group=lower-alpha}} retroconsole. The Micro was released in Japan on October 6, 2020, through Japanese storefronts in four different versions, varying in color and the game selection, with each containing four separate Game Gear games. Each unit otherwise is the same size, measuring {{convert|80|x|43|x|20|mm|in|abbr=on}} with a {{convert|29|mm|in|abbr=on}} display, and is powered by 2 [[AAA battery|AAA batteries]] or through a separate USB charger. Each unit also includes a headphone jack. A magnifying accessory modeled after the original system's Big Window accessory was included with preorders.<ref>{{cite web|last=Plunkett|first=Luke|date=June 2, 2020|title=Sega Is Releasing A Game Gear Micro|url=https://kotaku.com/sega-is-releasing-a-game-gear-micro-1843869286|access-date=June 2, 2020|work=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Byford|first=Sam|date=June 3, 2020|title=Sega's Game Gear Micro is four $50 consoles with four games each|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/3/21278895/sega-game-gear-micro-games-list-price-magnifying-glass|access-date=June 3, 2020|work=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> A special version of the device (published by [[M2 (game developer)|M2]] and licensed by Sega) was being shipped with a limited edition of ''Aleste Collection'' in December 2020. This version includes a newly developed Game Gear title ''[[GG Aleste 3|G.G. Aleste 3]]'' as well as four other ''Aleste'' titles.<ref>{{cite web|last=Romano|first=Sal|date=September 16, 2020|title=Aleste Collection announced for PS4, Switch|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2020/09/aleste-collection-announced-for-ps4-switch|access-date=September 20, 2020|work=Gematsu}}</ref>

==Reception==
Game Gear surpassed the Atari Lynx and NEC TurboExpress, but lagged far behind the Game Boy in the handheld marketplace. Retrospective reception to the Game Gear is mixed. In 2008, ''[[GamePro]]'' listed the Game Gear as 10th on its list of the "10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time" and criticized aspects of the implementation of its technology, but also stated that the Game Gear could be considered a commercial success at nearly 11 million units sold. According to ''GamePro'' reviewer Blake Snow, "Unlike the Game Boy, the Game Gear rocked the landscape holding position, making it less cramped for human beings with two hands to hold. And even though the Game Gear could be considered a success, its bulky frame, relative high price, constant consumption of AA batteries, and a lack of appealing games ultimately kept Sega from releasing a true successor."<ref name="gamepro">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/125748/the-10-worst-selling-handhelds-of-all-time/ |title=The 10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time |access-date=January 17, 2008 |first=Blake |last=Snow |publisher=[[GamePro]].com |date=July 30, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918035922/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/125748/the-10-worst-selling-handhelds-of-all-time/ |archive-date=September 18, 2008}}</ref> In speaking with ''[[Famitsu|Famitsu DC]]'' for its November 1998 issue, Sato stated that the Game Gear achieved "a respectable chunk of market share" since overall "about 14 million systems" were sold, but that "Nintendo's Game Boy was such a runaway success, and had gobbled up so much of the market, that our success was still seen as a failure, which I think is a shame."<ref name=":0" />

''GamesRadar+'' offered some praise for the system and its library, stating: "With its 8-bit processor and bright color screen, it was basically the Sega Master System in your hands. How many batteries did we suck dry playing Sonic, Madden and Road Rash on the bus or in the car, or in the dark when we were supposed to be sleeping? You couldn't do that on a Game Boy!"<ref name="GamesRadar">{{cite web|author=GamesRadar Staff|title=Best Sega Game Gear games of All Time|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/best-game-gear-games-all-time|date=June 23, 2012|access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> By contrast, ''[[IGN]]'' reviewer Levi Buchanan opined that the Game Gear's biggest fault was its game library when compared to the Game Boy, stating: "the software was completely lacking compared to its chief rival, which was bathed in quality games. It didn't matter that the Game Gear was more powerful. The color screen did not reverse any fortunes. Content and innovation beat out technology, a formula that Nintendo is using right now with the continued ascendance of the [[Nintendo DS|DS]] and [[Wii]]." Buchanan praised some of the library: "Some of those Master System tweaks were very good games, and fun is resilient against time."<ref name="IGNGG" /> ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' praised Sega's accomplishment in surviving against the competition of Nintendo in the handheld console market with the Game Gear, noting that "for all the handhelds that have gone up against the might of Nintendo and ultimately lost out, Sega's Game Gear managed to last the longest, only outdone in sales by the [[PlayStation Portable|Sony PSP]]. For its fans, it will remain a piece of classic gaming hardware whose legacy lives on forever."<ref name="RetroGamer" />

==See also==
{{Portal|Japan|Video games|1990s}}
*[[Watara Supervision]]
*[[Gamate]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons and category|Game Gear}}
*[https://60th.sega.com/ggmicro/ Game Gear Micro official website] (Japanese)
{{Sega hardware}}
{{Fourth generation game consoles}}
{{Handheld game consoles}}

[[Category:Game Gear| ]]
[[Category:Fourth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1990]]
[[Category:Regionless game consoles]]
[[Category:Discontinued handheld game consoles]]