Handheld question (Game Gear specifically)

[scooterb23]

After watching the Memorial Golf Tournament, I decided to pull out my Game Gear, and play a round of golf. My favorite golf game on this system is Ernie Els Golf. Fitting since he won today :) After playing for a while, I had a thought. I'd never seen this game before I bought mine, and I've never seen it since.

So I came online to the rarity guide, and found that it hadn't been released in the US.

:hmm: I know imports pop up from time to time, but I'd never seen an imported Game Gear game in the central Ohio area before. My next thought was...if this is imported...how does it play on my Game Gear??

Sorry I drew out the exposition so long...but here are my questions.

1. I guess I am to assume the Game Gear has no region lockout. Are all handheld systems the same way? Any worries (beyond obvious language issues w/ Japanese games) about playing these games on my system?

2. Any idea on approx. rarity / value of the Ernie Els golf game? I assume it's a European release since it was made by Codemasters...

3. Why the heck is the cart so big? It's got to be a full quarter inch taller than any of the other Game Gear games I have seen.

I guess that's it for now. Thanks for all your help!!

[halbert]

I can only answer #1 -- I do not know of any handheld system with a regional lockout. This includes all Gameboy systems, GameGear, and NGPC. As for some more obscure handhelds, I doubt it, but am not sure.

Hope this helped a bit!

[anagrama]

1) Yup, no lockout. Any region game will run on any Gamegear.

2) Yeah, it's a Euro game. Not desperately common over here, but not in great demand either. Off the top of my head I'd say it's around R4, and worth maybe $15 complete.

3) All Codemasters games are on the slightly larger carts. Codemasters manufactured their own carts, and their Master System & Megadrive games are also differently-shaped.

[scooterb23]

Thanks much for the info :) Now to search for a few of the other games I have some interest in :)

[goatdan]

For some reason, import Game Gear games don't seem to be in demand at all stateside. I got my hands on a bunch of some rather good soccer title for the GameGear a few years ago that was semi-rare, and I couldn't even give them away.

[scooterb23]

Well, if you're just giving them away ;)

Maybe that'll be my angle on the GG...import games :)

I wouldn't mind getting that Asterix game...my sister's a fan :)

[Daria]

I too realized my gamegear (and all handhelds for that mater) could play imports when I picked up a strange japanese fighter, used, from target like 10 years ago.

Turned out to be Yu Yu Hakosho II, which I didn't realize until after getting the internet.

[Dave Reinquest]

I play Tec Toy's Street Fighter II' for SMS on my Gamegear alot. It's nice the SMS Model I I own runs it perfectly as well with no tricks like the reset one in the FAQs. SMS-based hardware is all regionless...I think there's a list of PAL games that won't play on an American system and NTSC games that won't play on a European one...both VERY short lists.