Zool : Ninja of the “Nth” Dimension

Zool: Ninja of the “Nth” Dimension for Sega Game Gear is a single-player action platformer from Gremlin Graphics, released in 1994. It brings Gremlin’s colourful mascot character to Sega’s handheld in a compact version of the game first created for home computers. Zool is an other-dimensional ninja undertaking a demanding test of his abilities, moving through a succession of strange, brightly themed worlds while fighting hostile creatures and searching for a route onward. Gremlin Graphics developed the Game Gear edition; the game was published by Gremlin in Europe, GameTek in North America, and Infocom in Japan, where it was known as Zool no Yume Bōken.

The central challenge is fast 2D platforming. Players guide Zool across side-view stages, judging jumps over gaps and hazards, finding safe paths through enemy-filled layouts, and attacking when danger closes in. The Game Gear’s directional pad and buttons keep the focus on running, jumping, and firing, while stages reward awareness of the terrain rather than simply moving from left to right. Progress comes from clearing the game’s themed areas and their individual levels, with the handheld release containing 20 levels in total.

Zool’s Game Gear moveset gives this port a character of its own. In addition to the standard platforming actions, he can climb up and down walls, opening routes and escapes that are important to navigating the scaled-down handheld stages. That ability distinguishes this version from several other releases of the original game. The smaller display and portable hardware naturally reshape the presentation, but the game retains the quick movement, cartoon-like visual style, and varied obstacle courses associated with Zool.

Power-ups add further options during a run. Health-restoring hearts help Zool survive damage, while shields offer temporary protection. Other items improve his jumping ability or provide more direct help against enemies, including smart-bomb-style attacks. One especially unusual pickup creates a second Zool that repeats the player’s actions shortly afterward, allowing the duplicate to contribute another stream of attacks. These items make exploration worthwhile and can change how a difficult stretch is approached.

The Game Gear release belongs to the first Zool game rather than its 1993 sequel, Zool 2. The character was created during the early-1990s wave of fast mascot platformers, and Gremlin promoted the original heavily as a response to the popularity of games such as Sonic the Hedgehog. Zool had begun on the Amiga in 1992 before reaching many other systems, including the Game Gear. Its surreal food, toy, and music-inspired settings preserve the playful, busy identity of that larger cross-platform release.

For Game Gear players, Zool: Ninja of the “Nth” Dimension offers a portable take on Gremlin’s ambitious platforming mascot. Its combination of quick traversal, wall climbing, enemy encounters, collectible aids, and closely packed stages makes each area a test of timing and observation. The Game Gear port remains notable within the Zool catalogue for adapting the original adventure to a handheld while giving its hero a version-specific climbing skill.