Phantom 2040

Phantom 2040 is an action-adventure platformer published by Viacom New Media in 1995 for multiple platforms, including the Game Gear. Based on the animated series, you control Kit Walker, the 24th Phantom, a vigilante operating in the megacity of Metropia. Your quest is to stop the evil Rebecca Madison from controlling the world. Gameplay is a side-scrolling action-adventure with strong exploration elements, often compared to Metroid and Castlevania. Players use weapons like a smart gun and inductance rope, and can even use two weapons simultaneously. The game features a non-linear structure where choices affect the path, leading to over 20 different endings.

Game Gear

Developed by Unexpected Development, this portable version was released in North America in June 1995 and Europe in October. It attempts to bring the complex, exploration-heavy gameplay to the handheld. However, reception was mixed. While gameplay was praised for having "slick moves," the audio and graphics were criticized for paling in comparison to console versions, with muted colors making it easy to lose track of the Phantom against backgrounds. The game uses a password system to save progress. Despite visual and audio downgrades, the Game Gear version retains the core non-linear design, offering a deep and challenging adventure for players on the go.