Gimmick! Special Edition

Yeah it's really good - gonna take me a while to get better at it but it runs fine and is a pleasure to play. the music is fantastic as well

While the emulation can have it's issues. Mostly w inputs. ( I think turning off V-sync helps) It's still one of the best if not THE best NES game you can play. I love this game to bits.

Este es un juego que pude perfectamente haberme ahorrado ya que en el campo del Homebrew un tal Wave creó un parche para traducir tanto la versión Japonesa como Escandinava de Gimmick! al español, PERO como soy fan de Sunsoft y la apoyo con toda violencia, no pude evitar hacerme también con esta versión que incluye los escanneos originales tanto de las cajas como los cartuchos y los manuales, modo galería, sound test, logros, rebobinar, contrareloj, clasificacion online... tenía que comprarlo sí o sí aunque viniera en perfecto inglés.

BEST OST EVER !

Gimmick! Special Edition is a lovingly restored and finely tuned revival of one of the most overlooked gems of the 8-bit era. Originally developed by Sunsoft and released in 1992 for the NES and Famicom, the game has been reintroduced to modern audiences through the efforts of CITY CONNECTION and publisher Clear River Games. What makes this release significant is not just that it revives a rare and technically impressive classic, but that it does so with a clear understanding of what made the original so distinctive. Gimmick! Special Edition preserves the challenge, artistry, and unique physics that set it apart, while adding thoughtful modern conveniences that make it accessible without compromising its integrity. It’s both a celebration of a cult classic and a lesson in how to respectfully modernize retro games for a new generation. At its core, Gimmick! remains a deceptively simple platformer. You play as Yumetaro, a small green creature armed with the ability to summon a bouncing star—a power that doubles as both a weapon and a tool for traversal. The entire game revolves around mastering this one mechanic. The star moves with physics that feel surprisingly dynamic even by today’s standards—it ricochets, slides, and rebounds off surfaces in ways that can be both useful and unpredictable. You can use it to defeat enemies, break obstacles, or as a makeshift platform to reach higher areas. This single ability gives the game a depth of control that feels organic and rewarding once mastered. The level design complements this perfectly, constantly pushing you to think creatively about how to use the star to navigate each environment. The precision required to chain jumps and ride the star effectively makes the gameplay uniquely demanding, yet also deeply satisfying once the system clicks. The Special Edition adds modern quality-of-life features that make the game more inviting without diluting its challenge. Players can now use rewind and quick-save functions, which allow for experimentation and practice without the frustration of restarting entire sections after failure. For purists, there’s a “Serious Mode” that strips these features away, recreating the raw, punishing experience of the original release. This dual approach makes the game accessible to newcomers while preserving its authenticity for veterans who crave that classic intensity. Additional features such as achievements, leaderboards, and a time attack mode inject new life into the game’s replayability, offering fresh incentives to refine your performance or compete with others. These additions strike a delicate balance—they modernize the experience, but they never intrude upon or overshadow the brilliance of the core design. Visually, Gimmick! Special Edition stays true to the original’s vibrant 8-bit presentation, maintaining the crisp, colorful art style that made it stand out in its era. The game was one of the most technically advanced titles on the Famicom, using custom hardware to produce richer sound and more fluid animation than most of its contemporaries. That sense of craftsmanship remains apparent here—the backgrounds are full of subtle detail, and the sprite animation still has charm and character. The developers have wisely avoided overhauling the visuals or redrawing assets; instead, they’ve focused on high-quality emulation that retains the authenticity of the original pixel art. The audio has also been faithfully reproduced, preserving the exceptional chiptune soundtrack composed by Masashi Kageyama. The music’s complexity, made possible by the game’s expanded sound chip, still stands as one of the high points of 8-bit composition. Every track is both melodic and atmospheric, perfectly complementing the whimsical yet melancholic tone of the world. While Gimmick! is a joy to play, it is also undeniably difficult. The physics-driven mechanics require precise timing, and enemies often punish even slight errors in movement or positioning. This challenge can be daunting, especially for those unaccustomed to the unforgiving design philosophies of early 1990s platformers. The game demands patience and repetition; learning each stage, memorizing patterns, and refining your control of the star is key to success. However, the difficulty is fair—each obstacle feels conquerable through practice and skill rather than luck. When you finally execute a perfect sequence of bounces or discover a hidden route, the sense of accomplishment is immense. This is the kind of game that rewards mastery rather than endurance, making every victory feel earned. The inclusion of the modern assists ensures that frustration never outweighs enjoyment, allowing players to learn and experiment at their own pace. From a historical perspective, Gimmick! holds a special place in gaming history as one of the most ambitious and technically advanced NES titles ever made. Its combination of unique physics, challenging design, and outstanding sound pushed the limits of the hardware in ways few games did at the time. Unfortunately, due to its late release and limited distribution outside Japan and Scandinavia, it never reached the audience it deserved. This Special Edition serves as both preservation and revelation—a chance for modern players to experience a forgotten classic that feels remarkably fresh even three decades later. The gameplay, though rooted in old-school sensibilities, has aged gracefully because of how mechanically tight and consistent it is. It stands alongside the best platformers of its generation, offering a kind of creative precision that few games since have replicated. While this re-release is an excellent tribute, it’s also modest in scope. Beyond the new modes and accessibility features, there isn’t a wealth of extra content or remixed material. Some fans may have hoped for a more expansive package with developer commentary, concept art, or a deeper retrospective on the original’s legacy. What’s here is a clean, faithful restoration, not an elaborate remaster. Yet that restraint may be to its credit—it keeps the spotlight squarely on what made Gimmick! special in the first place. The new visual filters, replay tools, and assist features all feel additive rather than intrusive. This kind of respectful curation is rare and refreshing, ensuring that the game remains true to its roots while being easy to enjoy on modern platforms. Gimmick! Special Edition succeeds not because it transforms the original, but because it understands exactly what made it brilliant. The tight physics, inventive mechanics, and high skill ceiling remain intact, and the new features make them more approachable than ever. For fans of retro platformers, this is an essential addition—a window into a time when creativity and technical experimentation defined the medium. For newcomers, it’s an opportunity to experience a game that feels both nostalgic and surprisingly modern in its design philosophy. It’s not an easy journey, but it’s one worth taking, and the Special Edition ensures that it’s now accessible to anyone willing to give it a chance. In a market filled with remakes and reimaginings, Gimmick! stands out as a faithful resurrection of a lost classic, proving that great design never goes out of style. Rating: 7/10

A beautifully strange NES gem. Movement and attacks are physics-based, it feels tricky at first, but once you master them, you’ll find one of the most rewarding platformers. [hr][/hr] >>> Check out my curator page [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45851280-Remarkable-Games-with-Soul]Remarkable Games with Soul[/url][/b] for more games like this! <<<