Sunsoft's absolute masterpiece on NES. Mr. Gimmick throws stars with staggeringly precise physics. Incredible visuals and music. One of the greatest 8-bit games ever created.
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Platformer1 player7+
Description
Exceptional action platformer in which Yumetaro battles bosses across levels with unique physics. Published by Sunsoft, released in Japan in 1992. Yumetaro throwing a bouncing star to attack, smooth and precise movement physics, creative bosses and remarkable visuals and music by Masashi Kageyama. An absolute technical NES masterpiece, almost unknown outside Japan.
Gimmick! review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Sunsoft pushes the machine to a level of finish rarely reached: sky gradients, multi-plane scenery, rounded sprites with soft outlines, light effects on water. The small green creature and its thrown star are animated with extreme care, and every world adopts a complete, coherent chromatic range.
A technical feat signed by Masashi Kageyama, the soundtrack exploits an expansion chip that multiplies the NES's sonic capabilities. From the cheerful "Good Morning" to the most inventive themes, each track reaches a mind-boggling richness. This achievement, long confidential, is now celebrated as an absolute peak of the console.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
A late 1992 Sunsoft Famicom release, long cited as the console's technical and musical peak thanks to the Sunsoft 5B audio chip built into the cart. The Japanese print was short, and intact boxed CIB with cardboard sleeve and manual is one of the most coveted Famicom grails. The Nordic PAL release is rarer still. Masashi Kageyama's soundtrack feeds steady demand among informed chiptuners.
An underrated gem
A cult favorite among connoisseurs, this Sunsoft platformer is built on bouncing-ball physics of rare finesse, elevated by one of the most beautiful soundtracks on the NES. Its near-invisible release long kept it the preserve of the initiated. Demanding but rewarding, it's a high point of the genre for persistent players.
Is Gimmick! still worth playing in 2026?
Gimmick! is Sunsoft's absolute NES masterpiece. Mr. Gimmick throws stars with stunningly precise physics, across levels of rare demand but constant fairness. The graphics and music are extraordinary for the console, the title pushes Sunsoft's proprietary sound chip to never-matched heights. One of the greatest 8-bit games ever made, rare and pricey but recently rediscovered via emulation and rereleases. Still an absolute peak to try today.
