Gimmick!

Gimmick!
Japanese Family Computer box art
Developer(s)	Sunsoft
Publisher(s)	Sunsoft
Distributor(s)	SCN: Bergsala
Director(s)	Tomomi Sakai
Composer(s)	Masashi Kageyama
Platform(s)	NES, PlayStation
Release	NES JP: 31 January 1992 SCN: 19 May 1993 PlayStation JP: 21 November 2002
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single-player

Gimmick!, known outside Japan as Mr. Gimmick, is a platform video game developed and published by Sunsoft, and originally released in Japan for the Family Computer on 31 January 1992. The story follows a small green character named Yumetaro who was given to a young girl as a birthday present. One night, the girl's other toys become jealous of the attention he is receiving, and whisk the girl away to another dimension. Playing as Yumetaro, the player must maneuver through a variety of levels, using the protagonist's star-shooting power to defeat enemies and progress through the game.

In order for Gimmick! to surpass the quality of games on the new Super NES, director Tomomi Sakai required a large staff and used innovative techniques to create high quality graphics and sound. The graphics were handled using advanced tileset algorithms which freed processing power so more detailed graphics could be drawn on the screen. The game uses an expanded sound chip which provided more sound channels than a standard Famicom game. With this special chip, composer Masashi Kageyama was able to create a more advanced score. The soundtrack crosses multiple genres, with Kageyama describing it as a "compilation of game music".

Gimmick! received mixed reviews and a lack of interest at release. Distributors were more interested in games for the new 16-bit systems, so Sakai found difficulty in getting the game localized outside Japan. Sunsoft of America did not approve of the game for a North American release due to its quirky character design. Ultimately, the only distributor that imported the game was Swedish distributor Bergsala, which released it in 1993 in small quantities across the Scandinavian market. Critics both praised and criticized the game for its challenging difficulty, and some thought the game was designed exclusively for children due to its character design. In retrospective reviews, Gimmick! has received more praise, even seeing a re-release in Japan in 2002 for the PlayStation.

Gimmick! is a platform game that places the player in control of a small green blob named Yumetaro. The story begins during an unnamed young girl's birthday. Her father is normally busy with work but he is able to spend time with his family for the special occasion. Earlier, he had went to the store to purchase a new toy for his daughter. Yumetaro had been wandering the toy store and became confused when the father came in. He hid with stuffed toys that looked like him, but was picked up by the girl's father. When the girl opens the Yumetaro gift, she is delighted. Yumetaro becomes the girl's favorite, and so her other toys no longer feel loved. One night, the toys come alive and take the girl to another dimension. The only one left is Yumetaro, who follows the toys in search of the girl.