  Gimmick! - 1992 Sunsoft |
| Gimmick! - 1992 Sunsoft |
      |
Gimmick is everything a NES
platformer should be -- colorful and creative, with great control and
variety of diverse levels to bounce through. The music is
absolutely incredible for a NES release thanks to its built-in custom
sound chip, and everything about this game is polished to a
shine. Unfortunately, you've probably never had the chance to
play it! Gimmick was released in Japan and in some parts of
Europe only, and it's fairly rare even in those places. If you're
lucky enough to come across a copy, though, you're in for a treat. The story behind the game is a simple but cute one, illustrated for you at the beginning of the game. A little girl is having a birthday party, where she's given a new stuffed animal by the name of Gimmick! She's so enchanted by Gimmick that she plays only with him, leaving her other plushie pals neglected in a cardboard box in the corner of her room. Once she goes to bed, the ignored toys take action, kidnapping the girl and whisking her away to another land. Gimmick wakes up and give chase, jumping through a magical portal to save her. And that's where the game begins! You control Gimmick, and have the ability to jump around and on top of certain enemies. However, your main attack comes in the form of a star you can summon. Hold down the B button for a while, and tiny stars swirl around you, eventually forming a larger star you can bounce at your enemies. The emphasis here is on bouncing... the higher up you are when you toss the star, the higher and further it will go! If you're really quick, you can even bounce the star off of a wall and then hop onto the star itself, giving you a quick way of moving around and sometimes making it into a secret area or two. In fact, one of the best things about this game is that it has a wide variety of enemies for you to encounter. There are all types of animals and monsters trying to stop you, and some of them even have different variations. For example, you'll find yourself chased by black fuzzballs at first in the beginning levels, but later on they'll come after you with electrodes, bows and arrows, or even tribal war gear! You never know what you'll run into next, and each level has its own set of adversaries for you to battle. This really helps to keep the game fresh and fun as you go along. All of this is tied together by Gimmick's sumptuously animated characters and backgrounds. Everything is detailed and colorful, and the music is superb as well. Sunsoft has a reputation for creating some of the best NES tunes around, and this game is definitely no exception. The bass is particularly of note, and it's my opinion that this game has one of the best soundtracks of any NES game released. I think that everyone should try this game at least once... chances are high that it'll captivate you immediately, especially if you enjoy games with bright and happy graphics!  |
| Rating: Graphics:  - The graphics are absolutely top
notch,
without exception.Sound: - The music in Gimmick is some of the best ever
produced for the NES! The sound effects are great as well.Control: - About the only fault I could find is that it can sometimes be
difficult to aim your stars just right. With experience it
becomes easier, however.Difficulty: - Gimmick starts out easy, and gets
progressively tougher as you go on. It's an easy game to get
into, and if it's not difficult enough for your tastes
you can always track down the difficult-to-obtain hidden items!Fun: -
This game receives
my highest recommendation. It's a perfect addition to anyone's
collection! |
| Extras: Level 1 music - Here's the music from the first level of the game, sampled from the Japanese version of Gimmick. |
