Gimmick! is a platformer developed and published by Sunsoft, released on the Famicom in Japan on 31 January 1992. Tomomi Sakai directed, designed and programmed it, and Masashi Kageyama composed the music. The cartridge used the Sunsoft 5B chip, which added three sound channels.
The player controls Yumetaro, a small green creature who creates stars that defeat enemies and double as platforms. A North American release was planned and even reviewed by Electronic Gaming Monthly in July 1992, but it was cancelled because managers found the characters too strange next to Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons. The only Western release was Mr. Gimmick, imported into Scandinavia in small quantities by Bergsala AB on 19 May 1993.
The enhanced Gimmick! Special Edition came out on 6 July 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP | ギミック!Gimikku!Famicom; cartridge with the Sunsoft 5B sound chip | NES | Jan 31, 1992 | Sunsoft | 2 |
| EU | Mr. GimmickScandinavia only, imported in small quantities | NES | May 19, 1993 | Bergsala AB | 1 |
| JP | Sunsoft Memorial Collection Vol. 6Compilation with Super Spy Hunter; made available on the Japanese PlayStation Network on 22 December 2010 | PlayStation | 2002 | Sunsoft | 1 |
| JP | ギミック!Gimikku!Project EGG | Windows | Jun 8, 2010 | — | 2 |
| JP | ギミック!EXACT☆MIXexA-Arcadia remake; Japanese Wikipedia gives 28 December 2020, English Wikipedia 31 December 2020 | Arcade | December 2020 | — | 2 |
| WW | Gimmick! Special EditionEnhanced port by City Connection and Empty Clip Studios; also PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One; Bitwave Games published it outside Japan | Switch | Jul 6, 2023 | — | 1 |
Also known as: ギミック! JP2Mr. Gimmick EU1Gimmick! Special Edition WW1ギミック!EXACT☆MIX JP2
Box art by region
EU Mr. Gimmick 
JP ギミック!
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
-
AudioFamicom (JP)NES (EU) Mr. Gimmick
The Famicom cartridge has the Sunsoft 5B chip with a Yamaha YM2149 sound generator for three extra channels; the European NES version lacks it, so its music was rearranged for the console's five standard channels.1
-
DifficultyNES (EU) Mr. Gimmick
Mr. Gimmick gives the player eight lives instead of four.1
-
GraphicsNES (EU) Mr. Gimmick
The European cartridge was made for PAL and shows graphical glitches on NTSC consoles.1
Where to play legally today
-
Steam Purchase
Gimmick! Special Edition
Enhanced port with rewind, time attack and online leaderboards
Checked: 2026-10-133store.steampowered.com
Best version
Gimmick! Special Edition (2023) is the easiest legal way to play it today, and adds a rewind feature, a time attack mode and online leaderboards.3
Reception
Reviews at release were mixed (Famitsu 26 out of 40; Electronic Gaming Monthly 5, 8, 5 and 4 out of 10), though Nintendo Magazine System gave it 91/100. Later opinion is more positive: GameSpot called it an underrated platformer and IGN placed it in its top ten NES games. The original Japanese cartridge is now a collector's item.1
In lists
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
Spotted a mistake? Write to atlas@old-games.net.