RetroGameClub #6 - Gimmick! (NES)

[Sayo]

The concept behind this thread is quite simple, one (or more) game(s) are chosen and you are all invited to play till completion (or at least as far as you can) and we use this thread to discuss the game and anything relating to it.
The deadline for this current thread is that of 10 days, given that Christmas season is over and people might have more time to play videogames, as well as the current game's length.

• A game is chosen (suggestions are encouraged)
• It can be a game for any retro console or computer, if it's something like a modern port or decompilation that's okay too
• Preferably lesser known titles instead of something everyone has already played
• Play the game till completion or at least as far as you can get in the game
• Use any means to play the game, be it emulation or real hardware
• Links will be provided, preferably from RetroGameTalk, if the game is not available here, I can 'curate' it for the site.
• If you are using save states or similar, please be honest and disclose it. It's fine to use any means to clear the game but try giving yourself a challenge first.

For this sixth entry we will be playing what might admittedly be the best game for the NES/Famicom, no other than Gimmick! by Sunsoft.
A late-era NES title that pushes the hardware to its absolute limits, with a gorgeous presentation, tight controls and a magnificent soundtrack, this game might be considered Sunsoft's magnum opus. A game that is simple to understand but a bit harder to master, it will not pose much of a challenge in general as it follows game design patters more closely resembling those of a 16 bit title instead of a classic Famicom game.
Worthy of note is that it originally only ever saw a western release in Sweden, said release lacked the additional audio channels from the Famicom version, because of said reason, the primary version to play for this thread will be the JP release. I will include links to a QoL mod that adds a very simple tweak to the way this game handles landing post-jump, as well as a store link and a link to the regular version.

• Gimmick! QoL Mod can be downloaded from RGT, here: Gimmick! Quality-of-Life Mod (Hack) NES
• Gimmick! can be downloaded from RGT, here: Gimmick! (Europe, Japan) NES
• The game can be bought officially from here: Gimmick! Special Edition

Some links of interest

• Gimmick! EXACT☆MIX, a full blown modern remake, arcade exclusive
• Hardcore Gaming 101 article about Gimmick!
• The Outer Reaches of 8-Bit | Diggin' in the Carts | Red Bull Music (Interview with Masashi Kageyama, Gimmick's composer)

 

[bobobobo2]

i concider this game beat

 

[Sayo]

View attachment 9009
i concider this game beat

Bloody hell, the thread is over

 

[zonque]

Protip: You have to push this cannon down and jump on the cannonball to get the secret in stage 2. I'm really bad at the timing though ^^;
I'm trying to get all the secrets on one credit because i think that's how you get the good ending.

 

[ATenderLad]

I thought that cutlass was an item when he dropped it, killed him and ran straight to my death like I couldn't bear to be without my squishy pirate lover.

I have no idea how to use the items you do pick up, actually, basically refusing to look anything up till I finish it. Got to stage 5, with the secrets from all but the third level so far (no idea where that one is), and getting the stupid star jump right for the fourth secret wore my patience down for the night.

---

The second level is for sure the most interesting thus far, you can go straight to the boss but the extra health forces you to scrounge around what's a relatively non-linear stage. Feels a bit ahead of it's time for an NES game. The hit detection on enemies is a *bit* bullshit though, mainly the ones with weapons. The little round bastards with pitchforks, like bowling balls protesting the local patroon's taxes, are the absolute worst.

 

[Yousef]

This looks so cute. Thanks for another niche game recommendation Sayo!

 

[Darklink]

I played this a few months ago. It's really good, but the first level I'd say is the hardest one until the last or second to last level. Part of that is just that I wasn't used to the physics yet, and also that there's a shocking amount of instant death spots that just don't appear in most later levels.

 

[ATenderLad]

Okay, finished Gimmick! Looked up how to use items afterwards, how did I not accidentally hit up while firing a star at any point? Was a bit tough getting screenshots, I should have mapped a key on the controller to make things smoother.

The terrarium *is* waterproof, right?...Guys?

...but I! Can't! Trace! Time!

Lo! The proto hoonie-goonie crawled from the primordial soup, twitching, but aware.

There was a secret here, once. It's gone now.

That twerp in his laser gondola was a joke; wait what's he got back there?

METAL GEAR?! (Metal Gimmick?)

Y'all, it's a platformer. Of course there's an ice level.

The Soap Wizard locks in moisture, for a refreshing hex that's fragrance-free, non-irritating.
​

I kinda liked it, apparently the bomb factory secret requires you fall down a hole that *isn't* actually instant death, so I didn't find it and missed whatever the real ending is. Maybe I'll play through it again later and collect them all.

 

[Overlight]

Let me join in, this gave me good old memories from an old forum where they used to do the same!

 

[raveci]

(i'll just leave this here cause if i put it on my profile it's gonna disappear again)

how normal people log in

how i log in

 

[χKai]

Oh yeah, Gimmick is a banger for sure.
It's like if Kirby had any sort of  difficulty.

 

[Sayo]

Gimmick! is an outstanding game not only with regards to the NES/FC but with regards to the platforming genre as a whole. To say that this is an impressive game for its time would be an understatement. It's so carefully crafted that its almost unbelievable that it runs on such primitive hardware, not only does it put most other NES titles to shame, but it also surpasses most if not all of its contemporary games on far more powerful hardware.
From the finely tuned phsyics, subtle screen transitions that solely exist to add eye candy, to the seemingly intelligent enemies that react accordingly to your actions, this is a game that has to be played to be believed. For example when you tip oveer the spiky turtle enemies and stand on their stomach, your character will be slowly slid off their bottom by their legs, enemies will react accordingly to your movements, dodging, charging and patiently waiting for you to make a move. It almost feels alive.
The soundtrack is Sunsoft at its best, this is pretty much where the internal studio of Sunsoft peaked and sadly it didn't last much longer after this, but you can really tell their expansion chips are hard at work here and they shine oh so bright.
I do have my grievances with the difficulty and seeming lack of checkpoints, in spite of being a short game with small stages, they are very difficult and you will get your ass handed more than once, I do feel that the boss battles are the most difficult part of the game, despite having simple attack patterns, they are just as intelligent as the regular enemies are and you'll end up in a pinch quite often.
Don't get me started on the graphics, they are fantastic, colorful, detailed and highly animated for their time, it sort of feels like a prototypal project for the Kirby formula in a sense. Huge fan of the palette used on each stage.
Do I think this is the best platformer on the NES? No, out of personal preference I think there's better games, do I think this is a technical and audiovisual achievement? Certainly.