History VideoGame / MrGimmick

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* TheCameo: The otherwise out of place final boss is supposed to resemble Jay from ''VideoGame/JourneyToSilius'', which was also developed by Sunsoft, with his armor from the Japanese version but helmetless like in the overseas version. ''exAct☆Mix'' replaces him with an {{expy}} of Tesse from ''VideoGame/WakuWaku7'', and even gives her a parasol in the first form to make her more recognizable.

''Gimmick!'' is a 1992 Japanese PlatformGame for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Family Computer]] by Creator/{{Sunsoft}}, released in Scandinavia as ''Mr. Gimmick'' the following year. In this game, an ''{{oni}}'' named "Yumetarō" (lit. ''dream'' + a boy's name) finds himself lost in a gift shop, when he spots a father looking to purchase a gift for his daughter's birthday. The ''oni'' hides among a bin of toys, and the father purchases him, unaware that he is actually a mystical ''{{youkai}}''.

When the daughter unwraps her present, she is immediately enamored with the little WaddlingHead, and he quickly becomes her favorite toy. The other toys in her bedroom grow anxious of the newcomer's popularity, and that night they [[LivingToys come to life]] and kidnap the girl, taking her through a portal to a FloatingContinent. Alone, Yumetarō leaps after her to save her.

Yumetarō's main weapon is a bouncing star that he generates above his head. He can [[CraniumRide ride the star]] if he leaps on top of it. He can also carry in his inventory up to three of the following, in any combination: {{fireballs}} that can fly straight, bombs with a reasonable blast radius, and {{Healing Potion}}s.

An [[https://exa.ac/en/games/gimmick-exact-mix/?v=d8e3950b4591 arcade version]] running on the [=exA-Arcadia=] system, titled ''Gimmick! EXACT☆MIX'', was released in 2020. It gives the game a 16-bit makeover with a redone FM synthesis soundtrack by Creator/ManabuNamiki, remixing the original compositions of Masashi Kageyama. It also adds a tutorial, a time attack mode, a "stage edit" mode that rebalances the game's difficulty, and other extra features.

Frank Cifaldi made a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYcf2yUgblc&feature=PlayList&p=7BD0C60A71FFC2FA&index=0&playnext=1 very reverent]] LetsPlay of the entire game as part of his 1UP blog.

* AdaptationExpansion: ''EXACT☆MIX'' upgrades the original game's somewhat limited cutscenes, including the previously AllThereInTheManual point showing the girl's father purchasing Yumetarō.

* AgeLift: Though her characterization remains unchanged from the original version, Yumetarō's owner is given a much older design in ''EXACT☆MIX'', appearing closer to a young adult than a child.

** The manual elaborates on the backstory given in the game's opening cutscene, explaining that Yumetarō is not actually a LivingToy but rather a creature mistaken for one. The game simply starts out with Yumetarō being unwrapped, making it more ambiguous. The Japanese manual also includes the names of the major enemies for the first three stages. The Scandinavian manual gives the name of the protagonist ([[DubNameChange Mr. Gimmick]]) and, uniquely, the name of the girl (Mary).
** The game's hidden Sound Test gives names for all of the tunes except for one, the final boss's first phase theme. On the original soundtrack, it's given the name "Evidence of My Life". Also, some tracks are given the subtitle "Take 2" in-game; a later release of the original demo tracks shows that they had "Take 1" versions that weren't implemented in the game. And while most of the song titles make sense in context, one that sticks out is the theme for the final stage, "Sophia". This may actually be the name of Yumetarō's owner, which isn't otherwise mentioned in the Japanese version.

* BonusLevelOfHeaven: The secret final level, unlocked by collecting all of the bonus items, takes place in a heavenly castle built upon a small floating island. It's a very serene and hazardless level, with peaceful music and cute enemies who don't attack you, as well as [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity plenty of health pickups]]. This leads to the difficult TrueFinalBoss and the game's good ending, where Yumetarō reunites with his owner and they escape together.

* TheCameo: The otherwise out of place final boss is supposed to resemble Jay from ''VideoGame/JourneyToSilius'', which was also developed by Sunsoft, with his armor from the Japanese version but helmetless like in the overseas version. ''EXACT☆MIX'' replaces him with Tesse from ''VideoGame/WakuWaku7'', and even gives her a parasol in the first form to make her more recognizable.

* DamselInDistress: Yumetarō's owner, a little girl, who has been kidnapped by other jealous toys and it's up to him to rescue her.

* EvilOverlooker: In ''EXACT☆MIX'', the title card for each level features its boss and other enemies overlooking the island the game takes place on. After the level is cleared, they're shown defeated as the score tally is made.

* FloatingContinent: Where the whole game takes place at. There are actually two of these: a larger main one where the most of the game takes place, and a smaller one appears after collecting all the secret treasures. A world map of the continent is seen between levels, but due to being a linear arcade game, ''EXACT☆MIX'' reduces the world map to the title card for each level.
* FreezeFrameBonus: In ''EXACT☆MIX'', Yumetarō's owner's underwear can be seen through her pajamas during the brief flashes of light when she is warped away in the opening and back home in the good ending.
* GameOverMan: In ''EXACT☆MIX'', Yumetarō is seen tossed on a pile of pink Yumetarōs on the game over screen, in reference to the opening cutscene.

* GenderFlip: The TrueFinalBoss in ''EXACT☆MIX'' is female rather than male.

* HealingPotion: Yumetarō can carry pink potions that refill health, and twice per stage he will encounter an orange potion that increases his maximum HP (initially two) by one.

** A crow is perched in the crow's nest in the second level, and will take Yumetarō across a gap when ridden. If you went for the secret item, he'll fly you back from there, as well. It also shows up to give Yumetarō a ride during the bad ending.
** A sauropod appears in the fourth stage shooting fireballs at Yumetarō. If it's attacked, though, it'll become friendly and take him across a lake.
* HotterAndSexier: Inexplicably done with Yumetarō's owner in ''EXACT☆MIX''. Not only is she visibly [[AgeLift aged up]], with her design accentuating an adult hourglass figure, but the opening and closing cutscenes also feature a FreezeFrameBonus of her in her underwear as she's being teleported. This is in spite of her maintaining her childlike characterization from the NES original, and makes for a bizarre juxtaposition with the unassuming content of the rest of the game.

* InterfaceSpoiler: ''EXACT☆MIX'' spoils the entire cast of enemies on the title cards for each level, including the two boss characters that are meant to surprise players by how they look out of place in the game's setting.
* LivingToys: Yumetarō is mistaken for one at first. However, the other toys come to life and kidnap their owner out of jealousy for his popularity.
* LoadBearingBoss: In the true ending, defeating the boss causes his fortress to self-destruct. Yumetarō and his owner make it out in the nick of time.
* LongSongShortScene: The NES version's previously-unused song "Strange Memories of Death" is used in ''EXACT☆MIX'' for, fittingly, the "Continue?" screen that appears when losing all your lives. Since it only lasts ten seconds, though, you don't get to hear much of it.

* MultipleEndings: Two of them: the sad ending that plays if all six secret items aren't collected or if a continue is used, and the true ending if Yumetarō defeats the TrueFinalBoss in the secret stage.

** Despite its cutesy looks, the game can be brutally difficult even on the ''second stage''. A good part of the challenge comes from the high learning curve of using Yumetarō's star projectile.

* OneBulletAtATime: One of Yumetarō's more annoying limitations is that he can only have one star on-screen at a time.

* {{Retraux}}: ''EXACT☆MIX'' was released in 2020, but looks as though it could've come out in arcades the same year as the 1992 NES game, with its FM soundtrack and 16-bit sprites.
* SaveThePrincess: In this case, Yumetarō's owner (named Mary in the Scandinavian manual). She can only be rescued by collecting the six secret items and clearing the secret stage.

* SomeDexterityRequired: A basic maneuver that the game requires you to master involves throwing a star at a precise angle so that it lands underneath Yumetarō, so you can jump off of it in mid-air and reach a higher platform. This is necessary to reach the secret items in several stages, including the first.

* SuperDrowningSkills: Yumetarō can drown in water that's barely twice as deep as he is high.
* TemporaryPlatform: These show up on occasion, appearing as falling logs or stone platforms or the like. Using Yumetarō's star allows you to cross these without touching them.
* TrueFinalBoss: A mysterious horned fellow with a cloak, whose first form is strikingly reminiscent of [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Dracula]]. In ''EXACT☆MIX'', she has a top hat, parasol, and poofy dress instead, but attacks much the same. In their second phase, the cloak flies off and their armored true form is revealed, armed with a LaserBlade (in the original) or a jewel-tipped scepter (in ''EXACT☆MIX'').

* WaddlingHead: Yumetarō and most all of his enemies.

* {{Youkai}}: Yumetarō is an ''{{oni}}'' (note the horn), and other creatures throughout the game resemble various ''youkai'' as well; for example, the level 6 boss attacks with what resembles {{Hitodama Light}}s.

* ChainReactionDestruction: The third and fifth bosses get destroyed in that manner.

* GenderFlip: The TrueFinalBoss in ''EXACT☆MIX'' is female rather than male.
* GenreMashup: The game's soundtrack mixes together {{pop}}, acid {{jazz}}, free-form ClassicalMusic, and HardRock. Masashi Kageyama specifically sought to focus on genres outside the scope of typical video game music, which at the time was usually a blend of ProgressiveRock and Music/YellowMagicOrchestra-style SynthPop.

* VideoGameSettings: In order:
** Stage 1: Docks. It has a ToyTime aesthetic and partially takes place in an UnderwaterBase.
** Stage 2: Ship. Primarily GangplankGalleon.
** Stage 3: Woods. Starts out as TheLostWoods, gradually becomes an UndergroundLevel with {{Death Trap}}s abound.
** Stage 4: Desert. ShiftingSandLand with aspects of RuinsForRuinsSake.
** Stage 5: Mine. AbandonedMine with some MinecartMadness and EternalEngine as it goes on.
** Stage 6: Tower. Starts out as SlippySlideyIceWorld, becomes a HauntedCastle with EternalEngine aspects.
** Stage 7: Final. A BigFancyCastle on a FloatingContinent, combining it with BonusLevelOfHeaven.

** A bird is perched near the secret item in the second level, and will take Yumetarō back to the main level when ridden. It also shows up to give Yumetarō a ride during the bad ending.

An [[https://exa.ac/en/games/gimmick-exact-mix/?v=d8e3950b4591 arcade version]] running on the [=exA-Arcadia=] system, titled ''Gimmick! EXACT☆MIX'', was released in 2020. It gives the game a 16-bit makeover with a redone FM synthesis soundtrack by composer Manabu Namiki. It also adds a tutorial, a time attack mode, a "stage edit" mode that rebalances the game's difficulty, and other extra features.

* AgeLift: Yumetarō's owner appears as a young girl in the original game, but looks more like an older teen in ''EXACT☆MIX''; this is mostly noticeable through her relative height to Yumetarō.

* HotterAndSexier: Inexplicably done with Yumetarō's owner in ''EXACT☆MIX''. Not only is she visibly aged up, with her design accentuating an adult hourglass figure, but the opening and closing cutscenes also feature a FreezeFrameBonus of her in her underwear as she's being teleported. This being in spite of her maintaining her childlike characterization from the NES original.

''Gimmick!'' is a 1992 Japanese PlatformGame for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Family Computer]] by Creator/{{Sunsoft}}, released in Scandinavia as ''Mr. Gimmick'' the following year. In this game, a father purchases a green mystic creature (mistaken for a WaddlingHead doll) for his daughter's birthday. The toys in her bedroom grow anxious of the newcomer's popularity, and that night they [[LivingToys come to life]] and kidnap the girl, taking her through a portal to a FloatingContinent. Alone, "Yumetarō" (lit. ''dream'' + a boy's name) leaps after her to save her.

* AllThereInTheManual: The manual elaborates on the backstory given in the game's opening cutscene, explaining that Yumetarō is not actually a LivingToy but rather a creature mistaken for one. The game simply starts out with Yumetarō being unwrapped, making it more ambiguous. The Japanese manual also includes the names of the major enemies for the first three stages. The Scandinavian manual gives the name of the protagonist ([[DubNameChange Mr. Gimmick]]) and, uniquely, the name of the girl (Mary).

* FloatingContinent: Where the whole game takes place at. There are actually two of these: a larger main one where the most of the game takes place, and a smaller one appears after collecting all the secret treasures. A map of the continent is seen between levels, but it's a bit odd because the game is linear and doesn't allow for backtracking, so it's more of a cutscene than an actual map. ''EXACT☆MIX'' reduces the world map to the title card for each level.
* FreezeFrameBonus: In ''EXACT☆MIX'', Yumetarō's owner has her underwear briefly flashed through her pajamas when she is warped away in the opening and back home in the good ending.
* GameOverMan: In ''EXACT☆MIX'', Yumetarō is seen tossed on a pile of pink Yumetarōs in the game over screen.

* FreezeFrameBonus: In ''EXACT☆MIX'', Yumetar&#333's owner has her underwear briefly flashed through her pajamas when she is warped away in the opening and back home in the good ending.

* TheCameo: The otherwise out of place final boss is supposed to resemble Jay from ''VideoGame/JourneyToSilius'', which was also developed by Sunsoft, as depicted in the Japanese version of that game. ''EXACT☆MIX'' replaces him with Tesse from ''VideoGame/WakuWaku7''.

* FloatingContinent: Where the whole game takes place at. There are actually two of these: a larger main one where the most of the game takes place, and a smaller one appears after collecting all the secret treasures.

* WorldMap: There is one between levels, but it's a bit odd because the game is linear and doesn't allow for backtracking, so it's more of a cutscene than an actual map. ''EXACT☆MIX'' reduces the world map to the title card for each level.

* BonusLevelOfHeaven: The secret final level, unlocked by collecting all of the bonus items, takes place in a heavenly castle built upon a small floating island. It's a very serene BreatherLevel, with peaceful music and cute enemies who don't attack you, as well as [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity plenty of health pickups]]. This leads to the difficult TrueFinalBoss and the game's good ending, where Yumetarō reunites with his owner and they escape together.

* CartoonBomb: One of the items you can throw.

* EternalEngine: Stage 6 is a gear-filled castle.

* EvilOverlooker: In ''EXACT☆MIX'', the map screen features the boss for the current level and his minions looking over the island the game takes place in.

* FloatingContinent: Where the whole game takes place at. There are two of these. There's the larger main one where the most of the game takes place. The smaller one appears after collecting all the secret treasures.

* GangplankGalleon: The second stage.

* HelpfulMook: A sauropod appears in the fourth stage shooting fireballs at Yumetarō. If it's attacked, though, it'll become friendly and take him across a lake.

* KaizoTrap:
** There's one in the ''first level''. In an underground section, there's a platform attached to a rope, hanging over a pit of spikes. Jump on the platform and it'll slowly take you to the other side... and open up halfway through, dropping you into the spikes.
** Once you defeat the second boss, he drops his sword onto the ship where it gets stuck. You can still take damage from the sword.

* MinecartMadness: This is one section of the fifth stage.
* MiniBoss: In the second, third, fourth, and sixth stages.

* OneBulletAtATime: One of Yumetarō's more annoying limitations.

* PlotCoupon: You'll never see those secret treasures in use. A FloatingIsland just appears out of nowhere.
* {{Retraux}}: ''EXACT☆MIX'' was released in 2020, but looks as though it could've come out the same year as the NES original, with its FM soundtrack and 16-bit sprites.

* ShiftingSandLand: The fourth stage, at least the first part before you enter the ruins area.
* SlippySlideyIceWorld: The sixth stage, before the castle.
* SomeDexterityRequired: Those times where you have to throw the star so that it ends up underneath you, so you can do a midair jump off it.
* SpiderTank: The fifth main boss.

* StalactiteSpite: Those rocks in the third stage. Good lord.

* TemporaryPlatform: Some of them.

* UniqueEnemy: They show up at the start of the fourth, fifth, and sixth stages.

* AllThereInTheManual: The manual elaborates somewhat on the backstory given in the game's opening cutscene, explaining that Yumetarō is not actually a LivingToy but rather a creature mistaken for one. The game simply starts out with Yumetarō being unwrapped, making it more ambiguous. The Japanese manual also includes the names of the major enemies for the first three stages. The Scandinavian manual gives the name of the protagonist ([[DubNameChange Mr. Gimmick]]) and, uniquely, the name of the girl (Mary).

* CopyProtection: If the intro code is tampered with, the gameplay is replaced with a black screen with the text "BLACK HOLE" shortly into the secret Stage 7, preventing players from reaching the FinalBoss and true ending.

* SequentialBoss: The fifth stage's boss, after being defeated, comes back with a SpiderTank. The TrueFinalBoss also has two forms; a horned figure disguised with a cloak, and a futuristic warrior armed with a LaserBlade.

* TrueFinalBoss: A mysterious fellow with a cloak and a sword, whose first form is strikingly reminiscent of [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Dracula]].

* AllThereInTheManual: The manual elaborates somewhat on the backstory given in the game's opening cutscene, explaining that Yumetarō is not actually a LivingToy but rather a creature mistaken for one. The game simply starts out with Yumetarō being unwrapped, making it more ambiguous. The Japanese manual also includes the names of the major enemies for the first three stages. The Scandinavian manual gives the name of the protagonist ([[IAmNotShazam Mr. Gimmick) and, uniquely, the name of the girl (Mary).

* GameOverMan: In ''EXACT☆MIX'', Yumetarō is seen tossed on a pile of pink Yumetaros in the game over screen.

An [[https://exa.ac/en/games/gimmick-exact-mix/?v=d8e3950b4591 arcade version]] running on the [=exA-Arcadia=] system was released in 2020.

* AllThereInTheManual: In the Japanese manual, the names of the major enemies for the first three stages. In the Scandinavian manual, the name of the girl (Mary). In both, the father buying the protagonist in the storyline and the protagonist's name ([[MeaningfulName Yumetarou]] in Japan and [[ProtagonistTitleFallacy Mr. Gimmick]] in Scandinavia).

* EvilOverlooker: In the arcade version, the map screen features the boss for the current level and his minions looking over the island the game takes place in.

* GameOverMan: In the arcade version, Yumetaro is seen tossed on a pile of pink Yumetaros in the game over screen.

An [[https://exa.ac/en/games/gimmick-exact-mix/?v=d8e3950b4591 arcade version]] running on the [=exA-Arcadia=] system is in the works for a late 2019 release.