Gimmick! (Famicom) Playthrough

A playthrough of Sunsoft's 1992 platformer for the Nintendo Famicom, Gimmick!
Gimmick! (ギミック) was Sunsoft's penultimate release for the Nintendo Famicom when it went on sale in Japan in January of 1992, and it became the last game that they'd put out for the NES in the west when it showed up in Scandinavia as a PAL-exclusive in mid-1993.
You can find my playthrough of the PAL version, Mr. Gimmick!, here: • Mr. Gimmick (NES) Play...
Differences in video standards and the title aside, the games are virtually identical save for one important distinction: the sound quality.
The PAL version of the game used the "FME-7" memory mapper chip, also used in Batman: Return of the Joker, to enhance the base console's abilities to provide an additional bit of grunt for some nifty graphical effects.
The Japanese cartridge contains a variant of the FME-7, the "Sunsoft 5B." The 5B incorporates a Yamaha YM2149F SSG chip to provide three additional square wave channels that are mixed with the base 2A03's audio output to create a richer sound.
And the results speak for themselves. The NES version sounds good on its own, but it comes across as flat and hollow when stacked up against the fuller, more textured sound of the Famicom game. Amazing what can be accomplished just by mixing a few simple square waves together, isn't it?
The differences in sound alone make the Japanese version worth checking out, and that's why I made this video. What do you guys think of the difference?
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (www.nintendocom...) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!

[@BenjaminNixon]

What I love about this game is that it's all killer, no filler. The levels are very short, but that's because all the fat you normally see in 2D sidescrollers has been cut. There are no long hallways with simple enemies you just mow down for a cheap and easy thrill. Every enemy placement is well-thought out.

[@xxHUNGRY4THETRUTHxx]

I can only imagine the nostalgia I would have right now had it gotten a US release. The music is some of the best composed. To be on just about every chiptune playlist is a merritt well earned.

[@Jac2Mac]

My guess is that Sunsoft got the Loony Tunes license after the success of Batman for the NES so they decided to focus on crappy western developed games instead.

[@bigsof7381]

Blame the NES's sound chip for the different soundtrack

[@snesmocha]

@@bigsof7381you mean lack of expansion, the nes didn’t support audio expansion cause fuck the us market I guess

[@EuSouRCS]

The creator o Kirby himself once said that this MASTERPIECE was the inspiration to create his own game.

[@Wimpyfox]

Source? I can find no instance of him ever saying this but cool if true.

[@EuSouRCS]

@@Wimpyfox Masahiro Sakurai said that back in the 90's so it's really hard to find anything about that on the internet.

[@Wimpyfox]

@@EuSouRCS Where did you see it then. In a magazine? Must have been a pretty notable and obvious source if it was an interview published in the 90s of a Japanese game dev that you read in English.

[@EuSouRCS]

@@Wimpyfox that was an interview published in a japanese magazine back in the 90's,probably Famitsu but I'm not sure about that.

[@NintendoComplete]

The NES version sounded good, but wow, what a difference the Famicom original's added sound chip makes!

[@magoid]

Yes, the Famicom version is better, but is not by much, at least to me. Kudos to who did the rework.

[@TheKastorian]

Sounds fantastic

[@HouseOfFunQM]

Some genius at Nintendo decided to remove the cartidge-pin audio multiplexer from the international NES. Just why

[@HouseOfFunQM]

Well if we're gonna do ACKCHYUALLY, they didn't remove it - it's still present on the UNDERSIDE PORT on the NES haha. Just not in the slot-loader cartridge. Idiots.

[@magoid]

One thing that just occurred to me: this is not a Kirby's Adventure rip-off. In fact Gimmick! precedes Kirby on the Game Boy by 3 months, and on the Famicom by 14 months.

[@zeeoh5466]

iirc gimmick was the inspiration for kirby in several ways

[@admiralAlfonso9001]

⁠@JayDon-gp5yctrue

[@beauwalker9820]

The only things similar to me is they're both cute, roundish characters, and the detailed background art styles are similar. Other then that, I think they're distinct enough.

[@mossnb]

both of the, also incorporated stars at one point

[@m.beenis8845]

What a classic game! I'm glad this is finally coming over to the US with the Switch/Steam versions to replay Gimmick.

[@Dorian_Scott]

It's on PS4, too.

[@m.beenis8845]

@@Dorian_Scott Oh wow, I didn't know about the PS4 version. That's honestly really nice.

[@bigduke5902]

Luckily the remaster features a rewind so even gamers who can't overcome a game originally designed for 1990s children can win!

[@drlight6677]

Rewind can't be used to get the tougher trophies though lol@@bigduke5902

[@francoalmiron5107]

That game was a classic, it has good gameplay, designs and soundtrack!

[@Dorian_Scott]

Those 3 additional sound channels make a world of difference. The European version sounds so flat when compared to this.

[@xxHUNGRY4THETRUTHxx]

Seems to have gotten the Castlevania III treatment.

[@skittrokerwarior]

Yo! The enemies in this game are smarter than the latest version of Chat GPT, sheeeesh! Also this soundtrack is totally a banger. Sunsoft always killing it!

[@KarnovJr]

People say this is "underrated" but the $1000 price tag for the original cart says otherwise.... 😂

[@mossnb]

Probably because original carts are few and far betwedn

[@DeluxeGamer705]

Even if this game is hard, the graphics and soundtrack are awesome, and the gameplay is just awesome too.

[@magoid]

Can you imagine if Sunsoft did had a good transition to the SNES, instead of relegating work on new games to third parties? The battle for the best developer on the SNES among them and Capcom, Konami and Rare would have been legendary.

[@QkiJose]

I'd wish I had played this game as a kid. Nowadays I'm not that patient to get all the treasures of this game.

[@SusieUndertale]

An extremely technical, well-designed and visually appealing game. I managed to get as far as the ice stage but the Blowjob Brothers at 16:49 there gave me a ton of trouble. Looks like you just need to wait for the right moment to fire under their shields. What I want to know is why wasn't the best track in the entire game used, Memories of Death!? It would have made the perfect final boss theme... At least it's included in every OST here on KZbin. Very nice playthrough!

[@NintendoComplete]

Thanks!

[@Max_Payne_dude]

Man, first i thought it was a weird 80's toy, but this thing has a fanbase...

[@ColeMoir]

you bet

[@bigduke5902]

Is this criminally underrated or unfairly overlooked? Take your bets!

[@magvs_mæstro216]

Yes

[@borderlinesunshine9630]

Criminally Underrated

[@sobble_gaming101]

​@@magvs_mæstro216THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING

[@aiexzs]

criminally overlooked

[@spoonshiro]

Amazing game in every respect!

[@josephcieplak8920]

So cuteeee!

[@SoulStreak64]

...Man, the *World Map* track has no reason to go hard, but it does.

[@Dorian_Scott]

The entire OST has no right to go so hard

[@bigduke5902]

What the fuck does this even mean

[@sammyyo461]

@@bigduke5902 Its like a slang meaning to put in so much effort or "Its so good"

[@superstaramyrosethehardcoreyt]

Marvelous video.

[@Epicman33456]

Ah yes. A excellent classic on the NES. Good work my amigo

[@irridesu]

it's criminal how underrated this game is

[@kevyjoe413]

First Castlevania 3 and now this? The Famicom’s sound channels were quite powerful. This game is super adorable as well! (I suggest you change the title of this video to say Famicom instead of NES, like your Contra and Akumajou Densetsu videos)

[@NintendoComplete]

Yeah you're right, it hadn't occurred to me. Thanks.

[@orinhill9097]

Looks like Kirby's green cousin

[@Don-jt7ch]

Wow, this is quite impressive graphics for the nes. Like what donkey kong country was for the super nintendo.

[@GrindHouseBlues83]

The whole soundtrack on this is amazing, but that first level theme is an absolute bop.

[@aidangolembiewski1225]

Imagine if they made an anime series back then, That would've been so awesome and cool if they did. Like Kirby Right Back At Ya.

[@marvelbliss]

So, anyone looking forward to the sequel? Its release is just around the corner! And did I mention that *DAVID WISE* is doing the soundtrack? 😁

[@celtc7875]

1:22 Heard this song before

[@tonytonelada1362]

Super Mario Bros crossover

[@waynecuff3140]

Never heard of this one looks brilliant. Noticed its on the Sunsoft collection for Evercade. Definitely will be picking up a copy with my Evercade pocket.

[@Enan63.]

HEY GIMMICK 2 IS OUT! YOU NEED TO PLAY IT! IT'S AN AMAZING SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Bloodreign1]

And apparently a sequel is finally coming for newer consoles. Right off the heels of the Hebereke sequel too.

[@1gnore_me.]

masterpiece

[@Freeman666Gordon]

Maamen's battle youth.

[@MavHunter20XX]

Music sounds like that on the PC engine.

[@JaxCoolKartunes]

Sunsoft sadly got bankrupt in 1995 and their never was a sequel released for the super nintendo or game boy.

[@silastherobloxlovergamer3687]

The japanese sunsoft company is still alive, your probably talking about sun corp and the american and European company

[@Bloodreign1]

Well, now there is a sequel on the way.

[@ИгорьЛюбин-щ3й]

Отличная игра. Сам недавно проходил.

[@64_three]

@NintendoComplete 0:57 thanks

[@RhythicManRhythm]

nice!