Niklas Istenes, CEO, Bitwave Games
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Hey everyone!
I’m Niklas Istenes, the CEO of Bitwave Games – a modern retro gaming studio from Gothenburg in Sweden. I started the studio in 2013 with a dream goal: developing and publishing games inspired by my all-time favorite Nintendo Entertainment System and Famicom game Gimmick! from legendary developer Sunsoft. Little did I know I would eventually help launch Gimmick! for modern platforms with our friends at City Connection. It feels surreal and beyond exciting!
Gimmick! has a special place in my heart. Released in 1992 and at the end of the NES/Famicom life cycle, it was impressive to see a game that pushed the console to its limits. The graphics, physics, and soundtrack really left their mark on me as a kid. In Scandinavia (where I’m from), it’s known as Mr. Gimmick. It was the only market outside Japan where the original game was ever released. So, to many people, this might be a wholly lost gaming treasure.
Gimmick! Special Edition is a tough-as-nails platforming game with a heavy focus on physics. You’re playing as Yumetaro – a cute green youkai with special star-summoning powers. Through multiple playground-like levels, all with their own environmental twists and exciting creatures, you must creatively use your sparkling star to bounce, jump, take out baddies, and reach hidden areas filled with secrets.
Gimmick! Special Edition has many enhancements that make this challenging game even more accessible to modern players. You can quick-save, rewind, compete against your friends on the online leaderboards, unlock achievements, and stroll through the gorgeous gallery injected with pictures of scanned-in cartridges, the original Japanese and Scandinavian manuals, and more.
Since the original NES and Famicom cartridges are hard to find and expensive to purchase, we’re thrilled to be able to bring this true platforming classic to a broader audience. Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more Gimmick! Special Edition content and jump onto our Discord to chat with other retro fans.
See you in the land of Gimmick!
Gimmick! Special Edition
Bitwave
$14.99
An old-school challenge enhanced for the modern player
SUNSOFT’s NES™ classic Gimmick! returns in this long-wished-for Special Edition from City Connection. Experience a stunning physics-based platformer with updated features like online leaderboards, achievements, a time attack mode, save and quick load, a rewind function, a gorgeous gallery (with cartridges, art, and scanned manuals), and more.
Stellar platform physics with a bouncing star
Explore a physics-based playground that was way ahead of its time. As the cute youkai Yumetaro, use your star-summoning powers to tackle complex challenges with creativity and finesse. Your wonderful star will help you reach hidden spots, traverse cliffs, and pull off trick shots that outwit even the toughest baddies!
Discover a hidden NES™ treasure
Gimmick! was exclusively released on Famicom™/NES™ in Japan and Scandinavia in the early ‘90s. It pushed the console to its limits and the Japanese cartridge featured SunSoft 5B, a custom sound chip that let Masashi Kageyama compose a star-studded soundtrack. Gimmick! remains one of the most valuable (and rarest) NES™ cartridges ever made. The Scandinavian version was called “Mr. Gimmick”.
Uncover secrets in a race against time!
Gimmick! Special Edition features a time attack mode for speedrunners, and completionists can hunt for secrets all throughout the game. Unlock a wonderful surprise by finding everything. For a hard-core challenge, disable all quality-of-life features in “Serious Mode” to crank up the excitement!
Modern enhancements:
* Achievements
* Time Attack Mode
* Online Leaderboards
* Save and Quick Load
* Rewind Function
* Gallery mode
* Sound test