Pssst. Do you like hardcore 2D platformers? And do you like little green men, like those gooby wooby looking green spheres? Then I give you Gimmick! 2, with an unexpected exclamation mark before the “2” and all of the above. It's out now and will no doubt please fans who have been waiting years A sequel to the original Gimmick!, and possibly for other platformers looking for a different style of gaming.
For a quick context, the original Gimmick! was a Famicom platformer developed by Sunsoft and released in 1992. The funny thing is that it was only localized for Scandinavia at the time, where he was called Mr. Gimmick (which is what all the bosses in Demon Souls should be called… ahem, whatever). He played a green yokai named Yumetaro who goes on a mission to save a young girl from evil toys. And it's been re-released a bunch of times since then, most recently a remaster called Gimmick! Special Edition in 2023.
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And so, years later, Swedish developer Bitwave and publisher Sunsoft have teamed up to release Gimmick! 2. It stars the same Yumetaro on a different mission, all in an updated aesthetic with a Spelunky flare. In it, you'll be jumping, avoiding spikes, and solving puzzles, just like any other platformer. But what sets it apart is Yumetaro's ability to not only jump, but also summon and throw powerful stars — his gimmick, you might say. Moreover It retains momentum from its movement. You can use it to activate switches, shoot enemies, and remove parts of the map to reveal hidden spots. Oh, and you can also trick enemies into making their heads form helpful platforms as they fall to their deaths.
To be honest, Gimmick! 2 looks like a challenging platformer because of the physics interactions between your little green goob, his jumping star, and the obstacles you're trying to hit, pass, or flip. I think it requires a lot of precision movement and a lot of risk-taking, especially when you're surfing that star at critical moments. But I also think it allows for some fun problem-solving that doesn't just require carefully timed aerial jumps. There's an assisted mode if you want an easier time, otherwise you have Gimmick! mode for a “true to the original” challenge.
If you're interested, you can find the game on Steam. Thanks to RPS reviewer Treelo for letting us know.