Publisher Clear River Games and developer Bitwave Games have revealed the first gameplay trailer for Gimmick! 2, the long-awaited (and somewhat surprising) sequel to Sunsoft’s 8-bit platformer.
This is our first look at the Gimmick, which was originally revealed with a trailer at this year’s Limited Run Games Show! 2 in stock. Aside from the obvious visual facelift, this sequel still seems to be full of platforming puzzles. There are star-clinching challenges, moving platforms, dangerous lava pits – everything you’d expect to see a cute guy going through.
There’s also an extremely upbeat soundtrack by legendary composer David Wise that had us tapping our toes right from the jump. Clear River Games also shared a short performance video of the legendary composer, which you can watch at the end of this article.
No Kirby coming our way this year (as far as we know), but this looks like it might scratch that itch while we wait for Nintendo to announce the pink puffs. next inevitable remake.
Here’s an overview of the game’s features and a look at some screenshots from the Steam page.
A modernized classic challenge
in Trick! 2, you will meet the green little yokai Yumetar again. Decades after his first adventure, he now embarks on a new journey into a world full of interesting challenges, dangerous enemies and hidden treasures. The game can be played in either the friendlier assisted mode, or if you’re up for the challenge, in the faithful original “Gimmick!” mode!
Physics of stars
As a yokai, Yumetaro has the ability to summon and throw a powerful star that not only bounces, but also maintains the momentum of his movement. The star can be used to activate switches, defend against enemies, and even drive to get to hard-to-reach places while exploring the secrets of the world. Master the physics of bouncing a star to discover treasures, find shortcuts, or set speed records. Experiment with it and unlock its full potential. This is a game with real star power!
Legendary soundtrack
Composer David Wise probably needs no introduction. In his work on Trick! 2 soundtrack, wrote brand new tunes and remade old classics. The soundtrack was creatively directed by Pelle Cahndlerby and recorded live in Sweden with Joel Bill.
A blast from the past
Original Gimmick! the game was released for the Famicom™ in 1992. It was localized and released in the West – but only in Scandinavia. This, combined with the fact that the game physics and game mechanics were way ahead of their time, made the game iconic and popular. WITH Trick! 2however, there is no doubt: this is a game the whole world should have the chance to experience.
It all looks like it has the potential to be really pretty good, though we were hoping the pixel art visuals would make a return. There’s still no exact release date for this product outside of 2024, but we’ll be watching for more information in the coming months.
Following its announcement last month, creator, director and designer of the NES original Tomomi Saka admitted that he was unaware a sequel was in the works and had not been consulted about the process. Bitwave Games later issued a formal apology, stating, “We deeply respect the work of Tomomi Sakai – Gimmick! 2 wouldn’t exist without him.
The last time we heard about the Gimmick series was last year when little Yumetaro returned to our screens in Gimmick! Special edition. We loved this bit of nostalgia and gave it an 8/10 in our review, calling it “a prime example of what made the 8-bit era so awesome.” Here’s hoping the sequel can capture some of that magic.