These gamed took advantage of the Famicom's ability to mix audio from external sources on the cartridge. This allowed for games like Castlevania 3 and King of Kings to improve their audio with extra hardware. I eventually sought out as many titles with enhanced audio as I could, which led me to discover the ability to bypass the internal audio hardware and replace it with added functionality. Normally, this was integrated into special hardware called "mappers." This improved audio was only available on Japanese Nintendo consoles, as the required lines were missing on the redesigned larger cartridge format used in other territories.

Eventually, I came across Mr. Gimmick! At the time I discovered it, I only had a passing interest in the game. Starting it up, you could barely tell there was any improvement over a normal Famicom, as far as the audio was concerned. The game included 3 additional channels, all of which were used for rhythm tracks, though none added much to the score.

Gimmick is a green, single-horned stuffed toy given to a girl for her sixth birthday. The girl quickly falls in love with her new doll, and it becomes her favorite companion. Later that evening while everyone is sleeping, the girl's other playthings, jealous of Mr. Gimmick and the girl's apparent favoritism, kidnap her and take her to a parallel world inhabited by nothing but hostile toys. Gimmick gives chase to rescue her.

The first thing I must mention about the game itself is it is very, very difficult. I've yet managed to make it past level 2, let alone run the game to completion. In fact, I did not make it past level 1 until after around 5 hours of game play, a feat I still have trouble repeating consistently. Gimmick's abilities consist of using special items, throwing stars, and jumping. These elements in and of themselves seem simple, until you have to combine them to reach objects or avoid traps.

Gimmick's star throwing ability creates a large glowing projectile that bounces and slides across the world in a chaotic yet predictable fashion. Along with being a projectile, the star also acts as a form of makeshift vehicle allowing Gimmick to bounce the star off a wall or curved surface, jump on it and ride it to inaccessible areas, over spikes or even use it as a step ladder. Mastering this ability is the key to making any progress in the game for several hidden objects that are required to receive the good ending (where you actually save the girl) require Gimmick to use his star in such a fashion.

Somehow, even with its unruly learning curve, the game never feels frustrating. It is rewarding the first time you bounce the star off a wall, hop on top of it and glide gently across a pit of spikes that had previously proven fatal for the hours prior. Simply mentioning the game's name to a fan is likely to illicit commentary and catch phrases like "Ride the star!" I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will eventually grace the Virtual Console, though its arrival is unlikely from having a status as little more than a cult classic. It's sad that this game came out so late in the life of the Famicom for it
is a fantastic title that really should have seen a much wider
audience, especially one outside of the eastern hemisphere.