I love a good sequel, especially when it’s completely out of nowhere. There’s a fun trend happening in game development where studios today are bringing back characters and titles from decades ago and breathing into them new life. That’s where we find the Gothenburg studio Bitwave Games taking a 1992 cult classic and reintroducing an adorable mascot to the masses. Gimmick! 2 is not only a wonderful reason for folks to become aware of a retro platformer most of us forgot, but also a great experience in its own right.

Gimmick! 2 checks a lot of boxes that I consider to be must-haves for a platformer. Firstly, the art style is defined and stylized to set it apart from other games. With hand-drawn graphics and a wonderful color palette, this game is just a joy to look at let alone play. The difficulty spectrum is also right in that sweet spot where you need to focus but you won’t develop a headache or rage fit while playing through it. Mix in the other platforming essentials like collectibles and secrets around every corner and you have a wonderful game some might skip because they don’t know the original.

Yumetaro, the green protagonist, simply jumps and throws a weaponized star around. The simplicity of a platformer’s mechanics can sometimes be its downfall, but Nintendo proves time and time again the simplicity just needs to be infused with creative-level design. Bitwave Games nails this recipe, much in part to the physics-based process of finding ways to throw your star and have it bounce around the levels. It’s a vehicle for puzzle-solving and creative enemy assaults. Also, once mastered, it’s highly satisfying.

The game features an Assisted mode if you’re struggling to make it through the experience, which I’m always a fan of including in these titles. Play the game how you want to play it! This option gives you more room to take damage, more ease in platforming, and fewer enemy encounters. That said, even in the regular mode it only took me about four and a half hours to complete Gimmick! 2, which did feel like maybe 1-2 hours shorter than I would have liked.

Without the depth of systems and new additions to make the levels feel fresh and ever-evolving, that run time might actually be perfect for most players. However, I found myself enjoying Gimmick! 2 more than other platformers that are not made by Nintendo. In a way, my lack of nostalgia for the 1992 Gimmick! left me wondering if I’d lose out on the full experience of the game, but visually and gameplay-wise, there’s an experience full of joy awaiting fans new and old of this adorable green hero.

Let us know in the comments if you plan to check out Gimmick! 2! The game is also available for PC.

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Gimmick! 2

24.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Great platforming mechanics
• Fun color-use and visuals
• Above average for indie platformers

Cons

• Can be completed in less than 5 hours
• No meaningful increase in depth or mechanics as you progress