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Another UpdatedRerelease, called ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/2131800/Gimmick_Special_Edition/ Gimmick! Special Edition]]'', would be made available in 2023 for PC via {{Platform/Steam}}, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, Platform/PlayStation4, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne.
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Another UpdatedRerelease, called ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/2131800/Gimmick_Special_Edition/ Gimmick! Special Edition]]'', would be made available in 2023 for PC via {{Platform/Steam}}, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/PlayStation4, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne.
Platform/XboxOne.
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''Gimmick!'' is a 1992 Japanese PlatformGame for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Family Computer]] by Creator/{{Sunsoft}}, released in Scandinavia as ''Mr. Gimmick'' the following year. In this game, an ''{{oni}}'' named "Yumetaro" (lit. ''dream'' + a boy's name) finds himself lost in a gift shop, when he spots a father looking to purchase a gift for his daughter's birthday. The ''oni'' hides among a bin of toys, and the father purchases him, unaware that he is actually a mystical ''{{youkai}}''.
to:
''Gimmick!'' is a 1992 Japanese PlatformGame for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Family Computer]] by Creator/{{Sunsoft}}, released in Scandinavia as ''Mr. Gimmick'' the following year. In this game, an ''{{oni}}'' named "Yumetaro" (lit. ''dream'' + a boy's name) finds himself lost in a gift shop, when he spots a father looking to purchase a gift for his daughter's birthday. The ''oni'' hides among a bin of toys, and the father purchases him, unaware that he is actually a mystical ''{{youkai}}''.
Changed line(s) 15,17 (click to see context) from:
Another UpdatedRerelease, called ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/2131800/Gimmick_Special_Edition/ Gimmick! Special Edition]]'', would be made available in 2023 for PC via {{UsefulNotes/Steam}}, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne.
Although not directly related to the similar ''VideoGame/{{Hebereke}}'' series, ''Gimmick!'' was linked with it in a UsefulNotes/PlayStation compilation.
Although not directly related to the similar ''VideoGame/{{Hebereke}}'' series, ''Gimmick!'' was linked with it in a UsefulNotes/PlayStation compilation.
to:
Another UpdatedRerelease, called ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/2131800/Gimmick_Special_Edition/ Gimmick! Special Edition]]'', would be made available in 2023 for PC via {{UsefulNotes/Steam}}, {{Platform/Steam}}, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, Platform/PlayStation4, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne.
Although not directly related to the similar ''VideoGame/{{Hebereke}}'' series, ''Gimmick!'' was linked with it in aUsefulNotes/PlayStation Platform/PlayStation compilation.
Although not directly related to the similar ''VideoGame/{{Hebereke}}'' series, ''Gimmick!'' was linked with it in a
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* BottomlessPits: Subverted twice to hide secrets for GenreSavvy players: a seemingly bottomless pit in Stage 3 leads to the stage's treasure room, and the same goes for a pit opened by a hidden switch in Stage 5. Every other instance averts this trope, as falling off screen always leads to a new area and [[SpikesOfDoom death pits are]] [[SuperDrowningSkills clearly marked.]]
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* SuperTitle64Advance: ''exAct☆Mix'''s title is a {{Portmantitle}} of "exA" and "exact mix", indicating the remake being on the exA-Arcadia hardware.
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* FeatheredFiend: Stage 4's boss is Hiyoko (literally [[ADogNamedDog "young bird"]] in Japanese), a hatchling bird who [[GetBackHereBoss attempts to evade your every attack]] and spews fireballs should you get too close.
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* CheckPointStarvation: Every stage in the game has three checkpoint areas. While they're often kept a reasonable distance between one another, Stage 6 uses the second and third checkpoints for the end-of-level boss fights. The first checkpoint is therefore placed at the ''very start'' of the tower section, meaning that a single death forces you to do the whole stage over. To compensate, ''exAct☆Mix'' clocks in the [[TimedMission level timer]] at 4 minutes.
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* BeamSpam: The first phase of the fifth stage boss.
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* BeamSpam: The first phase of the fifth stage boss.boss eventually starts firing lasers at very fast rate.
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* InconvenientlyPlacedConveyorBelt: In the first stage, and the last three. It's more believable in the sixth stage, which takes place in a factory.
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* InconvenientlyPlacedConveyorBelt: In Conveyor belts appear in the first stage, and the last three. It's more believable in the sixth stage, which takes place in a factory.
* SlowLaser: Fifth boss shoots visibly moving lasers in the first phase.
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* SpikesOfDoom: Every stage except the second stage and the secret seventh stage.
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* SpikesOfDoom: Every stage has spikes except the second stage and the secret seventh stage.
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* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: Springboards can be found in the fifth and sixth stages.
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* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: Springboards can be found in the fifth and sixth stages. Some can be pushed around.
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Moved from Mr Gimmick as per localized title.
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%%Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1644199973043155300
%%Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrgimmickjapanese.jpg]]
%%
''Gimmick!'' is a 1992 Japanese PlatformGame for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Family Computer]] by Creator/{{Sunsoft}}, released in Scandinavia as ''Mr. Gimmick'' the following year. In this game, an ''{{oni}}'' named "Yumetaro" (lit. ''dream'' + a boy's name) finds himself lost in a gift shop, when he spots a father looking to purchase a gift for his daughter's birthday. The ''oni'' hides among a bin of toys, and the father purchases him, unaware that he is actually a mystical ''{{youkai}}''.
When the daughter unwraps her present, she is immediately enamored with the little WaddlingHead, and he quickly becomes her favorite toy. The other toys in her bedroom grow anxious of the newcomer's popularity, and that night they [[LivingToys come to life]] and kidnap the girl, taking her through a portal to a FloatingContinent. Alone, Yumetaro leaps after her to save her.
Yumetaro's main weapon is a bouncing star that he generates above his head. He can [[CraniumRide ride the star]] if he leaps on top of it. He can also carry in his inventory up to three of the following, in any combination: {{fireballs}} that can fly straight, bombs with a reasonable blast radius, and {{Healing Potion}}s.
An [[https://exa.ac/en/games/gimmick-exact-mix/?v=d8e3950b4591 arcade version]] running on the [=exA-Arcadia=] system, titled ''Gimmick! exAct☆Mix'', was released in 2020. It gives the game a 16-bit makeover with a redone FM synthesis soundtrack by Manabu Namiki, remixing the original compositions of Masashi Kageyama. It also adds a tutorial, a time attack mode, a "stage edit" mode that rebalances the game's difficulty, and other extra features.
Another UpdatedRerelease, called ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/2131800/Gimmick_Special_Edition/ Gimmick! Special Edition]]'', would be made available in 2023 for PC via {{UsefulNotes/Steam}}, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne.
Although not directly related to the similar ''VideoGame/{{Hebereke}}'' series, ''Gimmick!'' was linked with it in a UsefulNotes/PlayStation compilation.
----
!!''Gimmick!'' uses these tropes:
* HundredPercentCompletion: Collecting the hidden treasure in each stage, which is required for the [[MultipleEndings true ending]].
* AdaptationExpansion: ''exAct☆Mix'' upgrades the original game's somewhat limited cutscenes, including the previously AllThereInTheManual point showing the girl's father purchasing Yumetaro.
* AdvancingWallOfDoom: A small wall in a small hallway in the fourth stage.
* AgeLift: Though her characterization remains unchanged from the original version, Yumetaro's owner is given a much older design in ''exAct☆Mix'', appearing closer to a young adult than a child.
* AllThereInTheManual:
** The manual elaborates on the backstory given in the game's opening cutscene, explaining that Yumetaro is not actually a LivingToy but rather a creature mistaken for one. The game simply starts out with Yumetaro being unwrapped, making it more ambiguous. The Japanese manual also includes the names of the major enemies for the first three stages. The Scandinavian manual gives the name of the protagonist ([[DubNameChange Mr. Gimmick]]) and, uniquely, the name of the girl (Mary).
** The game's hidden Sound Test gives names for all of the tunes except for one, the final boss's first phase theme. On the original soundtrack, it's given the name "Evidence of My Life". Also, some tracks are given the subtitle "Take 2" in-game; a later release of the original demo tracks shows that they had "Take 1" versions that weren't implemented in the game. And while most of the song titles make sense in context, one that sticks out is the theme for the final stage, "Sophia". This may actually be the name of Yumetaro's owner, which isn't otherwise mentioned in the Japanese version.
* BeamSpam: The first phase of the fifth stage boss.
* BonusLevelOfHeaven: The secret final level, unlocked by collecting all of the bonus items, takes place in a heavenly castle built upon a small floating island. It's a very serene and hazardless level, with peaceful music and cute enemies who don't attack you, as well as [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity plenty of health pickups]]. This leads to the difficult TrueFinalBoss and the game's good ending, where Yumetaro reunites with his owner and they escape together.
* BubbleGun: The weapons of the boss of the sixth stage.
* TheCameo: The otherwise out of place final boss somewhat resembles Jay from ''VideoGame/JourneyToSilius'', which was also developed by Sunsoft, with his armor from the Japanese version but helmetless like in the overseas version. ''exAct☆Mix'' replaces him with an {{expy}} of Tesse from ''VideoGame/WakuWaku7'', and even gives her a parasol in the first form to make her more recognizable.
* CartoonBomb: One of the items you can throw. It's not practical against regular enemies, but does extra damage to bosses.
* ContinuingIsPainful: You're locked out of the secret stage if you used a continue before reaching it.
* CopyProtection: If the code for the intro text is tampered with, the gameplay is replaced with a black screen with the text "BLACK HOLE" shortly into the secret Stage 7, preventing players from reaching the TrueFinalBoss and ending. This wasn't actually intended as an anti-piracy measure; it's a leftover from an attempt by creator Tomomi Sakae to take credit for his work. He made it so that if the words "A TOMOMI SAKAE GAME" were removed from the intro -- [[BatmanGambit knowing that Sunsoft would remove them]] -- the game would be bugged, so they couldn't release it without his name. The "BLACK HOLE" screen also originally read "IMPERFECT VERSION", making his intent more clear. Sunsoft circumvented this by leaving an unused "TOMO" string in the intro code while replacing the actual text.
* CraniumRide: Not only enemies and your bouncing star, but also... ''flying cannon balls''?
* DamselInDistress: Yumetaro's owner, a little girl, who has been kidnapped by other jealous toys and it's up to him to rescue her.
* DeathTrap: The third stage has several of them, ranging from ceiling traps to arrow traps.
* DevelopersForesight:
** In the second stage, it's possible to skip a large part of the level and fight the boss early. If you do this quick enough, you will find him... [[EasterEgg sleeping, with an alarm clock mook by his side.]] In this state, the boss is a movable object, so you can push him towards the edge of the arena and hit him with a star as he about to wake up, killing him instantly.
** When the second boss is defeated his sword spins over the air and [[TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn lands pointy end in]] if it hits the ''wood'' part of the floor. There's a metal tile towards the left that will bounce the sword away if it lands there. Also, if the sword does get stuck on the floor, [[KaizoTrap don't walk on it]].
* DifficultyByRegion: In the Scandinavian version, you start with four more lives and get extra ones more often than in the Japanese version.
* EasterEgg:
** Some of the blob enemies will blink in confusion and [[https://twitter.com/Gimmick1992/status/1565313643985735680 sprout propellers]] to fly around if they can't reach you from the bottom of a wall. It is highly unlikely for anyone to see this behavior unless they were toying around with the enemies.
** [[http://youtu.be/zEqc4kUlThU One oddly motionless enemy]] in the second stage can be controlled by the second player. Sadly, he can't be taken out of his room.
* EnergyBall: A few of the enemies can fire these.
* EveryTenThousandPoints: An extra life is earned at 10,000 points, and every 25,000 (in the Scandinavian version, 20,000) thereafter.
* EvilOverlooker: In ''exAct☆Mix'', the title card for each level features its boss and other enemies overlooking the island the game takes place on. After the level is cleared, they're shown defeated as the score tally is made.
* FloatingContinent: Where the whole game takes place at. There are actually two of these: a larger main one where the most of the game takes place, and a smaller one appears after collecting all the secret treasures. A world map of the continent is seen between levels, but due to being a linear arcade game, ''exAct☆Mix'' reduces the world map to the title card for each level.
* FreezeFrameBonus: In ''exAct☆Mix'', Yumetaro's owner's underwear can be seen through her pajamas during the brief flashes of light when she is warped away in the opening and back home in the good ending. This was subdued in subsequent updates.
* GameOverMan: In ''exAct☆Mix'', Yumetaro is seen tossed on a pile of pink Yumetaros on the game over screen, in reference to the opening cutscene.
* GangplankGalleon: The second stage takes place mostly on a pirate ship.
* GenderFlip: The TrueFinalBoss in ''exAct☆Mix'' is female rather than male.
* GenreMashup: The game's soundtrack mixes together {{pop}}, acid {{jazz}}, free-form ClassicalMusic, and HardRock. Masashi Kageyama specifically sought to focus on genres outside the scope of typical video game music, which at the time was usually a blend of ProgressiveRock and Music/YellowMagicOrchestra-style SynthPop.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: After fighting through a cast of animal plushes (and a SpiderTank), players find the true final boss is a humanoid swordsman who rules over a castle. The game never explains what his goal was.
* TheGoomba: Ohagi (lit. ''bean cake''), those black beady-eyed enemies.
* HealingPotion: Yumetaro can carry pink potions that refill health, and twice per stage he will encounter an orange potion that increases his maximum HP (initially two) by one.
* HelpfulMook:
** A crow is perched in the crow's nest in the second level, and will take Yumetaro across a gap when ridden. If you went for the secret item, he'll fly you back from there, as well. It also shows up to give Yumetaro a ride during the bad ending.
** A sauropod appears in the fourth stage shooting fireballs at Yumetaro. If it's attacked, though, it'll become friendly and take him across a lake.
* HotterAndSexier: Inexplicably done with Yumetaro's owner in ''exAct☆Mix''. Not only is she visibly [[AgeLift aged up]], with her design accentuating an adult hourglass figure, but the opening and closing cutscenes also feature a FreezeFrameBonus of her in her underwear as she's being teleported. This is in spite of her maintaining her childlike characterization from the NES original, and makes for a bizarre juxtaposition with the unassuming content of the rest of the game.
* InconvenientlyPlacedConveyorBelt: In the first stage, and the last three. It's more believable in the sixth stage, which takes place in a factory.
* InstantWinCondition: An odd mix of this and KaizoTrap. Once you defeat a boss, any bottomless pits stop functioning. However, you can still take damage. Once you defeat the second boss, he drops his sword onto the ship where it gets stuck; the sword can still hurt you if you touch it.
* InterfaceSpoiler: ''exAct☆Mix'' spoils the entire cast of enemies on the title cards for each level, including the two boss characters that are meant to surprise players by how they look out of place in the game's setting.
* LivingToys: Yumetaro is mistaken for one at first. However, the other toys come to life and kidnap their owner out of jealousy for his popularity.
* LoadBearingBoss: In the true ending, defeating the boss causes his fortress to self-destruct. Yumetaro and his owner make it out in the nick of time.
* LongSongShortScene: The NES version's previously-unused song "Strange Memories of Death" is used in ''exAct☆Mix'' for, fittingly, the "Continue?" screen that appears when losing all your lives. Since it only lasts ten seconds, though, you don't get to hear much of it.
* MinecartMadness: This is one section of the fifth stage, which takes place in a mineshaft.
* MiniBoss: The second, third, and fourth stage all have mini-boss fights prior to the actual stage boss; the sixth stage has two prior to the FinalBoss.
* MultipleEndings: Two of them: the sad ending that plays if all six secret items aren't collected or if a continue is used, and the true ending if Yumetaro defeats the TrueFinalBoss in the secret stage.
* NintendoHard:
** Despite its cutesy looks, the game can be brutally difficult even on the ''second stage''. A good part of the challenge comes from the high learning curve of using Yumetaro's star projectile.
** Even the first level has its moments. In an underground section, there's a platform attached to a rope, hanging over a pit of spikes. Jump on the platform and it'll slowly take you to the other side... and open up halfway through, dropping you into the spikes.
** It's even worse if you're going for the true ending. You not only have to get all six secret items and beat the hidden stage, but you have to do all that without using a ''single'' continue.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: Most characters in the game are animals and fantasy creatures. Then one of the latter bosses is a serious-looking SpiderTank and the final one is an action figure of a human swordsman.
* OneBulletAtATime: One of Yumetaro's more annoying limitations is that he can only have one star on-screen at a time.
* OneHitPolykill: You get more points by hitting multiple enemies with one star.
* PlotCoupon: You'll never see those secret treasures in use; a FloatingContinent just appears out of nowhere. It's implied they may be the girl's belongings, as several of them resemble what a girl might typically have in her room (a flowerpot, an hourglass, a teapot, a mirror).
* {{Retraux}}: ''exAct☆Mix'' was released in 2020, but looks as though it could've come out in arcades the same year as the 1992 NES game, with its FM soundtrack and 16-bit sprites.
* SaveThePrincess: In this case, Yumetaro's owner (named Mary in the Scandinavian manual). She can only be rescued by collecting the six secret items and clearing the secret stage.
* SceneryPorn: There's a brief sequence in the first stage where you walk through a submerged tunnel surrounded by moving fish. This part isn't there for any reason other than to show off the effort the developers put into the game. In the second stage, there's a similar area where you can see a vista of the horizon over the ocean, again solely for aesthetics.
* SecretStage: Get all the hidden items from the previous stages to reveal one. It's also the only way to get to the TrueFinalBoss.
* SequenceBreak: You can use a bouncing star to skip almost three-quarters of stage 2. However, you'll miss one of the secret items.
* SequentialBoss: The fifth stage's boss, after being defeated, comes back with a SpiderTank. The TrueFinalBoss also has two forms; a figure cloaked in black who fires magic blasts, and a futuristic warrior who wields a sword.
* SharkTunnel: One part of the first stage. Thankfully, there are no sharks.
* SomeDexterityRequired: A basic maneuver that the game requires you to master involves throwing a star at a precise angle so that it lands underneath Yumetaro, so you can jump off of it in mid-air and reach a higher platform. This is necessary to reach the secret items in several stages, including the first.
* SpiderTank: The fifth main boss in its second phase.
* SpikesOfDoom: Every stage except the second stage and the secret seventh stage.
* TheSpiny: Spiky enemies in the second stage and cat-like Ohagi enemies in the secret stage.
* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: Springboards can be found in the fifth and sixth stages.
* StalactiteSpite: The third stage has falling rocks which will only activate once you get close to them. The level has a general theme of booby traps, so this is fitting.
* SuperDrowningSkills: Yumetaro can drown in water that's barely twice as deep as he is high.
* TemporaryPlatform: These show up on occasion, appearing as falling logs or stone platforms or the like. Using Yumetaro's star allows you to cross these without touching them.
* TrueFinalBoss: A mysterious horned man with a cloak, whose first form is strikingly reminiscent of [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Dracula]]. In ''exAct☆Mix'', it's a girl in a poofy dress and top hat wielding a parasol instead, but her attacks are the same. In their second phase, the cloak flies off and their armored true form is revealed, armed with a LaserBlade (the man in the original), or a jewel-tipped scepter (the girl in ''exAct☆Mix'').
* TubeTravel: Transparent tubes show up in most levels to take you from room to room.
* UniqueEnemy: Most of the stages have a set of unique enemies particular to them. In particular, stage 6 has a pair of enemies at the beginning that resemble a yeti and a raccoon; neither will actively attack you, and instead just play with each other (unless you attack one of them, in which case the other will become hostile).
* VengefulAbandonedToy: The story begins when a young girl is given a green, big-eyed toy with a tiny horn on top of its head as a gift. After the other toys in her toy box watch her play with it, they come to life while she's asleep and whisk her away to another land. The new toy then has to go after them to save the girl.
* WaddlingHead: Yumetaro and most all of his enemies.
* WreakingHavok: The physics are astoundingly advanced for a Famicom/NES game. Getting all the secret items requires a cursory knowledge of how said physics affect your star's trajectory.
* {{Youkai}}: Yumetaro is an ''{{oni}}'' (note the horn), and other creatures throughout the game resemble various ''youkai'' as well; for example, the level 6 boss attacks with what resembles {{Hitodama Light}}s.
----
%%Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1644199973043155300
%%Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread.
%%
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mrgimmickjapanese.jpg]]
%%
''Gimmick!'' is a 1992 Japanese PlatformGame for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Family Computer]] by Creator/{{Sunsoft}}, released in Scandinavia as ''Mr. Gimmick'' the following year. In this game, an ''{{oni}}'' named "Yumetaro" (lit. ''dream'' + a boy's name) finds himself lost in a gift shop, when he spots a father looking to purchase a gift for his daughter's birthday. The ''oni'' hides among a bin of toys, and the father purchases him, unaware that he is actually a mystical ''{{youkai}}''.
When the daughter unwraps her present, she is immediately enamored with the little WaddlingHead, and he quickly becomes her favorite toy. The other toys in her bedroom grow anxious of the newcomer's popularity, and that night they [[LivingToys come to life]] and kidnap the girl, taking her through a portal to a FloatingContinent. Alone, Yumetaro leaps after her to save her.
Yumetaro's main weapon is a bouncing star that he generates above his head. He can [[CraniumRide ride the star]] if he leaps on top of it. He can also carry in his inventory up to three of the following, in any combination: {{fireballs}} that can fly straight, bombs with a reasonable blast radius, and {{Healing Potion}}s.
An [[https://exa.ac/en/games/gimmick-exact-mix/?v=d8e3950b4591 arcade version]] running on the [=exA-Arcadia=] system, titled ''Gimmick! exAct☆Mix'', was released in 2020. It gives the game a 16-bit makeover with a redone FM synthesis soundtrack by Manabu Namiki, remixing the original compositions of Masashi Kageyama. It also adds a tutorial, a time attack mode, a "stage edit" mode that rebalances the game's difficulty, and other extra features.
Another UpdatedRerelease, called ''[[https://store.steampowered.com/app/2131800/Gimmick_Special_Edition/ Gimmick! Special Edition]]'', would be made available in 2023 for PC via {{UsefulNotes/Steam}}, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne.
Although not directly related to the similar ''VideoGame/{{Hebereke}}'' series, ''Gimmick!'' was linked with it in a UsefulNotes/PlayStation compilation.
----
!!''Gimmick!'' uses these tropes:
* HundredPercentCompletion: Collecting the hidden treasure in each stage, which is required for the [[MultipleEndings true ending]].
* AdaptationExpansion: ''exAct☆Mix'' upgrades the original game's somewhat limited cutscenes, including the previously AllThereInTheManual point showing the girl's father purchasing Yumetaro.
* AdvancingWallOfDoom: A small wall in a small hallway in the fourth stage.
* AgeLift: Though her characterization remains unchanged from the original version, Yumetaro's owner is given a much older design in ''exAct☆Mix'', appearing closer to a young adult than a child.
* AllThereInTheManual:
** The manual elaborates on the backstory given in the game's opening cutscene, explaining that Yumetaro is not actually a LivingToy but rather a creature mistaken for one. The game simply starts out with Yumetaro being unwrapped, making it more ambiguous. The Japanese manual also includes the names of the major enemies for the first three stages. The Scandinavian manual gives the name of the protagonist ([[DubNameChange Mr. Gimmick]]) and, uniquely, the name of the girl (Mary).
** The game's hidden Sound Test gives names for all of the tunes except for one, the final boss's first phase theme. On the original soundtrack, it's given the name "Evidence of My Life". Also, some tracks are given the subtitle "Take 2" in-game; a later release of the original demo tracks shows that they had "Take 1" versions that weren't implemented in the game. And while most of the song titles make sense in context, one that sticks out is the theme for the final stage, "Sophia". This may actually be the name of Yumetaro's owner, which isn't otherwise mentioned in the Japanese version.
* BeamSpam: The first phase of the fifth stage boss.
* BonusLevelOfHeaven: The secret final level, unlocked by collecting all of the bonus items, takes place in a heavenly castle built upon a small floating island. It's a very serene and hazardless level, with peaceful music and cute enemies who don't attack you, as well as [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity plenty of health pickups]]. This leads to the difficult TrueFinalBoss and the game's good ending, where Yumetaro reunites with his owner and they escape together.
* BubbleGun: The weapons of the boss of the sixth stage.
* TheCameo: The otherwise out of place final boss somewhat resembles Jay from ''VideoGame/JourneyToSilius'', which was also developed by Sunsoft, with his armor from the Japanese version but helmetless like in the overseas version. ''exAct☆Mix'' replaces him with an {{expy}} of Tesse from ''VideoGame/WakuWaku7'', and even gives her a parasol in the first form to make her more recognizable.
* CartoonBomb: One of the items you can throw. It's not practical against regular enemies, but does extra damage to bosses.
* ContinuingIsPainful: You're locked out of the secret stage if you used a continue before reaching it.
* CopyProtection: If the code for the intro text is tampered with, the gameplay is replaced with a black screen with the text "BLACK HOLE" shortly into the secret Stage 7, preventing players from reaching the TrueFinalBoss and ending. This wasn't actually intended as an anti-piracy measure; it's a leftover from an attempt by creator Tomomi Sakae to take credit for his work. He made it so that if the words "A TOMOMI SAKAE GAME" were removed from the intro -- [[BatmanGambit knowing that Sunsoft would remove them]] -- the game would be bugged, so they couldn't release it without his name. The "BLACK HOLE" screen also originally read "IMPERFECT VERSION", making his intent more clear. Sunsoft circumvented this by leaving an unused "TOMO" string in the intro code while replacing the actual text.
* CraniumRide: Not only enemies and your bouncing star, but also... ''flying cannon balls''?
* DamselInDistress: Yumetaro's owner, a little girl, who has been kidnapped by other jealous toys and it's up to him to rescue her.
* DeathTrap: The third stage has several of them, ranging from ceiling traps to arrow traps.
* DevelopersForesight:
** In the second stage, it's possible to skip a large part of the level and fight the boss early. If you do this quick enough, you will find him... [[EasterEgg sleeping, with an alarm clock mook by his side.]] In this state, the boss is a movable object, so you can push him towards the edge of the arena and hit him with a star as he about to wake up, killing him instantly.
** When the second boss is defeated his sword spins over the air and [[TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn lands pointy end in]] if it hits the ''wood'' part of the floor. There's a metal tile towards the left that will bounce the sword away if it lands there. Also, if the sword does get stuck on the floor, [[KaizoTrap don't walk on it]].
* DifficultyByRegion: In the Scandinavian version, you start with four more lives and get extra ones more often than in the Japanese version.
* EasterEgg:
** Some of the blob enemies will blink in confusion and [[https://twitter.com/Gimmick1992/status/1565313643985735680 sprout propellers]] to fly around if they can't reach you from the bottom of a wall. It is highly unlikely for anyone to see this behavior unless they were toying around with the enemies.
** [[http://youtu.be/zEqc4kUlThU One oddly motionless enemy]] in the second stage can be controlled by the second player. Sadly, he can't be taken out of his room.
* EnergyBall: A few of the enemies can fire these.
* EveryTenThousandPoints: An extra life is earned at 10,000 points, and every 25,000 (in the Scandinavian version, 20,000) thereafter.
* EvilOverlooker: In ''exAct☆Mix'', the title card for each level features its boss and other enemies overlooking the island the game takes place on. After the level is cleared, they're shown defeated as the score tally is made.
* FloatingContinent: Where the whole game takes place at. There are actually two of these: a larger main one where the most of the game takes place, and a smaller one appears after collecting all the secret treasures. A world map of the continent is seen between levels, but due to being a linear arcade game, ''exAct☆Mix'' reduces the world map to the title card for each level.
* FreezeFrameBonus: In ''exAct☆Mix'', Yumetaro's owner's underwear can be seen through her pajamas during the brief flashes of light when she is warped away in the opening and back home in the good ending. This was subdued in subsequent updates.
* GameOverMan: In ''exAct☆Mix'', Yumetaro is seen tossed on a pile of pink Yumetaros on the game over screen, in reference to the opening cutscene.
* GangplankGalleon: The second stage takes place mostly on a pirate ship.
* GenderFlip: The TrueFinalBoss in ''exAct☆Mix'' is female rather than male.
* GenreMashup: The game's soundtrack mixes together {{pop}}, acid {{jazz}}, free-form ClassicalMusic, and HardRock. Masashi Kageyama specifically sought to focus on genres outside the scope of typical video game music, which at the time was usually a blend of ProgressiveRock and Music/YellowMagicOrchestra-style SynthPop.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: After fighting through a cast of animal plushes (and a SpiderTank), players find the true final boss is a humanoid swordsman who rules over a castle. The game never explains what his goal was.
* TheGoomba: Ohagi (lit. ''bean cake''), those black beady-eyed enemies.
* HealingPotion: Yumetaro can carry pink potions that refill health, and twice per stage he will encounter an orange potion that increases his maximum HP (initially two) by one.
* HelpfulMook:
** A crow is perched in the crow's nest in the second level, and will take Yumetaro across a gap when ridden. If you went for the secret item, he'll fly you back from there, as well. It also shows up to give Yumetaro a ride during the bad ending.
** A sauropod appears in the fourth stage shooting fireballs at Yumetaro. If it's attacked, though, it'll become friendly and take him across a lake.
* HotterAndSexier: Inexplicably done with Yumetaro's owner in ''exAct☆Mix''. Not only is she visibly [[AgeLift aged up]], with her design accentuating an adult hourglass figure, but the opening and closing cutscenes also feature a FreezeFrameBonus of her in her underwear as she's being teleported. This is in spite of her maintaining her childlike characterization from the NES original, and makes for a bizarre juxtaposition with the unassuming content of the rest of the game.
* InconvenientlyPlacedConveyorBelt: In the first stage, and the last three. It's more believable in the sixth stage, which takes place in a factory.
* InstantWinCondition: An odd mix of this and KaizoTrap. Once you defeat a boss, any bottomless pits stop functioning. However, you can still take damage. Once you defeat the second boss, he drops his sword onto the ship where it gets stuck; the sword can still hurt you if you touch it.
* InterfaceSpoiler: ''exAct☆Mix'' spoils the entire cast of enemies on the title cards for each level, including the two boss characters that are meant to surprise players by how they look out of place in the game's setting.
* LivingToys: Yumetaro is mistaken for one at first. However, the other toys come to life and kidnap their owner out of jealousy for his popularity.
* LoadBearingBoss: In the true ending, defeating the boss causes his fortress to self-destruct. Yumetaro and his owner make it out in the nick of time.
* LongSongShortScene: The NES version's previously-unused song "Strange Memories of Death" is used in ''exAct☆Mix'' for, fittingly, the "Continue?" screen that appears when losing all your lives. Since it only lasts ten seconds, though, you don't get to hear much of it.
* MinecartMadness: This is one section of the fifth stage, which takes place in a mineshaft.
* MiniBoss: The second, third, and fourth stage all have mini-boss fights prior to the actual stage boss; the sixth stage has two prior to the FinalBoss.
* MultipleEndings: Two of them: the sad ending that plays if all six secret items aren't collected or if a continue is used, and the true ending if Yumetaro defeats the TrueFinalBoss in the secret stage.
* NintendoHard:
** Despite its cutesy looks, the game can be brutally difficult even on the ''second stage''. A good part of the challenge comes from the high learning curve of using Yumetaro's star projectile.
** Even the first level has its moments. In an underground section, there's a platform attached to a rope, hanging over a pit of spikes. Jump on the platform and it'll slowly take you to the other side... and open up halfway through, dropping you into the spikes.
** It's even worse if you're going for the true ending. You not only have to get all six secret items and beat the hidden stage, but you have to do all that without using a ''single'' continue.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: Most characters in the game are animals and fantasy creatures. Then one of the latter bosses is a serious-looking SpiderTank and the final one is an action figure of a human swordsman.
* OneBulletAtATime: One of Yumetaro's more annoying limitations is that he can only have one star on-screen at a time.
* OneHitPolykill: You get more points by hitting multiple enemies with one star.
* PlotCoupon: You'll never see those secret treasures in use; a FloatingContinent just appears out of nowhere. It's implied they may be the girl's belongings, as several of them resemble what a girl might typically have in her room (a flowerpot, an hourglass, a teapot, a mirror).
* {{Retraux}}: ''exAct☆Mix'' was released in 2020, but looks as though it could've come out in arcades the same year as the 1992 NES game, with its FM soundtrack and 16-bit sprites.
* SaveThePrincess: In this case, Yumetaro's owner (named Mary in the Scandinavian manual). She can only be rescued by collecting the six secret items and clearing the secret stage.
* SceneryPorn: There's a brief sequence in the first stage where you walk through a submerged tunnel surrounded by moving fish. This part isn't there for any reason other than to show off the effort the developers put into the game. In the second stage, there's a similar area where you can see a vista of the horizon over the ocean, again solely for aesthetics.
* SecretStage: Get all the hidden items from the previous stages to reveal one. It's also the only way to get to the TrueFinalBoss.
* SequenceBreak: You can use a bouncing star to skip almost three-quarters of stage 2. However, you'll miss one of the secret items.
* SequentialBoss: The fifth stage's boss, after being defeated, comes back with a SpiderTank. The TrueFinalBoss also has two forms; a figure cloaked in black who fires magic blasts, and a futuristic warrior who wields a sword.
* SharkTunnel: One part of the first stage. Thankfully, there are no sharks.
* SomeDexterityRequired: A basic maneuver that the game requires you to master involves throwing a star at a precise angle so that it lands underneath Yumetaro, so you can jump off of it in mid-air and reach a higher platform. This is necessary to reach the secret items in several stages, including the first.
* SpiderTank: The fifth main boss in its second phase.
* SpikesOfDoom: Every stage except the second stage and the secret seventh stage.
* TheSpiny: Spiky enemies in the second stage and cat-like Ohagi enemies in the secret stage.
* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: Springboards can be found in the fifth and sixth stages.
* StalactiteSpite: The third stage has falling rocks which will only activate once you get close to them. The level has a general theme of booby traps, so this is fitting.
* SuperDrowningSkills: Yumetaro can drown in water that's barely twice as deep as he is high.
* TemporaryPlatform: These show up on occasion, appearing as falling logs or stone platforms or the like. Using Yumetaro's star allows you to cross these without touching them.
* TrueFinalBoss: A mysterious horned man with a cloak, whose first form is strikingly reminiscent of [[Franchise/{{Castlevania}} Dracula]]. In ''exAct☆Mix'', it's a girl in a poofy dress and top hat wielding a parasol instead, but her attacks are the same. In their second phase, the cloak flies off and their armored true form is revealed, armed with a LaserBlade (the man in the original), or a jewel-tipped scepter (the girl in ''exAct☆Mix'').
* TubeTravel: Transparent tubes show up in most levels to take you from room to room.
* UniqueEnemy: Most of the stages have a set of unique enemies particular to them. In particular, stage 6 has a pair of enemies at the beginning that resemble a yeti and a raccoon; neither will actively attack you, and instead just play with each other (unless you attack one of them, in which case the other will become hostile).
* VengefulAbandonedToy: The story begins when a young girl is given a green, big-eyed toy with a tiny horn on top of its head as a gift. After the other toys in her toy box watch her play with it, they come to life while she's asleep and whisk her away to another land. The new toy then has to go after them to save the girl.
* WaddlingHead: Yumetaro and most all of his enemies.
* WreakingHavok: The physics are astoundingly advanced for a Famicom/NES game. Getting all the secret items requires a cursory knowledge of how said physics affect your star's trajectory.
* {{Youkai}}: Yumetaro is an ''{{oni}}'' (note the horn), and other creatures throughout the game resemble various ''youkai'' as well; for example, the level 6 boss attacks with what resembles {{Hitodama Light}}s.
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