While the movie itself has only a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the game received very positive reviews at its release (at least the NES version did) for its creative puzzles, market of handy items and diverse variety of Gremlin enemies with unique skills and abilities. Even the game's soundtrack on both Game Boy and NES earned good feedback.
Enemies in the game's NES version include:
- Mohawk, the game's Big Bad. He's the Final Boss and also the Boss at the end of Levels 2 and 4. He's fought as a boss. The first time, Mohawk merely uses his claws to go after you. The second, he's armed with a machine gun (similar to the one he used to shoot at Billy in the movie), and the third time, he's a spider mutant.
- The Electric Gremlin, you use paper clips to defeat him at the end of Level 3. He can shoot electric balls that fly off in 4 directions.
- George, he uses a cigar that can fire flames at you.
- Lennie, he jumps around.
- Daffy, he launches magician hats everywhere and spins like a tornado.
- The Veggie Gremlin, throws pineapples that break into five slices.
- Gremlins that fly around on beanie hats.
- Bat Gremlins, they throw tornadoes at you
- Gremlins arms that pop out of the floor.
- Gremlins on skateboards that throw dynamite at you.
- Bats, mice, spiders and giant hopping tomatoes (spoof of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!)
Tropes found in the game's NES version include:
- 1-Up: You can buy them at Mr. Wing's market, just look for the golden door and select a "Gizmo" to buy it.
- Asteroids Monster: Giant spiders split into two smaller spiders when defeated.
- Balloonacy: Gizmo can use balloons to stay off the hazardous ground for 10 seconds. Balloons are available at Mr. Wing's market.
- Bottomless Pit Rescue Service: Gizmo can buy a single-use balloon that protects him from falling into a pit.
- Bottomless Pits: A common hazard in the game. Falling into one pits Gizmo back on solid ground at the cost of health.
- Breath Weapon: One of the gremlins that makes its first appearance in 2-2 breathes fire.
- Conspicuous Electric Obstacle: Starting from stage 3-2, Gizmo will encounter two types of electric hazards: Electrified spheres and exposed sizzling wires. Both act functionally identical to spikes and lava.
- Defeat Equals Explosion: All the enemies explode upon being defeated.
- Difficulty by Acceleration: The gameplay rapidly gets more difficult as you progress, not because of the enemies but because of all the jumping you have to do to avoid obstacles such as spike-ball windmills, lava, electrical shocking gates and being forced to jump on treadmills that run in the reverse direction of where you need to go.
- Edible Ammunition: The first stage's weapon is tomatoes. Also, as mentioned above, the Veggie Gremlin in stage 3-1 throws pineapples.
- Essence Drop: Enemies drop orbs when destroyed. These are used as currency.
- Everything Fades: Pickups disappear when not picked up.
- Fire-Breathing Weapon: The match, in stage 2 shoots fire.
- Floating Platforms: Orange boxes moving back and forth over Bottomless Pits are very commonly encountered.
- Giant Spider: Large spiders are one of the first enemies encountered.
- Healing Potion: Available at Mr. Wing's market.
- Hearts Are Health: You get 3 to 4 at maximum, and lose half a heart for each attack inflicted on you.
- Improvised Weapon: Paper clips in the third stage.
- Inconveniently-Placed Conveyor Belt: Conveyor belts make their first appearance in stage 3 and continue appearing until the end of the game.
- Invincibility Power-Up: Pogo stick makes Gizmo temporarily invincible. Gizmo can also stomp on enemies. The downside is that Gizmo cannot shoot.
- Knockback: Gizmo gets knocked back when hit.
- Lava Pit: For some reason, this game takes place entirely inside the Clamp Tower and yet there are floors made of lava and fire that you have to avoid.
- Malevolent Architecture: The levels in this game would be very difficult to navigate in real life with all those hazards and all.
- Post-Defeat Explosion Chain: Every enemy gets destroyed with multiple explosions.
- Smart Bomb: The light bulb, even against non-Gremlin enemies (eg. in the first stage).
- Spared by the Adaptation: Mr. Wing died in the movie, but in the game he's very much well and alive running the market selling items to Gizmo (extra lives, balloons, power upgrades on your weapon to shoot in 3 directions, increased health) in exchange for the crystal balls you collect by defeating Gremlins.
- Spike Balls of Doom: Starting from the second stage, pink spiky balls make an appearance. These either move up/down or left/right pattern. Or move in circles.
- Spikes of Doom: Spiky floor is a common hazard throughout the game.
- Spread Shot: Once the upgrade is bought from the shop:
- The match gets two additional 90-degree shots.
- Three paper clips are thrown at a time.
- Five pencil arrows are fired off, the three directions of the paper clip plus two at 45-degree angles.
- Time Stands Still: Naturally enough, the watch item freezes all the enemies for a short period of time.
- Tornado Move: One of the enemies turns into a tornado to attack Gizmo.
- Written Sound Effect: Bomb enemies explode with "BOMB" word.
