Chances are you have never heard of Mr. Gimmick, an NES game released back in 1992. It never found its way to American shores and its nearly impossible to find a copy that remains in existence, but I have the next best thing: an expertly done and well-crafted historical examination of the game complete with annotations.

From the creator:

This is the first of a four-part gameplay video of Gimmick!, a platform game released by SunSoft for the Japanese NES in 1992. A worldwide release of this game (as “Mr. Gimmick”) was planned but ultimately canceled, leaving only the original Japanese version and a small release in Scandinavia. Gimmick! was a major accomplishment and a beautiful game, and it’s a shame that the game never had its chance to shine.

Be sure you keep annotations on! I spent a long time explaining the history and cultural significance of this game, I hope you learn something.