In September 2025, Gimmick! composer Masashi Kageyama passed away at the age of 62 following a battle with stomach cancer. Kageyama-san was a visible supporter of the VGM cover community, and had formed friendships with many musicians over the years, even performing with acts at MAGFest 2025.

In November, during Gastric Cancer Awareness Month, the GameGrooves community came together for a week to create this album in honor of Kageyama-san.

The Gimmick! soundtrack has long been considered a standout of the NES/Famicom, with influences from jazz fusion, pop and hard rock coming together to create a memorable soundscape. With "Lion Heart," we pay tribute to the impact this soundtrack had on video game music at large, and to the incredible musician responsible for it.

Proceeds from this album will go to the Gastric Cancer Foundation, an organization focused on accelerating research into various gastric cancers to provide better treatments and more positive outcomes for patients and their families.

Original Composer: Masashi Kageyama
Album Art by Carrie Wood
Album Mastered by Drew Gibson / Lowlander
Album Producer: Carrie Wood

-Track 1-
darmock - arrangement, electric bass, acoustic guitar, mandolin
Ian Martyn - Irish tenor banjo, mixing
Ronin Op F - fiddle
Karl Kim - acoustic guitar

-Track 2-
Ian Cowell - guitar, synths
B / I / R / T / H / D / A / Y - band

B / I / R / T / H / D / A / Y is:
Ian Cowell - guitar, synths
Delicious Nick - keyboards
Ronin Op F - violin

-Track 3-
meldecision - arranging, mixing
Brik - trumpet
Woodsier Texas - tenor trombone
Jon Levitt - conga
DeLuxDolemite - marimba, timbales and cowbell, bongos, cajon
JohnStacy - trumpet
Carrie Wood - bass
Nathan Froehlich - euphonium
Veronica Tyler Christie - bass trombone

-Track 4-
Catonator - Tracker programming, Synthesizers, Electric guitar

-Track 5-
Delicious Nick - Keyboard
B / I / R / T / H / D / A / Y - band
Woodsier Texas - Horns

B / I / R / T / H / D / A / Y is:
Delicious Nick - Keyboard
Ian Cowell - Guitar
Ronin Op F - Violin

-Track 6-
Czyszy - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, classical guitar, MIDI programming, flexatone fx, background alto sax, glockenspiel, mix, arrangement, instrument recording

-Track 7-
Gimmick! Video Game Rock Band - band

Gimmick! Video Game Rock Band is:
Chris Taylor - Guitar
Justin Olejnik - Drums
Kenny Reichelderfer - Guitar
Mike Villalobos - Bass
Kevin Spencer - Guitar

-Track 8-
Carrie Wood - Guitar, Bass, Arranging & sequencing
Jon Levitt - Drums

-Track 9-
Metatron - all instruments

-Track 10-
DeBisco - Synthesizers, Programming

-Track 11-
Ian Martyn - arrangement, electric guitar, piano, electric piano, clavinet, alto vocals, tenor vocals, baritone vocals
RnJi - additional arrangement, EDM production, mixing
V-Ron Media - vibraphone, congas
darmock - electric bass
Darby Cupit - baritone vocals
ACappellaVGM - alto vocals, tenor vocals, baritone vocals
Nathan Froehlich - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, trombone, hand claps
Simon Shirley - tenor vocals, baritone vocals, hand claps
ThankYouSasquatch - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, tenor vocals
Karl Kim - tenor vocals, baritone vocals, trombone
iCrescendo - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
zdmajor7 - alto vocals
Ursa Starsong - alto vocals, tenor vocals, baritone vocals
Xander Plute - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Woodsier Texas - trombone
Leo Martyn - baritone vocals
Dionté George - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone
Brik - trumpet
Veronica Tyler Christie - trombone

-Track 12-
Ronin Op F - Violin, Mixing, Arrangement
Carrie Wood - Bass
Ian Cowell - Guitar
jmr - Synthesizers, Programming

-Track 13-
Marshall Art - band

Marshall Art is:
Jeff Roberts  - YM2612, 2A03, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, shaker, mixing engineer
Mikhail Ivanov - electric guitar
Cory Johnson  - electric guitar
Eder Bastos - bass guitar
Ronin Op F - violin
Jer Roque - electric piano
Kev Ragone - drums, tambourine
Lauren the Flute - vocals, flute
Nathan Froehlich - trumpet, tenor sax