Alex Kidd: High-Tech World (Master System) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
186A playthrough of Sega's 1989 platforming adventure game for the Sega Master System, Alex Kidd: High Tech World.
Focusing more on puzzle solving that action, Alex Kidd: High Tech World provides a markedly different experience from the other games in the series. It didn't actually start life as an Alex Kidd game at all: it is a reskinned version of a game based on an old manga.
Prince Alex has heard that a new arcade, the titular High Tech World, has opened up nearby, and he's as excited as you might expect any kidd to be. He had a map to show him the way, but it has been torn up. Oh no!
Being a resourceful young prince/monkey...thing, Alex resolves to find all of the maps bits so that he can make it to the arcade before it closes at five o'clock. (Doesn't this also sound like the basic premise for the Genesis Beavis and Butthead game?) But really, what arcade closes at 5?!
The game begins at Alex's castle, and he has to explore and solve puzzles to find each piece of the map. It plays out a bit like Maniac Mansion on the NES or King's Quest on the SMS but with a simpler interface and more limited interactions. The tasks are varied - you order a pizza, take a test, pester people endlessly... though a lot of the tasks rely on trial-and-error to figure out, I got a big kick out of the unconventional style. Though the layout of the house does make it easy to lose track of where things are, but with a bit of patience, it's not too difficult to work everything out.
Once you've put the map together, you escape from the castle with your glider and eventually land in a forest full of ninja, where you'll make your way through a simple platformer scene before reaching a small town, where you'd play another small puzzle-style sequence to get a gate pass. Finally, after presenting your gate pass, you'll fight through one last platformer stage before reaching High Tech World.
The whole game is over and done with quickly, and while i know that this one wasn't received nearly as well as the original Alex Kidd game, I really enjoyed the way it diverged from the typical platformer template. I thought the graphics were nice to look at - they're bright and super cheerful, and the music was catchy, upbeat, and it didn't grate on my nerves like the tunes from so many other Master System games do.
I wouldn't call it classic by any means, but I would recommend it to anyone that can appreciate it for its unique, off-beat style and design.
Links to a couple other Alex Kidd games:
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System):
https://youtu.be/Xwzx_qUf8Bw
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Genesis):
https://youtu.be/FdcMexKFt3w
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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