Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Sega Master System) - Let's Play 1001 Games - Episode 11
22Just a simple Radaxian prince on a mission... to punch a LOT of animals
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I'm Gaming Jay: Youtube gamer, let's player, retrogaming fan, and determined optimist... Join me in this series while I try out EVERY game in the book 1001 VIDEO GAMES YOU MUST PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE, before I die. The game review for each game will focus on the question of whether you MUST play this game before you die. But to be honest, the game reviews are just for fun, this series is more about the YouTube gamer journey. Let's try out those classic retro games we grew up with, have fond memories of, or heard of but never got a chance to try! And with that said, the game review for today is...
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Released 1986
Developer(s) Sega
Platform(s) Sega Master System
Genre(s) Platformer
Jay's Thoughts
Anyone growing up in the 80's knew about Nintendo, knew about Sega, and knew they were bitter rivals. It's still odd to me that these days Sonic the Hedgehog exists in Nintendo games. And I do wonder whether kids today would find it surprising to hear that Sega and Nintendo were once as bitter rivals as Xbox and Playstation. But hey... times change.
Before Sonic was Sega's official Mario rival however, Alex Kidd took a shot at the job. Alex Kidd in Miracle World was essentially a Mario-style platformer and, at the time, Sega's attempt to answer Super Mario Bros.
Alex Kidd is an interesting game though I did not find it as fun as Super Mario. The controls are not as tight, the levels are not as interesting, Alex's abilities are less fun than Mario's, and the levels feature some difficult or silly mechanics. For example, in one level you can purchase a motorcycle which lets you whiz through the level almost with no effort... unless you make a mistake and hit a red bubble, in which case the level now becomes quite difficult! And the boss of this level? A character who plays you in Rock, Paper, Scissors, except that his choices are pre-determined and never change with subsequent playthroughs. So if you can beat him once, you can always beat him. Not much of a boss if you ask me.
Overall Alex Kidd isn't a bad game per se, but it definitely doesn't hold up in comparison to a game like Mario. And so it's no wonder that Sonic ended up usurping Alex's place as Sega's main mascot.
➙ Must You Play It?
A fairly difficult platformer that has some interesting mechanics such as buying vehicles and punching your way through levels. While it's an OK platformer, it's no Sonic or Mario. Check it out if you're specifically looking for a unique retro platformer but otherwise you can skip it.