Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX Review

It's easy not to feel sorry about Alex Kidd. Nintendo moved forward in the 1980s with their dungareed Mascot, Super Mario Bros. In 1985, it changed how we looked at side scrolling platformers forever. Sega, however, couldn't resist introducing Alex Kidd to Miracle World in 1986. Alex Kidd, despite six games being released in the span of four years, would not be "Sega’s Mario". Sega switched to Sonic the Hedgehog, and the Kidd was forgotten. Until now.

It's a shame because Alex Kidd of Miracle World has been forgotten. The game was actually built into many Master System consoles. No physical game was required, an experience I still cherish to this day.

Alex Kidd was also known for being difficult, and I still remember it being hard. This is a remake. Would Miracle World DX keep Alex Kidd as the original? You're pretty close.

At first glance, Alex Kidd might appear to be a Super Mario Bros-style knockoff. Both share a 2D cutesy platforming style as well as a love for breaking blocks. However, they are quite different beasts. Super Mario Bros. has an extremely well-designed and thought out difficulty curve. Although Alex Kidd's Miracle World is a challenging game, it is still more difficult than Nintendo.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World has a few problems. First of all, it was created with 'coinop'-style game mechanics. The games of this type tried to make players spend their spare coin on arcade machines, making them challenging but also addictive. These games maintained their design even when transferred to consoles, and many of these games still use this gameplay style well into the 1990s.

Alex Kidd's normal' mode has three lives. You must complete each level. Each time you lose a level, you're sent back to a checkpoint. These checkpoints are generous. After you lose all three lives you'll be returned to the start of the level. While frustrating, this adds a layer of strategy to your game and forces players to 'look before they leap'.

Alex Kidd's gameplay is flawless. As I mentioned earlier, the game moves fast, with Alex running and jumping at lightning speed around various levels. Alex Kidd is not a game to be played quickly or without caution. Miracle World is a game that wants you fast. I'm sure people will rush through this game at some point, but novices should have patience.

Alex is a simple character. Within five minutes, you may feel you know how to platform. Alex is a character that I found very interesting. I didn't expect to be able to keep up with his leaps. His jumps always seemed to fall short of or exceed my expectations. You had to be extra careful to avoid getting back to the top of the level.

Alex Kidd is desperate for you to play faster, take more risks and be more successful. However, with continual practice I can make it happen, and so I cannot. It's a frustrating style of gameplay for many, as three deaths will send you back to the beginning. You have the option of turning off this portion of the game. This means that you will not be pushed back into the original level and each death will result instead in a checkpoint.

While it might sound like sour grapes I found a few problems with Miracle World’s hit boxes. I felt as though I had just avoided an enemy, but Alex changed into an angel and went to heaven. Similar to the other occasion, I seemed to have passed through an enemy with no death. This happened very rarely and did not affect my enjoyment of this game.

The background art is another issue. Alex Kidd, in Miracle World DX, aims to faithfully recreate the original game. Although backgrounds have been updated, they remain in the same style and design as the original. However, the background grass was sometimes mixed in with the frontground grass. Because the blocks making up the foreground platforms also had grass on them, it was difficult for people to know where a platform ended.

Alex Kidd, the original in Miracle World, was a beloved classic of the 8 bit era. It's wonderful that this game will be remade for modern gamers. The remake is flawless. It is nearly identical to the Master System title's gameplay, but has been given a fresh coat and updated music.

Miracle World DX appeals to fans of both the original game and modern indie platforms. Although the game feels easier than it did when I was a child, even hardcore gamers will not have any problems completing its 17 stages. Despite its difficulty, the game isn't overly frustrating and it's still fun.