When we think of Sega and mascots, our thoughts turn to Sonic the Hedgehog. While the blue blur was indeed Sega’s mascot from the 16 bit era onward, they had another mascot first in the form of Alex Kidd. Alex Kidd’s most well known title was Alex Kidd in Miracle World, ad now Sega has brought an enhanced port of the game to Nintendo Switch via the Sega Ages lineup.
Alex Kidd was made to be a Super Mario killer and while he didn’t succeed in that goal, I have to say that this 8 bit game is quite a bit better than Mario’s outing. The worlds seems more fleshed out and better polished and with a lot more variety included. I am a bit surprised by all of this, but it is easy to see now why Alex Kidd was a hit at the time. There is better platforming and a nice emphasis on combat, and I have to say its clear that coming after Mario let Sega learn from what worked and what didn’t with Nintendo’s hit.
Some of the changes added by the Sega Ages release are a rewind features and a save mode. Both of these additions will add much relief to gamers who may have been frustrated by some of the more difficult sections. The game also includes a ranking system and time attack modes, and these are perfect for those who want more of a challenge. In this way, Sega has addressed both sides of the debate regarding the game’s difficulty and I feel that is a nice touch.
The levels definitely have more to them, both in terms of underwater levels, flying levels and enemy design. As a lifelong Nintendo fan who grew up playing the original Super Mario Bros, seeing that Sega bested Nintendo at 8 bit platforming is rather mind-blowing. The series fell off in the 16 bit era after the game’s began poorly performing, but Alex Kidd in Miracle World will always be a classic. I fully recommend checking it out.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
Psycho Fox is also worth a mention when it comes to 8-bit platformers. I loved that, and crazy fast at time for such a machine (with the tiger, not the hippo!)