Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX | Xbox Review

Way back in ancient times also known as the 1980s, there was a time when Sega didn’t have the blue blur with ‘tude as their flagship mascot. Instead they had a Kung Fu fighting, rock-paper-scissors loving boy named Alex Kidd. This was the face of Sega when they introduced their first game console to North American players, the Sega Master System. 

This era of Sega’s history I was completely unaware of as a kid. I had always believed that the Genesis (aka Mega Drive) was Sega’s first attempt at dethroning the Big N. After all, it’s in the name…Genesis; meaning origin or beginning. It wouldn’t be until I got into retro game collecting where I first learned the existence of the Master System, and its forgotten mascot, Alex Kidd. Now on its 35th anniversary, developers Merge Games and Jankenteam bring us Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX, a remake that’s as charming and engaging, but also just as challenging and frustrating as other retro games of that era.

Twice the Mega Power

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a 2D side scrolling platformer where you’re playing as Alex. He’s on a quest to save his homeworld of Radaxian after being conquered by the evil Janken the Great; who turns most of the citizens into stone, quickly overthrows the Radaxian King Thunder and imprisons his son Prince Egle. It’s up to Alex to traverse the Radaxian kingdom, defeat Janken’s henchmen (in a minigame of rock-paper-scissors) and collect items that will aid in his quest in defeating Janken the Great himself, thus restoring peace to the kingdom.

This game is a complete remake of the 1986 original, therefore it has an all new physics engine and graphics overhaul. Your primary method of attack is punching. You can punch enemies, obstacles, rocks and various other environmental elements. Oftentimes a punched block will reveal sacks of money, which can be used to buy abilities and power ups in shops you’ll come across along your quest. This remake adds all new levels, extends existing levels and varies up the boss fights beyond what was first seen in 1986. That said, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX can still be completed in about an hour or so if you’re skilled enough.

SMS Hard

The main meat of this game is the platforming. Like most games of the era, platformers were all the rage in the 80s and 90s, much like first person shooters are today. Believe it or not, this is my first introduction into the Alex Kidd franchise. As I said earlier, this era of Sega’s history went completely over my head. When it comes to platformers, my mind immediately goes to Mario. As such, it was super hard undoing and unlearning nearly 30 years of playing as the world famous plumber.

Unfortunately, the platforming can be both slippery and floaty and this is the primary issue I had with this game. It’s very easy to both overshoot and undershoot a jump. You’ll often find yourself trying to land on platforms as large as a single block, and if you’re lucky enough to land on it, there’s still a high chance you’ll slip off and fall into a hazard or enemy. I’m not sure if this is how it was in the original, but anyone who grew up in the 8-bit era will know how unforgiving games of that time can be. It’s so well known there’s a term for it, NES Hard. I guess we can call this SMS Hard?

By default you’ll start off with the standard 3 lives until it’s game over. Luckily, there is an option for unlimited lives. I turned this option on almost immediately, and it’s definitely useful since I died A LOT. It’s my first time with this series so I don’t have the levels memorized and truly needed that crutch. Turning this option on, however, will unfortunately disable the achievements. So any of you achievement hunters out there beware.

🎵 SEEEGGAAAA 🎵

The graphics and sound design of Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX are top notch and truly captures the spirit of the original. It’s colorful and lively with super fluid scrolling, with some exceptions. When falling vertically for example, the game will pause-shift to the next section of the level and then your character will continue falling (think Mario 2). The music also has been re-recorded with modern arrangements of the classic tunes. The iconic tune of the first level sounds great when it’s not limited to the beeps and boops of an 8-bit sound chip. I’m sure if the technology existed at the time, this is exactly the game they would’ve made.

One great feature is the ability to switch between modern and 8-bit retro graphics on the fly at the push of a button. I love when games do this and, being the retro gamer that I am, it’s appreciated when a long running series acknowledges their roots. The retro mode is purely aesthetic however, with no difference in gameplay. Regardless, it still shows how far the medium has evolved in three and half decades.

Also switching between old and new is not just limited to the digital world. My physical copy came with a reversible insert artwork resembling the style of old Master System covers. It also includes a proper instruction manual and the disc artwork looks like an SMS cartridge. Consider my nostalgic heart warmed.

Final Thoughts

Despite the difficulty, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a great game, and a wonderful package to commemorate the franchise’s 35th anniversary. I enjoyed my time with it, but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting anytime soon. Honestly, I’ll stick with Mario but for any long time fans, this will surely strum the nostalgia heart strings. It has more to offer beyond the main game. It includes an uprezzed port of the Master System game and also a Boss Rush mode. Those of you who are experts at this game can get through it in roughly 90 minutes. If you like old school retro platformers, give Alex Kidd a try. It’s one heck of a challenge, but it’s worth checking out in rediscovering an old mascot.

This review is based on a purchased copy of Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX for Xbox. It is also available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.