I won’t give you any false promises: this review may be a bit biased for a game that I love. There’s not much to do in the game, so I might just be feeling nostalgic. There are two reasons why I like this game, though. First, it’s one of the few games that I’ve really enjoyed playing through multiple times. Second, the music behind it is very memorable – you can tell that the writer of the music is a big fan of the original game.
The story behind the series is a simple one: Alex Kidd was a young kid who dreamed of becoming a super hero and defeating his arch enemy, Doctor Neo Cortex. In order to do so, he needed to obtain the Golden Seal which was the main power source for Cortex’s new and improved mech suit. The seals power was being siphoned off by a mysterious evil entity, presumably Doctor Cortex himself.
One of the most fun games on the original NES, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a port of the original game. It has the same two-player gameplay with the goal of finding your kidnapped brother. The graphics are the same, but the music and sound effects are remixed to a modern sound. The game play is the same as the original, so if you enjoyed the original, you will enjoy this one as well.
I’ve said before that I love this growing trend of classic Sega franchises being developed and released under license by other studios and publishers. This allows Sega to keep it fresh in the public’s mind and make more Yakuza or whatever they think will be most profitable financially. A win-win situation, so to speak. After Streets of Rage, Wonder Boy and Panzer Dragoon, it was only a matter of time before someone would decide to bring Alex Kidd back in some form. I can’t thank Merge Games and Jankenteam enough for Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX. Despite some flaws, it was exactly what I wanted it to be.
First level with master filter system enabled…
In the US, many people don’t know Alex Kidd, but in other markets, this little monkey boy is the real deal. He was the original Sega mascot before Sonic, the protagonist of Alex Kidd in Miracle World, a 1986 platform game for the Sega Master System that rivaled none other than Mario himself. The Master System may have failed in the United States, but in markets like Brazil, my home country, it far surpassed the NES.
… and the same level with revised visual effects. Welcome to the 21st century. The century, Alex!
In fact, the Master System is so popular in Brazil that it is still produced and sold under license. That means you can walk into a game store and walk out with an Xbox S series and an 8-bit console released this year in the same bag. It was everyone’s childhood, not the SNES. And Alex Kidd was one of the biggest stars in the system, if not the most iconic figure for an entire generation of players, as big as the Italian plumber himself. For us, Alex Kidd’s remake means practically half of the country’s youth is brought back to life with brand new graphics and sounds. What a time to be alive!
Alex is riding the slowest motorcycle in the history of the game.
Alex Kidd on Miracle World DX is following the same trend as Miracle Boy: Dragon trap. It is essentially the same game as the one from 1986, but with a brand new cover. Switch from brand new graphics to old 8-bit graphics with the push of a button. The same applies to sound design: You can listen to the beautiful soundtrack arrangements of Tokuhiko Uwabo’s masterpiece, or take a nostalgic kick to the chin and listen to the original 8-bit tracks.
The new graphics look good, but they don’t exactly try to match the cartoony style of other Sega Revival games from the past few years. Instead, the developers have opted for what I can only describe as high-resolution PS1 sprites that look absolutely stunning in motion. The characters are incredibly well animated and the levels are packed with detail. The only thing I didn’t like about the drawing style was the overemphasis on lighting and bloom effects, which can be a bit irritating to the eyes at certain points in the game.
Alex Kidd of Miracle World DX is great, but sometimes he’s too smart.
While I appreciate the existence of this remake, I must point out that you are essentially still playing a 1986 game. This means that while the game has received some additional quality of life improvements, some of the problems that existed in the first Alex Kidd in Miracle World are also present here. Hit recognition is poor: Your fist attack can barely hit anything within half a meter of you, and the slightest touch from an opponent kills you instantly. The famous rock-paper-scissors boss-fighting system is also back, meaning that defeating bosses in Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX depends on luck, not skill. These confrontations are not difficult at all, but you have to take this factor into account.
Matt, it’s 2021. We can attack each other violently.
If you don’t mind playing an 80s game from 2021, you’ll have a great time with Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX. It’s a great way to introduce a new generation of players to a criminally underrated franchise that deserves far more respect than it’s received over the years. It’s colorful, charming, not too hard to play, and most of all a real nostalgia bomb for those who grew up with it back in the day. I’m really glad that Jankenteam and Merge Games took the time to bring this 80s hero back into the spotlight, and I hope they release more Alex Kidd games in the near future.
| Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX benefits from a new graphical layer that is very pleasant to look at, even if the lighting and colour effects are sometimes a little too exaggerated. With the push of a button, you get the classic Master System visual effects back. | It’s essentially the same gameplay as the original 1986 Alex Kidd in Miracle World. It’s very simple and easy to learn, but it also has a lot of false plots and questionable hitboxes. |
| The original soundtrack has been recreated with new arrangements and instruments, but you can also hear the iconic chiptune songs when playing in 8-bit mode. | It’s a thing of the past. It brings almost nothing new in terms of gameplay improvements, but offers players a whole new way to play one of the most underrated games of all time, with beautiful graphics and accessible features. |
| Final decision: 8.0 | |
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is already available on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch.
Verified by PC.
A copy of the book Alex Kidd in a DX Wonderland was provided by the publisher.
May:
How do you load…
Check it!
It is always exciting to see a classic game return on the current consoles. This week, I got to go hands-on with Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX, the modernized sequel to the 1985 Genesis classic Alex Kidd in Miracle World. I’ve been a fan of the original game since I first saw it on the Genesis, and revisiting it on the PlayStation 3 was a blast, even if the graphics and sound are a little dated.. Read more about alex kidd in miracle world dx ps5 and let us know what you think.
