|
Preamble: This isn't a review. It doesn't contain critical analysis, just the subjective opinions of one person. The intent is to remember the games I've come across in my life and share the nostalgia, nothing more. And some of those games I didn't play in great depth.
Thanks for all your comments yesterday on Pokemon Gold/Silver. I loved that game. Today we have a shorter blog post, but with just as many memories. Coming up next; Sopwith, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and Ultima VI: The False Prophet.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Developer: Sega
Platform: Sega Master System
Release Year: 1986
Impact on my life: 7/10
Impact on the world: 8/10 - mainly because of the exposure it got.
Semi-objective Rating: 7/10
![[image loading]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F4D5lvwtTiA/TsxnIa75YXI/AAAAAAAAAm4/-iRuFGNbqcA/s320/AlexKiddInMiracleWorldBox.jpg)
Remember when you turned on your Sega Master System II without any cartridge in, it would boot up Alex Kidd in Miracle Land?
Basic Plot
I didn't know there was much of a story but apparently it's quite complex. You play the role of Alex the Kidd, an expert martial artist seeking to save his kingdom from the evil Janken the Great.
Gameplay
The game is primarily a 2D platform scroller with elements of role playing and puzzle solving.
You control Alex Kidd through a variety of levels, avoiding or defeating enemies. Some levels are on land, others are underwater.
In between levels Alex Kidd is able to spend the money he obtained in the previous levels on items such as a bicycle or peticopter which can be used to move faster in the game.
His primary method of attack is a punch, and there are items can be obtained from special blocks similar to the mechanic in Super Mario Brothers which allow you to attack in different ways (I seem to remember a rnig which let you shoot fireballs?).
I remember at least one boss fight which required playing a game of paper/scissors/rock with an opponent. The opponent would always do the same combination, so if you wrote it down the first time you encountered him you were sorted for life.
![[image loading]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--kHlxE8SFPQ/TsxnMfb80HI/AAAAAAAAAnA/kA70e6MoNcA/s1600/images.jpg)
Positives
Because the game came with every Sega Master System II everyone's played it. It had really good and catchy music, and for a platform game was a pleasure to play.
The game was based a lot on memory - remembering which special blocks release evil spirits as opposed to items, remembering which paper/scissors/rock combination your opponent will use. I quite like that aspect as it forces the player to make notes or remember things outside of the game but also once you figure out a certain thing if you remember it, you can easily progress past it in the future giving you a longer term sense of progression. That's pretty important in an age where you couldn't just "save your game" in many games, especially console games.
![[image loading]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRsekW9zOQ0/TsxnQlfL2TI/AAAAAAAAAnI/7W8EyFzdJ0A/s320/alex-kidd-in-miracle-world-virtual-console-20080623014153945_640w.jpg)
Seeing this image makes the music play in my head!
Negatives
None. For what it was, and the year it was made, it was pretty amazing.
Memorable Moments
I never had a Sega Master System II but I enjoyed playing this at my friends' houses. It's amazing how many kids owned one.
EDIT: It's actually Alex Kidd in Miracle World... not Alex "the" Kidd... My entire childhood I said it wrong...
|
Fuck yeah, Alex Kidd! (note, Alex Kidd, not Alex The Kidd). And yes, you could buy a ring which you could shoot fireballs with, and an invincibility remedy, a flying cane, a motorbike, copter thing, lives, and two weird items I don't know the name of. One was a thing with an 'A' on it, and you place it and miniature Alex Kidds run out and attack enemies infront of them. The other one was a thing with a 'B' on it which created a personal barrier which protected you for a finite amount of time.
Sega Master System II is my favourite system. Ever. If you've downloaded an emulator you should get Wonder Boy III - The Dragon's Trap. Easily one of the best games on the system and I still play it to this day.
|
On August 30 2012 08:30 prOxi.swAMi wrote:
Fuck yeah, Alex Kidd! (note, Alex Kidd, not Alex The Kidd). And yes, you could buy a ring which you could shoot fireballs with, and an invincibility remedy, a flying cane, a motorbike, copter thing, lives, and two weird items I don't know the name of. One was a thing with an 'A' on it, and you place it and miniature Alex Kidds run out and attack enemies infront of them. The other one was a thing with a 'B' on it which created a personal barrier which protected you for a finite amount of time.
Sega Master System II is my favourite system. Ever. If you've downloaded an emulator you should get Wonder Boy III - The Dragon's Trap. Easily one of the best games on the system and I still play it to this day.
Oh. My. Goodness. I have been saying "Alex the Kidd" since I was... 8 years old? You just blew my mind... I cannot believe I never saw that before! I have updated the OP to match but I'm unable to change the blog title as far as I can see. Thank you for correcting me!
|
If you're big on SEGA (not sure if you are a big sega fan or just liked Alex Kidd, since you only played at your friends' place), there's a really cool community, smspower, which you might enjoy.
Also, if you still don't own one, get one now (ebay is your best bet). They are beginning to enter into relic status and price keeps going up. I've been trying to expand my collection of games lately, I think I have about 60 now.
My list of must-have games:
- Alex Kidd in Miracle World
- Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
- Alex Kidd and The Lost Stars (many would disagree with me, but i loved the music in this so much)
- Wonder Boy in Monster Land
- Wonder Boy III - The Dragon's Trap
- Shinobi
- The Ninja
- Quartet
- Sagaia
- Lucky Dime Caper
- Master of Darkness
- Micky Mouse in Castle of Illusion
- Micky Mouse in Land of Illusion
- Psycho Fox
- Enduro Racer
- Asterix (all editions)
- Sonic The Hedgehog 1
- Sonic The Hedgehog 2
- Thunder Blade
|
That game was so hard when I got it...I was just a child, so angry at the roshambo, then 20 years later I discovered that the roshambo patterns were fixed TT
|
On August 30 2012 12:13 MrCon wrote:
That game was so hard when I got it...I was just a child, so angry at the roshambo, then 20 years later I discovered that the roshambo patterns were fixed TT
Haha, yeah. Every time I came up against a Janken henchman I would write the jan ken pong pattern in the back of the book. Never had any trouble with the henchmen after that :D
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
