Support the show on Patreon: / implantgames IMPLANTgames.com implantgames implant In today’s video I dive in and take a look to see if Alex Kidd in Miracle World for the Sega Master System is still good. Enjoy!
It didn't hold up even at the time. I never wanted my Nintendo friends to see the boxes because they were already so skeptical of the SMS and they would laugh when they saw the art. Most American SMS box art is terrible. A couple exceptions from my collection are the Ys box and the Wonder Boy in Monster Land box.
This is just a guess, but I get the feeling they were attempting to make the games less intimidating to clueless parents trying to find the game their kid wanted. Who knows? Perhaps they succeeded in that respect. But they may have sacrificed something by being less appealing to the kids themselves. I can speak more to how it affected the NES.
Great video! I used to play this game so much as a little kid but could never finish the second castle, it was too hard and cryptic for me back in the day. I would say this is still a pretty solid game but those controls do take a while to get used to and like you said there are still times where you would fall off those tiny platforms. I'm surprised you didn't mention that this was built into the Master System 2 so you could play it when no other game was inserted and how the rice balls were changed to burgers in the west. Being built into the console is what I think really made him memorable at the time because the other consoles didn't do anything like that which helped boost his sales and some of his popularity at the time.
Thanks for the lengthy comment! As far as the swapped controls, rice ball burger swap, and being a pack-in, I found these tend to be in every Alex Kidd review, in additional to basic information found on Wikipedia. I try to avoid falling into traps like that. You already knew those facts, so why waste your time telling you again?
You are welcome, I usually find it hard to write shorter comments hahaha. That is a fair point of you to make honestly so you can talk about other things that aren't so well known. I know that personally I know those facts but that doesn't mean most people will. A lot of people that didn't grow up in the era when this game came out would probably not know about these things and sure a wiki search would yield answers I don't think many people would do that search. Still you did a great job with all of the other content and I know that talking about absolutely everything makes some videos long and/or boring so I respect what you did. Sometimes even a single sentence can be enough to acknowledge you know about it but don't need to talk about it.
Great video, thanks for putting it together! :-) The one thing I just cannot agree with you about is the controls though - they aren't twitchy at all - certainly they're not easy, but they are predictable, and can be mastered with practice. In my opinion, for a game from 1986 this is damn near as perfect a game as it's possible to get.
oh man, this game took me YEARS to beat as a kid - i got stressed just watching you on the later levels! thorough & excellent video though, not many ive seen comment on the hidden sections, enemy placement & such. thanks for this!
As soon as I heard the DX version announcement today, I remembered this review and came straight to it. I'm impressed! I can't wait to try it out when it releases!
Not all red balls are indestructible you can smash half the ball. I learnt this when I was 8 back in 87. Make sure you have a blue ball half in the screen on the left and a red ball half on the right side you can smash the back off. Music still stuck in my head 33 years later. All good makes me smile.
I feel the same way about the controls in Super Mario Bros. The time it takes Mario to stop always threw me off and made the controls feel very slippery. I think Sonic takes longer to stop when he's at full speed but he also moves a lot faster. So I expect him to take longer to stop.
Great in depth analysis of a great game. I got this as a gift after having surgery when I was 10 and played through it while recovering. The castle levels are my absolute favorite. They remind me of games like "Montezuma's Revenge".
The same slippery controls "plague" the first Wonderboy, although I have always rather to think they're part of the game mecanics (and you can find some "traps" on level design that look acknowledge this and use it to increase difficult). It's still one of my fav games of all time.
Great video! I think it's worth noting that Janken the Great is actually named after 'Janken' which is essentially the Japanese equivalent to Rock Paper Scissors, hence why his underlings use it to fight you, and why he's the hardest at it, even beyond just being the final boss.
Hahaha, of all of the Master System games that you've reviewed, this is the one that most wanted you to make a video about. Basically you just read my mind. Great analysis! Keep up the good work man!
Thanks! Miracle World is a game that would come up in the comments a lot when I would talk about other Master System games, glad to finally cross it off my list :)
He shows how to bypass the water level in the castle I never figured that out either and many many attempts ended with death by spikes that should have not killed you with an invincibility power up but did anyways
9:50 Fun detail: If you did not pick up the letter in the castle before, then the king does not give you the slab, and instead tells you to leave and sends a ghost to chase you away.
This game was my very first game on my first console, the master system 2. The master system was a very popular console here in Europe (Belgium). Whe even had a tour bus from Sega. Alex Kidd in miracle world is stil one of my favorite games of all time.
Awesome man! I suspect Alex Kidd is the Super Mario Bros. for many gamers of the world. I didn't get an SMS till around 2000 or so when a friend sold me his entire collection for $10. Best $10 I've ever spent :)
Wow 10$ is very cheap. Back in the the 80s ( believed or not ) Sega was much more popular here in Europe than in the Us. Only a few friends had a Nintendo. Even when the 16Bit era begon, the Master system was still going strong. And by the way, great review as always.
The same has happened here in Brazil (even with the tons of cheaper famiclones that you could find anywhere. Looks like the Sega Master System was really popular in Europe, Latin America and Australia, while the NES was omnipresent in the rest of the world.
Growing up I had the version built into the Master System II - the later one with Alex eating a burger instead of a rice ball and a more modern control layout of button 1 for punch and 2 for jump, but more recently I just have the cart version with the buttons the other way around and I just can't get my brain to press the right buttons. Constantly punching when I want to jump and vice versa.
This video would serve as my review, verbatim, 30 years ago. I always thought this was an absolutely wonderful game world with fascinating levels, but I yearned for the tight controls of Mario. Still it's one of my favorite 8-bit games ever!
Yeah, compared to SMB1... the controls are weak :( However it's one of those games where the level design does a great job masking the problem. I thought I would dislike this game but it ended up being one of my favorites on the system. Do you prefer Alex Kidd in Miracle World or Psycho Fox?
This game was built into the Master System and booted up if you switched the console on without a game inserted. We could buy the console on its own without ever even needing to buy cartridges for it. I never had any issues with the controls, but given that we grew up with the game we adapted to it very quickly.
I'm no expert on the Master System - I tried it once as a kid but I only had my own NES - and yet, this game actually looks fantastic for its time. Colorful, clever, and delightfully unusual, much like Super Mario Bros. It's too bad it didn't deliver with the controls. The Master System appears to have been an interesting mixture of unique ideas that either didn't pan out, or had temporary success but didn't lead to endless franchise potential. Poor Sega, innovative, but always the bridesmaid.....
An American perspective. 😂 The Master System smashed the NES in Europe and South America. It's a better console than the NES, has better graphics and better games. Shame you guys were saddled with the inferior console... As for Miracle World, the controls are good - very responsive. You just have to get used to the way Alex Kidd moves. He does exactly what you tell him to do. This is genuinely great game.
It's a funny one. Alex Kidd was included with the MS2, so we felt compelled to play it and beat it. I can't honestly say that I would ever have purchased it separately if it wasn't bundled with the MS2 however. Honestly, after finishing the game for the first time the only challenge left was to beat the game with one life.
Alex Kidd...Oh, yeah! This is that Rock-Paper-Scissors guy, right!? I actually remember playing the Genesis game at one point, I don't know if you've reviewed that one before or not at any point, but if I remember anything from the Genesis game, it's the censorship in which in the Japanese version whoever lost in the Rock-Paper-Scissors minigame would get stripped naked for comedic effect and walk out in embarassment. In the West, it was changed to a big weight dropping on the loser, and then the weight would sprout eyes/legs and walk out. This looks like a fun game, too!
This game is an 8 bit master piece. Every level feels unique, you can ride motorbikes, speed boats and fly helicopters. Compared to Mario which was the same two levels with slight variations and you could eat mushrooms.
Mario is absolute masterpiece of an nes game. Far better than alexx kid ever wanted to be, and paved the way for platformers, even alex kid, along the way. The game is actually fun to play and infinitely replayable, while alex kidd feels like a chore to play and overall looks like chinese knockoff of mario. It feels awful to play that game.
@@mariowario5945 well that's just you're opinion man. Mario was the same two levels over and over again, with rearranged platforms, Alex Kidd every level felt unique, bosses were actually a challenge.
The game had its moments. It had its pluses. I found the levels interesting. But overall it failed. It was way too hard and confusing for my 8-10 year old brain. I was able to reach the castle but could never figure out the puzzles. Even as an adult I had to get online instructions to finally beat that confusing puzzle at the end. What would hsve made the game more tolerable would have been a heart system or something where you don't die the instant you are hit. I remember killing the octopus and finding the secret passage as a kid, and it blew my mind. Funny, but I noticed how many bags and stuff you left behind. I noticed this in your Mario play though too. I'm one of those guys who picks up everything. Lol. Interesting that you enjoyed that last castle. I did not. I found I very stressful. How is Alex abl to swim underwater, yet drowns in the castle? I never thought that stuff was water, but some kind of poison.
It's a classic game. Wonderboy, rampage,Ghosts and Ghouls,Alex Kidd,Ghost house, and Sonic will always play well. Just like Mario, Rainbow Island, Kirby, Donkey Kong and Zelda will always be classic. If you want a good retro experience, I'd get all of those.
I had an Alex Kidd game a long time ago. It was fun to play, but I never really came to love it as much as Sonic Chaos for the Master System. If only the controls weren't so twitchy with Alex Kidd, the game would be easier to play through. Then again, not every Master System game has been created without twitchy controls.
Yeah, if you can get to grips with the controls and manage the tiny reach distance of your default attack, the game is actually great. I too just wish those things were are little bit better, and then the game would be one of the true platformer greats from that era imo.
I've always thought of this game as poor, but seeing the castles, level design, and vehicles make it look much more interesting than I expected. You've convinced me check out ol' Alex Kidd. Thanks for the quality video.
You're welcome! I wasn't expecting to enjoy this game either, but I feel like most videos I've seen only show the first couple of levels for some reason... There is so much more to the game!
There's something really off putting about Enchanted Castle. The art is worse and everything just feels so awkward. I seem to remember the castle levels kicking you back to the start when you die too, which really angered me.
Alex Kid don't have enough credit as it should. Horizontal and Vertical Scrolling at the same level WAY before Mario 3. Better underwater controls. The scrolling is VERY fast with the Bike, something that Sega would cash in with Sonic years later. Power ups are in the inventory like Mario 3 yet unlike it, you can activate it at the middle of the level and not only at the world map. Game has vehicles to vary the Gameplay, something we would only see in Mario World with Yoshi at Mario games.
So many secrets and ways to spam money/enemies in this game! Thought you might have mentioned the "secret" $400 continue option at the game over screen.. (hold up and tap button 2 eight times).
Yes, the game is like that on Mastersystem, which makes it difficult but not impossible to beat, because i did it, after mastering controls and enigmas. So i laugh when i see trolls hating this game just because they can't play it.
My cousins had a master system and I got a chance to play this quite a bit. I remember the twitchy controls for sure. The parts that always made me stop playing were the janken parts that, as a kid, seemed to have no pattern. When I died and got to the boss again, he would choose something different. At least it seemed that way. Maybe I was just really really stupid. Great review! I really have to get a SMS or adapter so I can play this one again.
Haha! Your memory is correct, if you die (turn to stone) the whole attack pattern of the bosses changes. I'm sure I mentioned this before but I am playing this on a PowerBase Mini FM and I absolutely love that device. Cheaper than a stand alone SMS at this point, and the FM for games that support it can be amazing.
James Mccarthy So did / do I. Also in Scotland. And didn't know a single person who called it that at the time, only years later when recollecting and not properly remembering the name.
James Mccarthy same as in New Zealand. Alex the Kidd. I still call him that to trigger certain people. And let's not forget the burger instead of the riceball on the built in version.
Breaking off pieces of the octopus tentacle might be the most violent killing of an enemy on an 8-bit console. Lol! anyways, at some point I should get around to playing these Alex kid games. I played a little bit of Alex Kidd in the enchanted Castle for Sega Genesis, but I didn't play it very much so far though. Obviously Sonic is better, but Alex Kidd is still pretty fun from what I've seen.
I used to be able to beat this game without even batting an eye when I was about 5 years old. Playing it nowadays I keep thinking how on earth was that possible.
I remember getting a SMS 2 with Alex Kidd in Miracle World built in with Wonder Boy 1 back in mid 1989 for a reasonable $120!! That's not to bad for what it was and I remember being so happy with both games, could not of made a better purchase (although the year before I was eyeing off an original SMS 1 with Hang On and that Duck Hunt-clone though). Bear in mid around that time I was also playing alot of NES via my now defunct local mall so I had access to both. So thankful for those memories SEGA, these days buying a console or a game is so meh....
Fair review! The original japanese version's controls are better and seem more to your liking. If you ever do a redux of this game give that version a go. The collision detection is still wonky even in that version :) I have a soft spot for this game
Great review. Loved this game as a kid even tho i never owned it. Only thing i didnt like was the rock paper scissors bosses. The main music tho not the best stays with you the rest of your life, you'll never ever forget it lol. Tho the controls are iffy i think the game would be way to easy if tightened up.
Yeah it would have to be. As you said in the vid the level design was based on the controls. I'm sure it would have turned out a different game if it did maybe not as good, we'll never know. Has that new fan made sequel got the same controls, haven't had chance to try it yet. i assume it would have.
I agree with you on your opinions towards the level design, the difficulty curve, and the controls. But I personally disliked the boss fights and the fact that a game over sends you all the way back to the start of the game (at least there's a continue code, but it costs you some money). Also, there are a lot of moments where the level design isn't so much difficult as it is tedious. Breaking through the blocks in the castle stages isn't fun if you have no power ring to clear them with. In fact, overall I wouldn't say this game is nearly as hard as people claim it is with the exception of the castles and the trial and error involved in the rock-paper-scissors boss fights. This game ultimately didn't feel rewarding for me to beat, and I don't want to play it again. I was also very thrown off by the way this game handles progression. You touch an item to beat a level and there's no victory jingle or anything, you're just instantly shown the map screen and go to the next level lol. It's not horribly important, but it definitely made the game feel a little more barebones. The bosses being pathetic as hell didn't help.
It's super nostalgic and there's a lot to do, so it captivated us as kids. But it's still a badly made game, and when you really look at it, it shows. Even the basic attack - how many times did you die trying to punch something? You have this really short window of both time and positioning to make sure the fist hits before disappearing. In Mario, you just have to be heading downward, and then you only have to worry about one thing - aligning yourself horizontally. And you can get really skilled at that and it becomes fun.
Punching has never been my favorite "attack" in platformers, and there is a reason it died out for more intuitive and less clumsy methods. I also completed Pyscho Fox and Decap Attack a few times so I guess it's a mechanic I was more familiar with.
Its a good game! I just wish the franchise had more of a presence in the USA, but as I understand, Sega used Alex as a Platforming mascot and couldn't quite figure out how to make him as successful as Mario was with Nintendo. to be fair although the game play is vastly different to Mario. the Appearance of Alex Vs. Marios Modern Look (Red White Blue) IS strikingly similar. Alex after 6 Games, would unfortunately fall by the Wayside to the popularity that would be Sonic The Hedgehog. You would think that with Sonics Recent. Hit/Miss trend Sega would try Alex again, but Sega seems to be in a weird Funk that prevents them from doing whats necessary to survive as a Company Period. Even today, Sega despite losing the Console wars over a 10 years ago, strikes me as reluctant to do much with Nintendo, the Wii Never Did get Sonic 4 Ep 2. (although that particular entry might be for the better given the criticism of Ep1)
Although I grew up with a Master System I admit I didn't like this one. If I may suggest a title, I would suggest Golden Axe Warrior. I loved that game.
Completely wrong. First of all: All Master Systems have a built-in game: The Snail Maze game. Originally, the Master System came without any built-in games. There either was no game or Hang-On on a Sega Card. The first built in game on the Master System was Hang-On a bit later. Later on, they added Safari Hunt to it. Then there was the Sega Scope 3-D Set, that had Missile Defense 3D built in. And in 1992 they replaced Alex Kidd with Sonic 1.
Loved the review, although you could've mentioned the horrendously difficult underwater section on Jaken's Castle to give a great example on how the controls can hinder your experience with the game.
I honestly just skipped it using the alternate route, but you are 100% correct. It's a standout blunder in the game and definitely should have have been mentioned.
You can actually pass that section easily as it lets you bounce on the top spikes without dying. All you have to do is hold left and right. Don’t push down and avoid the bottom spikes.
@@SpotTheOzzie so you can basically hit the top spikes if you don’t hold up. You know how Alex naturally floats to the top? Just let him float to the top spikes and he will just kind of bounce and be idle. At that point just hold right in order for him to pass the spikes. It will look like he is hitting the top spikes but they don’t hurt him.
Its good but i had the lost stars an arcade port actually. At the time would have not known that although. This one is ok I never knew there was a fanbase for this one alex kidd game.
My version of the game has hamburgers intead of japanese food (or whatever) :D edit 1# At the end of the forest level, you can jsut fuck the bear into the wall with the bike edit 2# TBH I've spent a lot of hours with this game. I almost complete it even tho I had a controller that was like.. not really the best one... but I still enjoyed it.
This is a fun game but this is a game that is old school difficult and it demands you play by its rules. I played through it on the Sega Classics Collection with save states and Rewind and I just bought the DS version for switch and I don't like it. This is one of those old-school games that demands nothing short of perfection and memorization
No. Good thing that Sega dropped their former mascot for the speedy blue hedgehog because they didn't *even* try with this game and its sequels. They're like: "This is our mascot, whatever." The game has slippery controls, cheap deaths, weird hit detection, and if you didn't get the mind reader item for the Janken Deathmatch you just have to be lucky to win the damn match.
Both systems are great in their own right. Pretty funny to see grown ups who were kids in the 80's/90's having their militant fanboy bias intact still to this day. I left that mentality behind once I got past 12 years of age and started to enjoy both Sega and Nintendo (as well as other gaming companies) since it gave me more to choose from and enjoy.
I WOULD have been able to beat it when I was like... 8 and I'm not the kinda guy who can beat cat mario... And the I WOULD have been able part is that because I was hungarian, I didn't understand what to do.. Right now I could probably beat it in a hour or less.
Dr. Pingas I understand what you mean but don't let your age fool you.. I played the game again a couple of years ago via emulator thinking I would find it easier but I was very wrong. It was still really difficult and if you make the bosses are rock, paper, scissors matches so a wrong move will cost you a life.
I know.. But I would probably get some(I mean lives), I mean once I didn't play for years, I got used to FPS, I got bored started up my master system (I still own a master system 2 that is working) and I got to the end on my 3rd try, (I died on the 1st and 2nd cuz If I don't use controller for a long time It has to warm up so it becomes actually usable) So yeah. Tho you have a point there.
