Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a remake of the classic Sega Master System game and was released on June 22, 2021, for all major platforms by Merge Games. Now, I have to admit that I didn’t care for the game, but before I begin, let me say that the game is close to the original and it does that well.

The problems I have with the game are as such: I never played the game when it was new and I only played it as an adult, which by that time, I lost interest in frustratingly difficult games, which I had no nostalgia for.

Alex Kidd was effectively Sega’s mascot character until Sonic the Hedgehog took over, which I believe was a wise choice by Sega. Once Sonic was released in 1991, I never thought of Alex Kidd again, until Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX was announced. In fact, with the SEGA AGES game available at a discount, I purchased the game to compare these two. After playing the SEGA AGES game, I quickly realized that I wasn’t a fan.

Gameplay

I played this game and immediately found it incredibly frustrating. This game has one main attack without using any special weapons; punching. Landing on an enemy will cause immediate death. I used the punch as my primary attack. There are several items of value though. Out of the list, I like Power Bracelet because it shoots fireballs. Then there is the “Cane of Flight” power that miraculously allows Alex Kidd to fly.

You can pick up a few other things from the shop as well, such as the Teleport Powder, Alex Kidd, Magic Capsules, a motorcycle, and Peticopter. I do like the motorcycle the most in the shop. You can drive across the screen at a fast pace and are largely invincible. But, after a few hits, you do lose the bike.

For less frustrating gameplay, turn on unlimited lives. Each time you die, your character will return to the same place where you died so that you can continue. Upon completing the game, you unlock a couple of game modes: Boss Rush and Classic Mode.

Audio and Video

The game is absolutely beautiful and by pressing ZR, you can revert back to the Master System graphics, much like R-Type Dimensions. I really like that as a feature but as an added bonus, in areas that are a little hard to make out a pit, the Master System view helps because of the strikingly different colors.

Much like the graphics, I thought the audio was good. In fact, when you switch to “retro mode,” you get the retro audio as well. I have never been a fan of SMS audio, unless there is a FM option for the game. I did not see that as an option for this game.

What Could Be Better?

I have to wonder, how many people will play this game, get frustrated and say, “I’m not playing that again.” There is an option to have unlimited lives, which tones down “some” frustration, and has an interesting side effect. Because you never have to restart or continue, you can quickly rack up a lot of money. In this type of game, I was surprised that the developer did not include an option for a life bar, which would have been a welcomed improvement.

Conclusion

You will need an incredible amount of patience for this game. If that is not you, I advise that you stay away. If you have nostalgia for the original game, this is an incredible update. The graphics and the audio are solid, with a nice method of reverting to the retro style if you are so inclined. When calculating the score, I gave graphics and audio, each two points, and another one for the transition to nostalgia. Just because the game is not for me doesn’t mean that it is a bad game. It simply needs the right player.