Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX Reviews
Oh my do these retro reduxes give me mixed feelings...
A faithful remake of the original game updated with some new replayability features
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a special release. Although the game's original design may not have aged well in a world where platformers like Celeste and Super Meat Boy have shown how to balance steep difficulty with generally good design, this rare remake of a nearly 40 year old game not only recaptures the feel of the original completely, but also does what it can to modernize it appropriately for new audiences.
Merge Games did the best it could while still staying true to the original, which ultimately provides the advertised nostalgia trip and a pretty gorgeous facelift as well. It’s just a bummer that the whole appeal of the package, being an update to Miracle World, is also what holds it back from being a great game in 2021.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is everything that is wrong with remakes. The game fails to innovate on the antiquated design of the original title, and instead, it only offers superficial improvements.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX places me in a bit of a difficult position. On the one hand, I feel fairly confident that fans of the original game will be able to come into this and receive a heaping helping of soul-warming nostalgia. The graphical updates are pleasing to the eye. The updated music may not always carry the game’s tone that it is playing over, but it still sounds great. And there are even a few added levels and slight tweaks to previously existing ones to surprise players. For those people, my numeric rating would be more likened to a 4 out of 5. However, for folks like myself that are experiencing this for the first time for any reason other than a history lesson will be confronted with annoying controls and a somewhat serviceable but unexciting adventure that, in this reviewer’s opinion, didn’t quite stand up to the test of time.
Alex Kidd is one of THOSE platformers, where one hit kills you and your only attack, a good punch isn’t anything to phone home about, playing through this remake it’s clear to me why Sonic took his place as the face of the company as playing through this remake is just as difficult as playing the original. Usually when a game is remade or remastered it offers players fixes in the form of quality of life enhancements, the only thing that makes up for this game one hit death and frustrating hit detection is the option to turn on infinite lives which just results in you dying even more in that one cheap section.
The age in many 8-bit games is not hidden, so the Jankenteam team at least showed the way how a company can transfer an old and favorite title to today with an adorable audiovisual effect and traditional mechanisms, perhaps a little more traditional than
Review in Greek | Read full review
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a remastered take on the original Sega Master System game Alex Kidd in Miracle World which first released all the way back in 1986. The game tells the story of the small but strong titular hero, Alex Kidd on his quest to defend his world, Radaxian, and his people, from the evil forces of Janken the Great. Are you gonna help our hero restore order to the once peaceful land of Radaxian?
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is an unashamedly ruthless platformer. Originally on the Master System, it follows the title character in a quest to punch scorpions and die from being bad at rock-paper-scissors. There’s more to it than that, but you’d be forgiven for never knowing that because this game is the bad kind of challenging. With slippery controls, big enemy hitboxes, and a tiny, tiny attack, you’re going to likely spend most of your time repeating the same few levels and seeing your ghost floating out of your body.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX it's a faithful recreation of the original, a time capsule for the fans, that fails to invite to newcomers to the series with old school gameplay and progression.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX carried a great responsibility and, in general, the game turned out to be positive: very beautiful visuals, solid gameplay, interesting campaign and some extras make the experience a must for fans and nostalgia. Other than that, we have a relatively short game that could have used more new features and content. This is a suggestion for those who enjoy a challenging platform or are looking for an original experience, but don't have high expectations.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The audio and visual presentations are among the best in any remake we’ve seen in all these years and the option to instantly switch to old version is a great bonus but gameplay-wise, the developers have stuck too close to the original design which has resulted in a very frustrating game, even by platforming genre’s usual “annoyance first, fun later” philosophy.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is, without a doubt, another welcome return from one of Sega's many forgotten franchises. With updated graphics, reworked music and new levels, the taste that the remake leaves is to have a beautiful and eye-catching look for a game that, in essence, is still very much stuck in the 80s. For those who like the classic, there is no reason not to recommend this adventure, as it is without a doubt the definitive new method of playing it. However, for those looking for a high quality platform game, we can't help but deny that there are better options on the market.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Whilst it has its flaws, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX still offers an enjoyable platforming adventure that’s very old-school in design. It’s tough and can often be unfair, but it also features some solid level design, neat boss fights, and fun vehicular sections – basically, it’s got everything you’d expect from an old-school platformer. It’s a shame that the developers couldn’t fix some of the obvious issues that didn’t stand the test of time, but with the excellent visuals and introduction of new levels and modes, it’s hard to complain too much. Fans of the original will undoubtedly love the adventure whilst newcomers will probably appreciate it too. Just be warned: it’s still as challenging as you remember (and you’ll need luck on your side)!
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is an old school game, made by and for fans, and it shows! It has kept its original devilish difficulty and has added new factors to surprise everyone who knows the game by heart. A fun platform game that encourages you to play and engages from the first minute until finishing it in just 90 minutes, perhaps its biggest drawback.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX does a fantastic job of taking an already good game and adding a gorgeous fresh modern coat to it. The art design is beautifully done, and the option to switch between the redesign and 8-bit graphics adds to the nostalgic experience. While this remake is faithful for better or worse, there’s no denying that the quirky and challenging world of Alex Kidd is a side-scrolling experience unlike any other.
It’s truly exciting to think that there are devs out there like Jankenteam who are so evidently in love with a game that they’re able to remake it as well as they did with Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX. Fans of the original are sure to get a kick out of this beautiful re-release, and those like me who might’ve missed it the first time around or are too young to have been around when it was new are sure to get a kick — or better put, a punch — out of it as well, thanks to its lovingly put together presentation and great, albeit simple gameplay.
Alex Kidd In Miracle World DX brings back one of the classics of history in the best possible way. A game where graphic remodeling coexists with archaic and old-fashioned gameplay but which is still as brutally fun as it was before. A demanding platform that will undoubtedly dazzle both fans of the original game and current players looking for a new challenge.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX won't be for everyone but it is something fans of the original will cherish. As a remake, it does a good job updating the visuals and some of the mechanics but Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX carries the same issues as the original did three decades ago.