Alex Kidd in Miracle World for Nintendo Switch Code was provided by Merge Games so, thanks to them

We live in an age of gaming where remastering and remaking past titles has become popular. In the last year alone, we’ve seen remakes of older titles such as Xenoblade Chronicles and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Wanting to preserve classics such as these is only natural, however, what if it were a classic title that flew under the gaming community’s radars? This would almost be offering this title a second chance at life, to prove itself and bring in a whole new audience. 

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a remake of the original Alex Kidd game. Developed and published by Merge Games, this 2D platformer follows the titular protagonist as he travels across his home kingdom in order to reclaim the crown that had been stolen from his missing father.

Adventure Awaits

The First Level

As was mentioned earlier, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a remake of the original game released in 1986. While this remake did a ton for the visuals of this classic, the gameplay didn’t receive much refinement. Alex Kidd controls as if he were pulled directly from his original title which leads to him feeling notably slippery and with very rigid jump arcs. The lack of precision becomes a notable issue when later levels in the game require players to perform pin-perfect jumps to pass over obstacles.

This lack of polish in the controls led to a subpar gaming experience. Platformers live and die by how enjoyable the playable character is to traverse levels with and Alex Kidd was not a pleasant experience to control. This issue is further compounded by the fact that Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is difficult in the same way arcade titles are difficult. Artificially extending  the incredibly short length of the game by designing it as unforgiving as possible with a small amount of continues. 

Though it seems there was some awareness when designing the title for modern audiences as Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX features an endless lives function. Completing this game two separate times with infinite lives turned off and on reveals that the unforgiving nature of this title is much more easily managed when the player doesn’t fear losing all the progress they’ve made, and is the best way to enjoy Alex Kidd.

Searching the Kingdom

Alex leaving a Shop

Alex Kidd features a mix of levels with either horizontal or vertical movement as the focus. Players will be required to platform over these obstacles and reach a run cake at the end of the stage in order to progress. As was mentioned earlier, the game has a very short length, being completable in about two hours. This is reflected in various levels taking little more than a few seconds to complete.

The levels that do feature a meatier amount of content aren’t designed very in-depth with incredibly simplistic platforming. the levels tend to suffer from poor enemy placement where players won’t be given time to react due to the camera scroll, dying in one hit. The vertical levels suffer the most from this poor design as they all tend to play as “beginners traps”. Levels are designed to be artificially made difficult through hazards a player could only react to on a later attempt.

The castle levels in Alex Kidd Miracle World DX however, are designed quite well with an expansive, intricate interior to explore and various collectable items to make the search for the boss’s dungeon fulfilling. Each room presents a puzzle or set of threats that players can take time to access before attempting, which adds a unique touch to this otherwise underwhelming title.

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Alex engaging in a Boss Battle

The boss encounters in Alex Kidd are separated into two types. The first is where the player will compete in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, needing to win two in order to advance. The second being a traditional battle in which one must avoid the attacks of the enemy and punch them to win. The rock, paper, scissors game is extremely dull with nothing being added to the game through this gimmick. Each competition is effortless as the boss selects their decision and gives the player a full four seconds to select what counters their choice and earn the win. 

The actual fight with each boss isn’t anything groundbreaking in design but functions well and offers a fair challenge, requiring patience and skilled maneuverability to succeed. However, the final boss encounter is the least difficult by far, ending Alex Kidd on an unfortunately disappointing note. 

It should also be noted that during the rock, paper scissors game, the decision of your opponent is supposed to be displayed above their head in order to allow players the chance to react. However, during the first attempt of this game, the display for which move the boss had picked wasn’t displayed at all making it entirely luck based. A glitch that only seems to affect the first area. 

A New Coat of Paint

The World Map

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX looks absolutely stunning with incredibly charming visuals and character design. From small things such as Alex looking annoyed upon his death while rising as an angel, to the boss’ minions all being giant hands who play rock, paper, scissors with you. Every aspect of Alex Kidd’s character design will never fail to put a smile on the faces of players.

This goes for the visual design as well. Colours pop and look incredibly crisp on the switch in both docked and handheld mode and the details of the pixel art capture the characters in a way never achievable on the classic hardware the original ran on. Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX even features the ability to toggle between the original or remastered visuals at the push of a button, giving players the chance to directly compare the visuals to see how much has improved.

Overall, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a safe and simplistic remake of this classic title with little done to enhance the gameplay, saved by its outstanding presentation. That is all for this review, and until next time…

If you’re interested in more reviews, check out our article on Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart