Alex Kidd in Miracle World

THE GOOD:
Excellently executed and fun "pick up and play" platforming gameplay with some original elements of its own, vibrant graphics, excellent and catchy soundtrack (especially the upbeat boss battle song), quirky sound effects, incredibly tight controls and a balanced yet challenging difficulty level.

THE BAD:
Frustrating at times, lacks a save feature and items in the shops cost too much money.

SUMMARY:
Released in 1986 by Sega, Alex Kidd in Miracle World takes huge amounts of influence from Super Mario Brothers, but adds a lot of it's own elements to the mix. While it didn't quite have the same impact that Super Mario Brothers did as a whole, it gave the Sega Master System initial life the same way SMB gave the NES some, and became one of the most recognized Alex Kidd, ney, Sega Master System game. It's not perfect, but it's one hell of a game nonetheless.

Alex Kidd, as a series, was the Mario of the Sega Master System, but...

If Nintendo has Mario, Sega has... Alex!?
Some time before Sonic was even a thought, Sega had a mascot planned to outdo Nintendo's Mario. The idea - the missing link between monkey and man, with it being Alex, who seems to be a half-monkey half-human being. Before they tried out anthropomorphic creatures trying to solve cases of mistaken identities, stop time from killing itself and bestiality, Sega wanted to try and prove the theory of evolution right. That's right, Sega; teach kids evolution. Please. It may only be a theory at this point in time, but it's still worth learning. All sarcasm aside, Alex Kidd's debut game, which is, in my honest opinion, the only good game he's ever been in, is a damn good one. The visuals look fantastic, soundtrack (while VERY limited) is one for the ages and the gameplay is very fun, if a bit cheap.

If you can't beat them, copy them!
For some time, Sega couldn't quite keep up with Nintendo, and...

THE GOOD:
"Pick up and play" gameplay that provides a challenge
Easy to learn controls
Sweet graphics
Catchy soundtrack

THE BAD:
Frustrating at parts
One song gets overplayed and will drive you nuts
Somewhat sensitive movement controls

SUMMARY:
When you think of Sega, you think Sonic and Golden Axe (now with the release of Golden Axe: Beast Rider on the 360 and PS3). You even think Splatterhouse and, for you older gamers, Phantasy Star! You know, back when it was an RPG and not an online game!? Well, what about some love for Alex, eh? He may have only starred in 2 good games (or 3 if you count some cameo in Sega Superstar Tennis), but that doesn’t mean he should be forgotten.

This game is the first game to feature good old Alex. He was basically Sega’s answer to Nintendo’s Mario (until Sonic came in), as the games played a fair bit like one another. You jump across gaps onto some platforms,...