A quick glance at the latest multiformat chart should fill any gamer over the age of twenty-five with a depressed feeling. Endless versions of FIFA, wrestling titles with minor updates and ‘gangsta’-themed action titles seem to be reflective of the current state of the videogame market. However, ‘mature’ gamers will be able to recall a time when it wasn’t always this way. Back in the late 80’s, games that would today be dismissed as ‘kiddie’ dominated the charts and hyper-cute ‘mascots’ were the most powerful weapon in a console manufacturer’s arsenal. Nintendo’s Super Mario series was breaking records all over the globe in terms of sales, and rightly so - In terms of videogame purity, it simply didn’t get any better.
However Nintendo weren’t alone. Sega were trying to replicate their incredible arcade success in the home with the Master System/Mark III console. They were well aware that a mascot was required to ‘sell’ the machine successfully. However this was a good few years before a certain blue hedgehog sonic-boomed his way into international consciousness. Sega’s first attempt at tackling Nintendo’s Italian plumber was a small ape-like boy in a jumpsuit who answered to the name Alex Kidd.
To those of you who haven’t heard of this peculiar fellow, Alex Kidd is a prince on the distant planet of Aries. It’s difficult to establish any type of plot for the series as no two Alex Kidd games are exactly the same, but reoccurring themes throughout the franchise tell us a few important facts about our monkey-faced hero – he’s a master of ‘Shellcore’ (the art of breaking solid stone with one’s fists) and he has a rather unhealthy obsession with playing Jankenpo (better known to Westerners are Paper, Scissors, Stone).
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1986)
The first official Alex Kidd game, Miracle World is regarded by many as being the best in the series. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to Super Mario, it sees Alex traversing the brightly coloured Planet of Aries in order to rescue his brother from the evil Janken the Great (which is a pleasant change from having to save a princess, at least). Alex uses his famous ‘Shellcore’ technique to shatter rocks along the way and receives monetary reward as a result – these funds can then be spent on items such as a motorcycle and pedal-powered helicopter. Although these vehicles aren’t as useful as you might imagine, they add a unique flavour to the game that sets it apart from contemporary titles. Boss battles are unusual too – Alex makes use of his Jankenpo skills to defeat end of level baddies (although victory usually results in them attacking regardless). This game was famously included as a ‘built-in’ bonus on Sega’s revised Master System II console and remains the true gem of the series, despite a sharp learning curve and loose controls.
Alex Kidd BMX Trial (Japan Only) (1987)
Years before Mario stepped into his kart, Alex Kidd was performing tricks on his trusty old BMX, thanks to Sega’s ‘unique’ (read: rather pointless) paddle controller. The game (and controller) were never released outside Japan, and for this we should be grateful – by all accounts the game is garbage.
Alex Kidd and the Lost Stars (1988 )
The only Alex Kidd game to cross over to the arcade, Lost Stars is a very different beast to the original. Perhaps Sega responded to complaints about the difficulty level of the first game (which often bordered on the sadistic) and toned things down a little, but whatever the reason this is a much more sedate affair. Rather than give the player ‘lives’, they are essentially playing ‘against the clock’. Getting hit by an enemy sprite or falling off the edge of the screen simply sends Alex backwards through the level. The game is over when the time limit expires. Graphically Sega were firing on all cylinders and for a late 80’s title this looks absolutely gorgeous. It puts Mario’s rather bland outings on the NES to shame. The fact that the arcade version doesn’t look that much different only reaffirms Sega’s achievement. The only worrying aspect about the visuals is the rather oddball enemy design. Sega’s penchant for crafting bizarre baddies is very apparent here – a naked punk rocker who farts skulls out of his bottom has to win the award for most twisted enemy design ever. Lost Stars is a nice little game but it's nowhere near as good as the original and although Sega should be commended for trying something new, there's little doubt that many Alex Kidd fans felt more than a little let down.
Alex Kidd in High-Tech World (1989)
Sega took a similar approach to Nintendo with this Alex Kidd installment. Just as Nintendo took Dream Factory: Doki Doki Panic and re-branded it with Mario and company to create the Western version of Super Mario Bros 2, Sega pillaged an obscure Japanese title called Anmitsu Hime: From Amakara Castle, replacing the main sprite with Alex himself. As you might expect this results in a very different title from the other games in the franchise. Half puzzle-solving and half action game, High Tech World doesn’t quite gel together and suffers from some terrible game design – doing the wrong thing in the puzzle portions of the game results in instant death, forcing you to replay the entire section. Sega fanboys may find something to like here – many of the questions put to Alex in the game have something to do with previous Sega titles. However it can’t stop this game from ranking as the worst of Alex’s outings. Why Sega didn’t pick a better title to re-brand is something we may never know.
Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle (1989)
When Sega released their 16-bit Megadrive console in the closing stages of the 80’s, it was obvious that as one of Sega’s premier franchises, Alex Kidd would be joining the party. This was one of the first releases for the machine, and it shows. Although the visuals are improved over the 8-bit originals, with bigger sprites and more colourful levels, it still looks a little rough around the edges. One could argue that Sega were simply keeping the visual theme of the series intact, but the simplistic nature of the title will no doubt have put off many Megadrive owners and it would be foolish to argue that this didn’t have some small part to play in the search for a new mascot to combat Nintendo’s (still undefeated) Mario. As a game, this is the closest in the series to Miracle World, which is a positive thing. The Jankenpo matches return, as do the motorcycle (Alex now sports a natty yellow and red motorbike suit) and pedal-copter. Alex can also make use of a pogo stick, but as was the case in the Master System original these items never really become essential and the game can be beaten easily without them. In addition to his trademark 'Shellcore' technique, Alex now has the ability to perform a deadly jumping kick. In an interesting side note, the Western version of the game featured a prime example of ham-fisted censorship on the part of Sega of America. In the Japanese version, the loser of a Jankenpo match would be stripped bare (save for strategically placed leaf). However the Western version of the game the loser was crushed by a badly drawn lead weight, which looked downright silly. Obviously in Sega of American’s book the spectacle of someone being crushed to death is less disturbing than seeing them half-naked.
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (1990)
Alex’s final game saw him triumphantly return to the console that loved him best – the Master System. By this stage Sega had almost given up trying to compete with Mario and instead cast its gaze inward, taking inspiration from one of its own key franchises – Shinobi. This title lovingly copies many elements from the classic ninja-action title, and the remixed music will bring a smile to the face of any Joe Musashi fan. Faced with the challenge of rescuing his girlfriend, Alex dons his best ninja-slaying trousers and readies his katana in order to defeat a selection of evil super-deformed Shinobi enemies. While the game lifts many features from Shinobi it thankfully retains the trademark Alex Kidd lightheartedness and is easily the second best game in the series after Miracle World.
Sadly for Alex, as soon as Sega hit the jackpot with Sonic he was forgotten. His six outings remain his lasting legacy. While it’s true that the Alex Kidd series wasn’t up to the same high standard of Mario (or his stable mate Sonic, for that matter) it could have easily been revitalized with a proper 16-bit update. This never happened, and Alex Kidd has since passed into memory. Although he’s had a band named after him, but most gamers these days will have no idea who he is and would probably scoff at the idea of taking on the role of a small boy with amazingly large sideburns before switching on their PS2s and firing up FIFA 2006 (slightly different corner flags than in 2005).
Recently there were rumblings of an update but it seems to have gone eerily quiet on that front. Anyone who can recall the superhuman difficulty level and the frustratingly loose controls will probably question the need for Alex to return to the world of video gaming, but hopefully they’ll also remember the bright, primary colours of the planet Aeries, the inventive character design, the joyfully distracting pedal-copter and the legendary games of Jankenpo. There was an awful lot to like about Alex Kidd – we can only cross our fingers firmly and hope Sega release a collection of his works in the near future. It certainly won’t topple FIFA from its lofty perch on the top of the multiformat chart (that’s a task best left to Sonic) but it would make many a crusty old gamer very happy indeed.
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