After the original two Alex Kidd games, as well as some BMX game that was only released in Japan, we would soon be getting another Alex Kidd game just a few years later, but not in the way that you would think. See, originally, this was released in Japan under the name Anmitsu Hime, which was based on a manga series that I have never heard of before, but when the thought of bringing the game over to the West came up, it was changed into an Alex Kidd game, because no self-respecting kid in the 80s was gonna play an anime video game, even though many people now practically obsess over that shit.

Because of this, many different aspects of the Alex Kidd series got messed up in the process, such as with plot inconsistencies, as well as the fact that aside from Alex himself, none of the other characters from the previous games appear again. Although, let's be honest with ourselves, you probably don't know any of the characters other then Alex. Anyway, after some time, the game was released in the West as Alex Kidd: High-Tech World.

Seeing as it is a modification of a completely different game, this game is pretty different from the previous games in the series, and as we have learned from Castlevania II, change isn't always the best thing. Yeah, I didn't get into this one too much, and aside from being pretty unnecessarily annoying, I thought it was just... there. I do like the things it tries, and it is pretty unique from all the other games we have talked about so far, but it doesn't get that far with what it offers.

The story is all about Alex trying to get to an arcade before it closes, and not gonna lie, that is the MOST RELATABLE plot ever, the graphics are pretty good, the music is ok, but extremely forgettable, the control is pretty simple, although, interacting with objects in the world can be a bit awkward at points, and the gameplay is unique, and yet, frustrating with how it is executed.

Rather then being a pure 2D side-scrolling platformer, the game is mostly a puzzle-based adventure game, where you travel around various locations, interacting with objects, getting items to help you find the main collectibles you need, and solving puzzles in a specific way to make sure to not get a game over. Not gonna lie, for a series like Alex Kidd, I really like this kind of gameplay idea. Sure, it is almost nothing like the other games, but I have always been a fan of these types of games where you have to explore a world and solve these puzzles in order to proceed further, as they really do provide a fun journey.

In the case of this game, however, it doesn't provide a fun journey. This is definitely a guide game, where you have to find certain items and complete certain tasks in a specific order, because if you do things out of order, or you interact with something you shouldn't, you will lose, which does get pretty annoying whenever it happens. Not to mention, you have a time limit throughout, and you are given a good amount of time to figure things out, but for a game that is moreso about exploring and finding stuff rather than going directly from Point A to Point B, it comes off as almost completely unncessary.

And in terms of the puzzles, most of them are pretty simple, but satisfying to figure out, but of course, there are one or two that can get on my mind. For example, there is a part of the game where you need to take a quiz in order to get one of the collectibles, and the questions you need to answer are all based on either Japan-related things, general trivia, or trivia about other Sega games, and it all just comes off as a waste of time, even if some of the questions are funny just based on their absurdity of being there.

Aside from these sections, they do retain some sections more closely lined up with previous Alex Kidd games, where you move from left to right, defeat enemies, and collect money in one of the sections. As you would expect, for a game that mainly focuses on trying to be an adventure game, it botches up the platforming stages as well. There is practically no soul in these, with you just needing to move left to right and kill stuff, with no unique themes and elements that would be present in a platformer. It feels like it just serves as a way to get you to the next exploration segment, and not as its own unique game section, and it wasn't that fun to traverse through.

Not to mention, it is ANNOYING AS HELL. You do get to throw projectiles to defeat enemies, and they all die in one hit, but the game throws so many enemies and projectiles at you at once, and paired alongside the tricky-as-hell environments, you can't easily avoid all of it, and it gets really bothersome. And since you also die in one hit, you will most likely get hit a lot and have to restart these sections over and over and over again. Like I said, these sections don't last that long, but it didn't need to be this aggravating.

Overall, while I do admire the ideas and elements that this game tries to implement, it just comes off as moreso confusing, annoying, and tiresome rather than fun and investing. I just hope that, as this series keeps going, there is at least just ONE title that I will find to actually be really good. Hopefully, but I'm not gonna hold my breath on that.

Game #139

I've always felt this game stuck out like a sore thumb, even for a series where every game in it is radically different from one another. There's a reason for this - it's a reskin of a game based on an anime adaptation of a Japanese shojo manga.

Believe it or not, the anime itself has some pretty crazy plots (Anmitsu goes to space in one episode, there's several episodes where she goes around the world), so why they went with something mundane like Anmitsu going to a bakery of all places is beyond me.

Haven't played and people say it's the worst Alex Kidd (for whatever that's worth, imagine Sega never made a new mascot and this doofus went toe to toe with Mario) but I just gotta ask why the Ninja has their feet out? Like that had to have been harder to draw than drawing two black ovals for shoes and calling it a day. Why are there the same impact effects around Alex's fist on one of the feet? Did Sega ask the artist for this? Did they just not say anything about the finished artwork when they got it? What do barefoot ninjas have to do with a so-called 'High-Tech World' anyway? Now that I've written all this I kinda wanna play this for the sole (get it?) purpose of figuring out what the fuck is going on with this box art.

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle gets a lot of flack, and I would not argue it isn't deserved, but 1) I have a soft spot as mentioned before, and 2) this installment in particular completely triumphs it in stupidity, and the few other games in the series really don't sound promising either.

Well the title is entirely misleading right off the bat, "High Tech World" is actually just some arcade Alex here is absolutely dying to visit before it closes at, uh, 5 for some reason. You're actually going to be spending most of the game in your goofy ass designed house, playing completely obtuse guessing games and being sent right back to the start by various non threats. There are passwords in the game, but the first one you get is after this segment, so tough shit if you mess up here! Lovely! If you come through, there's actual platforming and enemies and all that jazz afterwards, but it sucks ass as well. There are always these ninjas hopping around and throwing shit at you constantly, and they leave little to no room for error whatsoever. I'm honestly not sure which segment I prefer less.

After that, there's more guessing bullshit in some town (which does not contain the arcade), then more bad platforming, and the game's over. "High Tech World" seems to only have one arcade machine front and center. Alex seems satisfied, but I would be fucking pissed if I went through all that trouble to get to such a lousy arcade. I feel like I wasted my damn time. Imagine if Sega went all the way with this lad instead of Sonic. They would totally eat shit.

The least fun game ever made, full stop. It is astounding that anyone alive and with a pulse and oxygen going to their brain ever thought that anyone would ever have a good time playing this. A reskin of a Japanese-only game where you have to do chores, but only if you can figure out non-hints from your annoying family. And then, since there’s not much of a game after that, you just go and fight ninjas.

It’s easy to take Mario for granted, and think that it’s just as easy to create a good mascot for your system, until you remember how absolutely fucked it was for early Sega. I still can’t believe that they went through this kid and a cute spaceship with wings and feet before they finally just landed on a blue rodent who can run fast. It boggles the mind even more when you realize that Alex Kidd in Miracle World was a pretty fun game, and all they had to do was that, again, and they couldn’t even do that. Hey guys! How about a platformer in a neat fantasy world where you punch baddies with big fists and ride a bunch of neat vehicles? Maybe try making another one of those?!?!??!!