Still Playing: Alex Kidd In Miracle World

So, yes I've been a bit slow on the updates on this one. Mostly because I've spent the last week sick in bed playing the rapturous (get it?) Bioshock 2. But I have made progress in Alex Kidd as well.

This game is a strange brew. It was made in response to Nintendo's wildly successful Super Mario Bros, but ultimately gained much less popularity than the seminal Italian plumber side-scroller. While Alex Kidd is the same kind of game as Mario Bros, the execution of the two couldn't be different. Sega 'went for it' in trying to 1Up (boom) the Mushroom Kingdom, and they did it by implementing a ton of fresh ideas.

The "Pedicopter"

Shops peppered through various levels allow you to buy items and upgrades, you can use storable upgrades when needed, fly a helicopter, bust out a motorcycle, ride in style in a speed boat, and ponder over mysterious switches and puzzles. All of these things were used in other games like crazy, but Alex Kidd was a pioneer in this realm.

At the same time, however, the majority of the boss battles are mindlessly uncreative - you play Rock, Paper, Scissors. That's it. Now, Mario Bros can be faulted by saying they just recycled Bowser eight times, but at least the skills you gained while getting there were put to the test. It takes an incredible amount of dexterity and practice to get through some of Miracle World's later levels, only to put those skills through a rigorous game of Rock, Paper Scissors.

DARN it!

All in all though, I am enjoying it. I'm starting to breeze through the first five levels, but Level 6 is where it really starts to pick up in difficulty. It may take me a while - wish me luck!