Before there was Sonic the Hedgehog, there was Alex Kidd. SEGA’s first would be console mascot. The trophy child of the SEGA Master System. I got to say that I’m not very impressed. I get it. Super Mario Bros. was a hit, so you want to outdo the competition. Unfortunately, what made Mario the star he is today is not here in Alex Kidd. The controls are like an ice level. You move so smooth and your speed is too fast to move with precision. You jump so floaty, so controlling Alex is like a leap of faith at each button press. Your attack is a short reach punch. Very unremarkable of a way to dispose of your enemies. Collect money to buy from the shops. I have no idea what most of these items do, because there’s no visible indication of their effects on screen. The motorcycle is fun, but you can't hit any red blocks or the ride is over. The boss fight is not beaten by skill, but by random chance. You literally play Rock, Paper, Scissors to beat him. I don’t know if the fight is randomized or preprogrammed to repeat the same patterns. Likely the latter. The devs probably realized that Alex is too difficult to control, so they made the boss a mini-game.
Well, Alex Kidd in Miracle World was a successful hit for SEGA. Enough to spawn many franchise sequels. There’s even a DX remake. I guess there’s a market for floaty and fast controlling characters, with a short punch attack. Give it a try if you’re curious to see if you like it. As for me, it’s a pass.