History VideoGame / AlexKidd

After 30 years of nothing but cameoes, It was revealed in 2020 that Alex Kidd would getting a new game during IGN's Summer of Gaming event, in the form of a remake of the first game known as ''Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX''.

* SirCameoALot: Alex hasn't had a new title for himself since the Mega Drive days. This doesn't stop him from appearing in several titles such as ''Segagaga'', ''Sega Superstars Tennis'', and ''Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing''.

** FunnyAneurysmMoment: ''Shinobi World'' ended up being Alex's last game.

Most of the other games deviate from this storyline and [[GameplayRoulette feature different gameplay styles]]. Alex quietly faded away after the release of the original ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic The Hedgehog]]'', but he has had appearances in a few other games, including ''VideoGame/{{Segagaga}}'', ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sega Superstars Tennis]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing]]''.

''Alex Kidd'' was Creator/{{Sega}}'s former mascot, before SonicTheHedgehog was created. He starred in six games, all of them created between 1986 and 1990, and has had several [[TheCameo cameo appearances]] since then.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Alex Kidd was Sega's attempt at going toe to toe with Nintendo's Mario and acting as their mascot, but it never saw a speck of the plumbers success. Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog replaced Alex as this in light of the runaway success of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1.''

[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Alex_Kidd_6554.png]]

* AchievementMockery: The [=PS3=] port of ''Miracle World'' has an achievement for losing rock-paper-scissors [[EpicFail even while using a Telepathy Ball]], and an achievement for running out of lives in Janken's dungeon with less than $400. Both achievements are named "Shameful" and "Tears of Regret" respectively.

* ClassicCheatCode: In ''Miracle World'', here's a Continue code in the game, but it's rather cryptic; If you lose all your lives and have over $800, hold Up on the D-Pad, and press Button 2 8 times, and the game will allow you to continue where you left off.

* ContemptibleCover: The NA release's box art for ''Enchanted Castle'' turns Alex from a cute kid with vaguely simian features into an incredibly gawky-looking dork.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: In ''Miracle World'', the leftmost button (Button 1) is for jumping and the rightmost button (Button 2) is for attacking, rather than the other way around like most other platformers. The game's creator, [[WordOfGod Ossale Kohta]], admits in an [[http://sega.jp/archive/album/04_alex/03.html interview]] that he wanted to distinguish his game from ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' by making the controls a bit different. The latter releases of the game (including the one built into the Master System II) swapped the controls around to a more familiar setup.

* TakeThat: In prototype versions of ''Shinobi World'', the first boss was named (and resembled) [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mari-oh]]. He was later renamed Kabuto and his appearance changed, but he still shoots fireballs and shrinks when weakened.

* DolledUpInstallment: Two in particular.
** ''High-Tech World'' was originally released in Japan as a game based on the children manga ''AnmitsuHime''. All of the character designs were redrawn and the storyline was changed for the localization.

* HotBloodedSideburns

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In ''Miracle World'', Alex's brother is named "Egle" in the manual, and "Igul" in the ending to the game itself.

* GameplayRoulette: Out of the games in the series, only ''Miracle World'' and ''Enchanted Castle'' are anything like each other.

* ProductPlacement: ''High-Tech World'' is about Alex going to an arcade to play Sega's games, and [[spoiler: the ending sees him sitting in an ''OutRun'' cabinet]].

* DerivativeDifferentiation: While Alex Kidd was obviously patterned after Super Mario Bros., the designers took careful steps to ensure it was not a complete ripoff. Alex punches enemies instead of jumping on them, you use the 1 button to jump instead of 2 (the opposite of Mario's "B to Run, A to Jump" control scheme) and you can shop for items like Motorcycles and a mini-helicopter, and equip items on the pause screen. There aren't even standard boss fights, which consists of a Rock, Paper, Scissors match at the end of certain levels.

* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Alex Kidd was Sega's attempt at going toe to toe with Nintendo's Mario and acting as their mascot, but it never saw a speck of the plumbers success. Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog replaced Alex as this in light of the runaway success of VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1.

* TheManBehindTheMan: The [[AllThereInTheManual manual]] for ''Enchanted Castle'' strongly implies that the game's villain, Ashra, was this to Janken the Great from the first game.

* TakeThat: In early versions of ''Shinobi World'', the first boss was named (and resembled) [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mari-oh]]. He was later renamed Kabuto and his appearance changed, but he still shoots fireballs and shrinks when weakened.

* {{Crossover}}: ''{{Shinobi}} World''.

** ''Shinobi World'' was originally planned as an unrelated ''{{Shinobi}}'' spin-off titled ''[[WorkingTitle Shinobi Kid]]'', which was supposed to star a new protagonist. It also had at least one other difference (see TakeThat, below).

Most of the other games deviate from this storyline and [[GameplayRoulette feature different gameplay styles]]. Alex quietly faded away after the release of the original ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic The Hedgehog]]'', but he has had appearances in a few other games, including ''VideoGame/{{Segagaga}}'', ''[[SegaSuperstars Sega Superstars Tennis]]'', and ''[[SegaSuperstars Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing]]''.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: In ''Miracle World'', the leftmost button (Button 1) is for jumping and the rightmost button (Button 2) is for attacking, rather than the other way around like most other platformers. The game's creator, [[WordOfGod Ossale Kohta]], admits in an [[http://sega.jp/archive/album/04_alex/03.html interview]] that he wanted to distinguish his game from ''SuperMarioBros'' by making the controls a bit different. The latter releases of the game (including the one built into the Master System II) swapped the controls around to a more familiar setup.

* TakeThat: In early versions of ''Shinobi World'', the first boss was named (and resembled) [[SuperMarioBros Mari-oh]]. He was later renamed Kabuto and his appearance changed, but he still shoots fireballs and shrinks when weakened.

* CharlesAtlasSuperPower: Alex has trained in the "Shellcore" technique enabling him to alter the size and toughness of his fists through sheer willpower and enables him to shatter rocks with his bare fists. Getting a Magic Ring upgrades it by allowing Alex to shoot a laser blast out, which will plow through several blocks at once.

* PowerFist: Alex's trademark Shellcore technique allows him to punch with an enlarged fist, which can be used to destroy blocks.

* CharlesAtlasSuperPower: Alex has trained in the "Shellcore" technique enabling him to alter the size and toughness of his fists through sheer willpower and enables him to shatter rocks with his bare fists.

* PutOnABus: After ''Enchanted Castle'' flopped with critics and retail and ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'' made Sega realize the technicolor insectivore was their real answer to Mario, Alex Kidd was retired from the companies game line-up. He's made the occasional cameo since then, but is largely forgotten today.

* ''Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars'' - [[ArcadeGame Arcade]] (1986) and Master System (1989)

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: On ''Miracle World'', Alex's brother is named "Egle" in the manual, and "Igul" in the ending to the game itself. Taking the spelling of one and the pronunciation of the other, his intended name would presumably have been "Eagle".