Alex Kidd - High-Tech World Play Online

Summary

Alex Kidd: High Tech World feels like a curious remix of a Japanese title that never meant to wear the Alex Kidd badge. The Master System game is actually a re‑skinned version of the 1987 Anmitsu Hime, a manga‑based adventure that Sega repackaged for Western audiences, which explains why the usual cast is missing and why a brother named James shows up out of nowhere. Gameplay is split into four distinct stages – two are puzzle‑heavy rooms where talking to NPCs and avoiding mishaps is the key, while the other two are straight‑forward side‑scrolling runs peppered with enemies. The design lets you fail in many odd ways, from slipping on a banana peel to triggering hidden traps, adding a quirky layer of trial‑and‑error. Critics were split: CVG gave it a solid 76% and praised its graphics, sound and addictive feel, though it fell short of Miracle World, while Mean Machines echoed the visual praise but noted it didn’t improve on the original formula. The mixed scores (26/40 from EGM) reflect a game that’s charmingly retro yet a bit uneven.

Storyline

Alex Kidd, the Crown Prince of Radactian, receives a call from a friend about a brand‑new arcade called High‑Tech World that has just opened in town. The arcade will shut its doors at 5:00, and Alex needs a torn map to locate it. The map has been ripped into eight pieces, so he solves puzzles, answers questions, runs errands and even does housework to recover each fragment. When the final piece is assembled, he discovers the front gates are locked, trapping him inside his own house. He grabs a hang‑glider, flies out, lands in a forest, and is immediately confronted by a clan of ninjas. After battling through the ninja‑filled woods, Alex finally reaches the arcade.

Edited by Maya Carter