Developer: Sega Publisher: Sega Release: 12/89 Genre: Platformer
I am kind of surprised Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle was not the pack-in game for the Sega Genesis. Altered Beast was an impressive technical showpiece for its time but not a good game overall. This was still the era of the mascot platformer and Alex Kidd, for a brief period, was it for Sega. Having said that I can kind of see why Sega went with the arcade port instead of this. Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle is a strictly average game and would have made the system look bad. I was not the biggest fan of the series, but the monkey boy deserved better for his last adventure.
Although Alex Kidd started out as a platformer just like Mario he dabbled in other genres. The only straight platformer was Alex Kidd in Miracle World, a legitimately great game that deserved direct sequels. Further titles explored racing, action, and even a point and click style adventure. Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle was a return to its root but is a step back from its predecessor. With sloppy controls, shorter length, and average graphics this one is best left forgotten.
Sega kept the base gameplay from Miracle World with only a few slight changes. Alex still attacks with his large fists but also has a jump kick. You still collect coins which are for the game’s shops. New this time around are NPCs who challenge you to a game of jankenpon for items. It is cheaper than buying many of these if you are willing to put up the cash. Probably the best new feature is an inventory that lets you equip items and turn them off. It was frustrating in the previous game where the cool ones like the motorcycle or pedalcopter had to be used immediately.
Despite all the new features the controls are still not tight. If anything, they are even worse. Alex Kidd slides around like he is on roller skates and it is annoying. Look, I am not asking for my platforming heroes to move with the grace of Prince of Persia. But they should be better than this. You at least maintain control of him, even while airborne, so some of the frustration is manageable. But it does lead to some cheap deaths. It goes hand in hand with that fucking useless jump kick and the wonky hit detection.
In spite of the sloppy controls the game remains playable. But that doesn’t mean it is interesting. The reason I liked Alex Kidd in Miracle World so much was its variety and length. It had so many different mechanics and variety in its levels that it put most platformers to shame. The only reason it isn’t remembered fondly is because most never played it. You will find little of that here. Most of the items that made that game fun return but there is little reason to use them. In fact, most of the stages aren’t designed with them in mind. What you are left with is a game that is incredibly simplified, as if they were not sure of their audience.
The sole exception is the final castle, which is long and has numerous inventive platforming challenges. Here almost every room has a subtle trick to it to pass. Some of these are deviously clever and reward you for figuring it out. I would have loved to have seen even a fraction of this level’s creativity spread throughout the rest of the game. It might have been decent then.
With its less than stellar controls you would expect Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle to be difficult. But that is not the case. In fact, the game is incredibly easy. You can build up an inventory of items relatively quickly which makes the game simple, especially the force bracelet. Extra lives are not hard to find and you will need them for the games of jankenpon. These are the only areas I would consistently die as they are a bit random. Still, most will finish this in less than thirty minutes and never touch it again.
In Closing
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle is an average game in a mediocre series. I may have thought fondly of the series once but it has not held up. There is a reason Sega does the bare minimum to remind everyone Alex Kidd exists. Do yourself a favor and forget about this game.
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