Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Fourth Alex Kidd game; only 16-bit entry in the series.
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, a platform game released in 1990 in the West, was both developed and published by Sega for the Genesis. It stands as the sole 16-bit platformer featuring Alex Kidd and marks the fourth installment in the series. The story sends Alex across the fictional planet Paperock on a mission to find his missing father, King Thor.
In terms of gameplay, players guide Alex through eleven stages, where he can jump, kick, crawl, or punch enemies to make them burst into gold coins known as Baums. A single hit from any enemy results in instant death. New tools and vehicles—such as the Sukopako Motorcycle, a pedal-powered helicopter called the pedicopter, a pogo stick, and a wizard cane that lets Alex float briefly—are obtained by winning rock-paper-scissors matches in gambling houses. In the original Japanese version, losing a match leaves the loser naked except for a fig leaf, while Western versions replace this with a heavy weight flattening the loser. Several level names were also changed for Western audiences.
The plot picks up from *Alex Kidd in Miracle World* (1986). Alex lives on a planet ruled by his brother King Igo. After hearing a rumor that his father, King Thor, might still be alive on Planet Paperock, Alex travels there to search for him.
The game received mixed reviews at launch, and later retrospectives have been largely negative. GameRankings gives it a 47.5% average. IGN’s Lucas M. Thomas scored it 4.5/10, criticizing the floaty controls and random rock-paper-scissors boss fights, noting that Sega dropped the character for good reason. GameSpot’s Frank Provo gave it 3.8/10, complaining that Alex slides around as if oiled, and that the eleven stages are short, repetitive left-to-right strips. Eurogamer’s Dan Whitehead awarded a 4/10, calling the collision detection abominable and the rock-paper-scissors sections a matter of blind luck. MegaTech gave 68%, praising the graphics and sound as near Master System quality but lacking the addictive spark of earlier games, recommending it only for fans. Console XS scored it 72%, noting it has plenty of content but grows boring.
The game has appeared in numerous compilations.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
- Designer
- Kotaro Hayashida / Hirokazu Yasuhara
- Artist
- Rieko Kodama / Naoto Ohshima / Takashi Yuda
- Composer
- Chikako Kamatani
- Developer
- Sega
- Producer
- Kotaro Hayashida
- Released
- JP · February 10, 1989 · NA · January 1990 · EU · 1990
- Genre
- Platform
- Series
- Alex Kidd
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Genesis/Mega Drive
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The plot continues that of Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1986). Alex lives on a planet ruled by his brother King Igo. After hearing a rumor that his long-lost father, King Thor, is still alive on Planet Paperock, Alex travels there to search for him. The player guides Alex through eleven stages by fighting and avoiding enemies and obstacles. Alex can jump, kick, crawl, or punch enemies, causing them to explode into gold coins called Baums. New items and vehicles are gained by playing Janken (rock paper scissors) in gambling houses, including the Sukopako Motorcycle, the pedicopter, a pogo stick, and a wizard cane that allows Alex to float in the air for a few seconds. One hit from any enemy causes Alex to die instantly.
Reader's Guide
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle received mixed reviews upon release and later mixed to negative retrospective reviews, with a GameRankings rating of 47.5%. Critics such as Lucas M. Thomas of IGN (4.5/10) criticized the 'floaty play control' and the Rock, Paper, Scissors boss battles, calling them random and not fun. Frank Provo of GameSpot (3.8/10) similarly criticized the controls, stating that 'Alex slides around like his feet are coated with oil,' and disapproved of the level design as 'unremarkable.' Eurogamer's Dan Whitehead (4/10) disliked the 'abominable collision detection' and the Rock, Paper, Scissors sections, noting that 'victory comes from blind luck.' MegaTech gave a 68% score, commenting that graphics and sound are almost Master System standard and that while fun, it lacks the addictive spark of its predecessors. Console XS gave 72%, writing that the game 'gets very boring.' Despite mixed reception, the game has been included in many compilations, such as Sega Mega Drive Collection, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, Sega Genesis Classics, and the Sega Genesis Mini.
Did You Know?
- In the original Japanese version, losing a Rock Paper Scissors match causes the loser's clothes to disappear, leaving them naked with a fig leaf; Western versions flatten the loser with a heavy weight.
- Several levels were renamed for the Western release.
- The game is the only 16-bit platform game starring Alex Kidd.
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