#Alex Kidd in Shinobi World

[obscurevideogames]

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (Sega - Master System - 1990)  

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Swimming With Sharks 'Alex Kidd in Shinobi World' SEGA Master System Support us on Patreon

[thek2b]

So guys I got an idea.

Dunno how well this will do BUT I have an idea but I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. I got an idea to write my own Alex Kidd Fan stories (I hate the word fanfiction), I kinda wanna make it whilst being incredibly accurate to the games' source material that being using the elements from Miracle World, Lost Stars, Shinobi World and Enchanted Castle. Dunno if I wanna make it a graphic novel or just an ordinary novel but lemme know what you all think.

[superthatguy62]

A Reflection on Alex Kidd

Some time ago I played through two platformers that happened to have re-releases on the Switch.

The first was Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil. An excellent game, very good platformer, would definitely recommend even if it gets kinda intense towards the end.

The other was Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX. Alex Kidd was one of those franchises that I knew existed, but didn’t think too much about. Most of my exposure was via Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle on the Genesis, which was decidedly kinda janky (and not in a fun way) and punishing. But it still remained a curiosity to me, so when the remake caught my eye, I decided to eventually nab it and experience it for myself.

Cut to now and I’ve not only played Miracle World DX, but the Sega Ages version of the original as well as read up on the other games in the series.

And now I have thoughts regarding this franchise and so must inflict them upon all of you. My apologies. 

(Janken Dance!)

The Origin of Alex Kidd

Alex Kidd is considered Sega’s second mascot, preceded by Opa Opa: A cute sentient spaceship that fights to protect to Fantasy Zone who is also a child soldier and traumatized by the events of the game up to and including killing his own father, the leader of the enemy forces. 

However, when Sega entered the home market and released the Mark III console (the basis for the Master System), they wanted a character that could stand against Mario.

(Sega showing themselves to be the masters of subtlety)

Alex’s creation, funnily enough, mirrors that of his rival: Sega had intended to create a Dragon Ball video game, but were ultimately unable to secure the license. They decided to take what they had and turn it into a new character: Goku’s power pole was replaced by by Alex’s fists and his design eventually shifted to what would become Alex. With this in mind, the series’ chibi artstyle could very well be rooted in OG Dragon Ball and people have pointed out some of the remaining similarities on sites like The Site That Formerly Had The Blue Bird. One particular similarity is vehicles: Various Dragon Ball artworks had an emphasis on vehicles owing to Akira Toriyama’s fondness for them and Kotaro “Ossale” Hayoshida has a similar interest. Thus, the two main console Alex Kidd platformers feature the Peticopter and the Sukopako Motorcycle.

Plot:

The Alex Kidd franchise is emblematic of Sega’s approach to storylines in their games and builds off of what Fantasy Zone did before, as well as setting a standard that the Sonic series would follow later.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World takes on the Planet Aries, which is invaded by a tyrant known as Janken the Great. At the time, Alex was an orphan who trained under a master named Saint Nubia and thus had no idea of Janken’s take over until he came across some citizens. Alex goes back to his master who reveals to him the truth: Alex himself is one of the two princes of the kingdom of Radaxian. The royal family has been in a tizzy as the king disappeared shortly before Janken’s take over with acting king, Prince Igul/Egul, being held captive in Radaxian Castle itself. Alex thus sets off to not only save his kingdom, but his family as well, using the technique of Shellcore; a style of martial arts that allows its users to embiggen their limbs (or at least, their hands).

It’s not the most original plot, nor is it really the first platformer to put such emphasis on plot (Maybe. I’m not sure.). Still, considering that Sega had eyed Alex as a potential rival to Mario, it’s interesting to see some degree of ambition here: The reveal of Alex being the prince of Radaxian is saved for a couple levels in. When Alex needs to get into a nearby kingdom after rescuing his brother, he has to collect a letter inside Radaxian Castle (in turn, rescuing his brother) or he’ll be turned away. Even after beating Janken, Alex still needs to reclaim the Crown of Radaxian that Janken was after. It gives a general context for why you’re going through the stages that’s a smidge more varied than usual. And then there’s something else that I’ll mention later.

Compare this with the Mario games, which generally had little plot: SMB1 had functionally no plot outside of a general premise, Mario 3′s only major plot development is saved for World 8 and while Super Mario World narrates prose after each Koopaling is defeated, it doesn’t really have any more of a significant plot as was seen in Super Mario Bros 3. Overall, Sega’s games would have more ambitious plotlines, with Sonic picking up where Alex left off and taking it to further and higher heights.

Gameplay

Alex Kidd in Miracle World is a simple platformer. Alex’s two primary actions at any given time are jumping and punching something with his enlarged fist. Aside from vehicles and temporarily from a certain powerup, Alex can only over take one hit before dying. Lose all of your lives and it’s game over... although, if you have enough money (and know of a certain code in the original game) you can purchase another continue. Levels in Miracle World tend to be short, so it’s not too bad to die in the game (although you do lose the Telepathy Ball on a game over and certain stages the jungle can be a pain to get through normally).

Stages in Alex Kidd tend to vary: sometimes they’re simple platforming stages. Other times, Alex can use a vehicle: The motorcycle is optional and can be purchased from the shop, the boat appears automatically and the Peticopter (a pedal-based Helicopter) varies. These vehicles can make getting through a stage a breeze, but they only have one hitpoint: In the case of the motorcycle or stages where Alex can purchase the Peticopter, Alex must brave the rest of the stage himself. In the cases where he starts in a vehicle, Alex will fall into a level underneath the play area and have to work from there. Lastly there are castle levels that are significantly more mazelike. There’s only two such levels in the game: Radaxian Castle and Janken’s Castle.

Powerups differ from Super Mario Bros as well. While you’ll occasionally find power ups (usually extra lives) scattered throughout Radaxia in marked boxes, you’ll mostly be getting them from shops that litter the world. These shops cost money, which you can find scattered all over the place. The powerups range from a barrier that makes Alex immune to enemy attacks at the cost of not allowing him to attack, a ball that can shoot mini clones of Alex at enemies and a magic rod that lets Alex hover in the air. One powerup that you can only get from item boxes is Death, who will promptly chase Alex until scrolled offscreen. Another is skull boxes which aren’t necessarily powerups so much as they stun Alex for a moment if he punches them. Lastly is the Telepathy ball, which may or may not be critical to winning at Jankenpon, depending on your knowledge anyway.

 At the end of certain stages, Alex will run into one of Janken’s minions (excepting Janken’s Castle, where he runs into the big man himself) and will have to play Jankenpon (i.e. Rock-Paper-Scissors). It’s pretty much as you’d expect: Music plays, Alex can pick a hand to chose, when the music stops you play the hand. Best 2 out of 3 are the rules and if Alex loses, he dies. There are two general work arounds for Jankenpon. 1st: Getting the Telepathy Ball allows Alex to see his opponent’s thoughts and therefore get an idea of what they’re going to pick. This is less helpful as it sounds as the thoughts occur in real time and are constantly shifting, meaning the opponent can suddenly switch their hand at the last second, giving you only a split second to react. However, the Telepathy Ball does help with the second option: Janken and his minions have set patterns when it comes to Jankenpon. Thus, if you know the pattern, you can easily sweep the two rounds needed to progress. The issue is that the patterns change if Alex loses a round (i.e. if the opponent chose scissors and Alex loses, he won’t choose scissors next time). Still, one could theoretically puzzle out the winning hands and learn to choose them each time.

Boss battles are a very non-graceful affair. In the first encounters with Janken’s generals, they will die immediately after losing. In the second encounters, they will actually fight by means of detaching their heads and/or shooting projectiles. Since mercy invulnerability does not exist for enemies and Alex himself dies in one hit, boss fights usually end quickly. The absolute irony is that the easiest boss in the game is none other than the final one, Janken the Great himself: His primary attack is shooting a projectile, and the nature of how he shoots it means that Alex can stand right next to him and be at no risk. Perhaps it’s for the best that the actual final challenge is a more puzzle-oriented level.

Re-releases and Ports

Alex Kidd in Miracle World was never as widely re-released as it’s Genesis sequel. The original game remained Master System exclusive until it landed on the Wii’s Virtual Console. It eventually made it to the PS3 in 2012 as part of the Sega Vintage Collection (or Sega Ages Online) line. Today, the two options for playing Miracle World legitimately are the Switch-Exclusive Sega Ages release by M2 or the Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX remake.

Miracle World DX generally updates the graphics, adds some new stages and expands on the story somewhat (the major difference being that Alex himself now has dialogue and the first stage now takes the place of the Japanese manual’s storyline to explain how Alex learns about Janken). The game has a few QoL options that make the game easier (better controls, infinite lives and permanently having the telepathy ball) but I believe achievements are disabled if those options are turned on. Also, I’m not sure if it’s a glitch, but progress seems to be tied to the game state (i.e. if you decide to replay Mt. Eternal after finishing the game, the game will reset your progress to as if you started a fresh game at Mt. Eternal). On the other hand, the game has some neat little touches such as collectibles referencing both other Alex Kidd games (even including Enchanted Castle’s interesting boxart) and other Sega games in general, including Sonic or how the food Alex eats can be changed (in the original game the donut riceball was changed to a hamburger. The remake gives you the ability to toggle the change and even adds a few new ones). The game also allows the player to shift the artstyle to one closely matching the original Miracle World at the push of a button. The overall consensus is that if you like the original Miracle World, you’ll probably like the remake, but if you didn’t, then you won’t be won over either. The game is faithful, perhaps to a fault (and even then, there’s almost assuredly some mechanical differences that I do not know about).

The Sega Ages version is more of a remaster. In addition to Original Mode, which is what that name implies, Ages mode adds a new soundtrack based on the FM Sound Unit: An add-on for the Sega Master System which improved the audio capabilities and could lead to some stark differences between it and the more “bleep-bloop”-ish PSG audio (Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars would have support for the FM Sound Unit and is a good example of such differences). Ages mode also adds new illustrations at the start of each level (covering the map, which can still be seen on the pause screen) and adds a rewind function, which can make playing the game easier.

Later Games 

The franchise after Miracle World went in some... odd directions.

(Multiverse theory means that there is a timeline where “with STELLA” became as much of a meme as “& Knuckles”, “Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series” “New Funky Mode”, etc)

The first follow-up was Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (With Stella), an arcade title released the same year as Miracle World, getting a port to the Master System two years later. I’d tell the plot here, but there’s a bit of an issue: While I cannot read Japanese, the little I’ve parsed through DeepL suggests that it varies much differently from the English plot. This was kind of a thing Sega did on occasion (see: Sonic CD). Regardless of which region, the overall plot is that a greedy star known as the Ziggurat (or the Bloom?) is going around absorbing other stars. Alex and his new ??? Stella must go out and find the Miracle Balls to restore the constellations of Planet Aries. In terms of gameplay, it’s a bog-standard run ‘n jump with bizarre visuals. Alex can’t even attack enemies without a specific power up.

(Pictured: Sega of America’s depiction of Alex Kidd, which would remain consistent in terms of western covers until Shinobi World)

The second, more direct follow-up is Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle for the Sega Genesis. If Miracle World was a flawed, if somewhat interesting game, then Enchanted Castle says “you are like baby: watch this.”

Gameplaywise: Alex has a new jumping-kick move when he descends, which requires positioning as it’s not a traditional jump attack. The plot-related elements that Miracle World had are non-existent, being a straightforward platformer. Rather than being strictly a boss battle affair, Jankenpon is now necessary to buy anything in the stores (or rather, the one item they have on display) and speaking of, there is only one proper boss fight in the main villain Ashura. Every other “boss” is a bout of Jankenpon. Most damningly, movement is just as slippery as ever and Alex still dies in a single hit.

Then there’s the ending, which...

The plot of Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle is that Alex hears a tip that his father is on another planet... namely, the planet that Janken the Great from the previous game is from. Alex travels there and fights his way to a castle in the sky, where he encounters Ashura, Janken’s son (maybe?). After defeating him, Ashura runs into the next room where King Thor/Thunder is waiting, perfectly fine. As it turns out King Thor had never been taken prisoner; He was visiting Janbarik/Paperock and took Ashura as his servant. The End.

(Alex’s Enchanted Castle design would go on to become the base for his modern design, albeit with some minor changes).

And here’s where the franchise gets weird.

Alex Kidd in Hi-Tech World was released for the Sega Master System the same year as Enchanted Castle. This one is interesting as it never released in Japan. Why? Because I lied: It did, but it wasn’t connected to Alex Kidd at all.

Anmitsu Hime was a Japanese manga/anime about a tomboy princess getting into all sorts of antics. It got a licensed video game in 1987. About 2 years later, Sega of America decided to “SMB2″ it for... reasons I cannot fathom. The main character was replaced by Alex, the characters were changed to be legally distinct versions, and the objective was switched from reaching a cake shop to reaching Hi-Tech World to play some Sega games (meaning the title is technically a lie: Alex is in Hi-Tech World in the ending).

So if you were ever wondering why Radaxian Castle went from a European Castle to a Japanese castle, why Alex’s parents are suddenly overtly Japanese, why Alex is being attacked by ninjas, etc, that’s why.

And speaking of ninjas...

(Alex is by everything as he contemplates the state of his franchise) 

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World was the last Alex Kidd game originally released in 1990, just a year before his speedy blue understudy would enter the scene. The plot is simple: Alex’s girlfriend is kidnapped by the Dark Ninja. The White Ninja, deciding that Alex is a bad enough dude to rescue her, grants him ninja powers. And all of this takes place on Planet Shinobi.

This is a weird one.

Despite being made by Sega’s R&D 2, Shinobi World was never released in Japan. It was called “Shinobi Kid(d)” during development, raising questions of if it was ever intended to be an Alex Kidd-related game. The first boss was originally a parody of Mario. This game, overall, was the note this series ended on.

Apparently, it plays really well by virtue of being based on Shinobi, so a high note. Still pretty sad when you think about it.

There is one last game to talk about regarding the Alex Kidd franchise, but it isn’t a sequel. On the contrary, it predates the series and even afterwards, it’s not immediately clear how it fits.

(Pitter Potter)

Pit Pot is a puzzle game, somewhat like Tower of Druaga. A knight, wielding a magical hammer, must save a princess who is trapped in the titular Castle Pit Pot by a witchsorceress. The knight, Igul, searches the castle for the three treasures he needs and succeeds in rescuing the princess.

But what does that have to do with Alex Kidd? Because Igul, the knight who’s the main character, is in fact the same Igul/Egul who is acting king of Radaxian, and the princess who is rescued after defeating Janken, Princess Lora/Rooney, is indeed the same princess that Igul rescued in Pit Pot. This is furthered by the Alex Kidd Complete Album release, which includes music from Pit Pot.

And Pit Pot, itself, is a sequel to an unreleased game called “Chain Pit”.

In any case, the Miracle World DX remake references this further The collectible for Radaxian Castle is given to Alex by the captain of the royal guard. The collectible in question? Igul’s hammer.

Other Appearances & Legacy

While never reaching the lows of say, Bubsy for example, Sega did have some fun poking at Alex’s failure to truly take off. Altered Beast has tombstones reading “Alex” and “Stella”, a reference to Lost Stars. Alex also featured in Segagaga, including a scene where he speaks with the main protagonist, Taroh, in order to convince him not to give up after he has been fired from Sega. Segagaga is a parody RPG of sorts, being one of the last games Sega made before exiting the console market (with the game itself reflecting the state they were in). With that in mind, the entire game takes on a bittersweet tone and Alex’s speech and reflection on his failure to catch on have a similar feeling, especially one scene that implies that Alex felt envious of Sonic (his replacement).

Alex has also been a mainstay of the Sega Superstars/Sonic & All Stars brand since Superstars Tennis.  While the franchise in general never got a court or track, Alex himself still has a slew of references: His Superstar State in Tennis is based on Jankenpon from the two main console games while All Stars Racing features the Sukopako motorcycle as his standard vehicle and Peticopter as his All-Star move. Sega still finds use for Alex even today as a mascot for their early years, with the Sega Ages line on Nintendo Switch having Alex present the games. Alex also appeared in the back half of the Mega Man/Sonic Archie crossover Worlds Unite (i.e. Sega X Capcom, sadly not as exciting as you’d think).

(But it still gave us stuff like this image)

And of course, the Miracle World remake, which started as a fan project.

Conclusion

So... why did I type up all of that? 

I dunno. I feel like Alex Kidd is a series that had potential, but squandered it. Miracle World is decent, if flawed, but Enchanted Castle doesn’t fix (or even doubles down) on those issues. I haven’t played the other games yet but given what I’ve seen of Lost Stars and the nature of the other two games, I’m not keeping expectations high. I suppose I’m just lamenting what could’ve been with this charming little series after playing both versions of Miracle World.

Of course, we got Sonic from all of that. People can argue over how worth it it was considering the later games and the fanbase and etc, but overall probably the best call...

Alex’s future these days is no better or worse than it has been for years. A proper follow up game is as unlikely as it’s always been. “Ossale” has stated/joked that if he could make a modern day Alex Kidd, it would be a realistic first-person action game with a feeling similar to the movie, Shaolin Soccer.

Miracle World still has a fanbase, especially in regions such as Brazil where the Master System is fondly regarded. The game even has a modest fan-hacking scene: You won’t find anything on the level of, say, Sonic: The Next Level, but it’s still noteworthy. Full on fan-games are rarer, but SAGE 2023 did have someone make an “Alex Kidd CD” to imagine what Alex Kidd would be like on the Sega CD, so there’s that.

Will we ever see a fangame that reinvents Alex Kidd with a detail of quality comparable to the finer Sonic fan games? Probably not, but imagine if we did, and Alex and Stella got an adventure that endeared them to players.

It’d be a Miracle.

[searching4rinoa]

Searching4Rinoa Plays - Alex Kidd in Shinobi World

Tongue-in-cheek Shinobi game? Sold!

[doamarierose-honoka]

This news might be disappointing for SEGA fans who care about the preservation of the companies’ rich history of video games ranging from arcade to consoles, including myself and fellow SEGAbits writers. As of now, SEGA plans to delist a selection of games and bundles from virtual stores across gaming platforms including Steam, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Playstation starting on December 6th at 11:59pm PST.

If you happen to own the games on the following platforms, they will still be available in your library. You can still get them all for very good prices, so be sure not to miss out on the opportunity. Do you all think that this is a bad decision from SEGA or do you think they might have something planned for the titles down the line? Let us know in the comments below and hit the next section of the article to see the list of games that are planned to be delisted.

Here are the following games that are planned to be delisted:

Steam

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle

Alien Soldier

Alien Storm

Altered Beast

Beyond Oasis

Bio-Hazard Battle

Bonanza Bros

Columns

Columns III

Comix Zone

Crack Down

Crazy Taxi

Decap Attack

Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine

Dreamcast Collection Bundle

Dynamite Headdy

Ecco Jr.

Ecco the Dolphin

Ecco: The Tides of Time

ESWAT: City Under Siege

Eternal Champions

Fatal Labyrinth

Flicky

Galaxy Force II

Gain Ground

Golden Axe

Golden Axe II

Golden Axe III

Gunstar Heroes

Jet Set Radio

Kid Chameleon

Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole

Light Crusader

Mega Drive and Genesis Classic Bundle

NiGHTS into Dreams

Phantasy Star II

Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom

Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium

Ristar

SEGA Bass Fishing

Shadow Dancer

Shining Force

Shining Force II

Shining in the Darkness

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Sonic 3D Blast

Sonic Spinball

Space Channel 5: Part 2

Space Harrier II

Streets of Rage

Streets of Rage 2

Streets of Rage 3

Super Thunder Blade

Sword of Vermilion

The Revenge of Shinobi

ToeJam & Earl

ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkoton

VectorMan

VectorMan 2

Virtua Fighter 2

Wonder Boy in Monster World

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

Xbox

Altered Beast

Crazy Taxi

SEGA® Genesis Classics™

Golden Axe

Monster World

NiGHTS into Dreams

SEGA Bass Fishing

Shinobi

Sonic the Fighters

Streets of Rage

SVC: ToeJam & Earl

Virtua Fighter 2

Nintendo Switch

SEGA® Genesis Classics™

Playstation

SEGA® Genesis Classics™

[s-pyder]

🕷️Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (1990)🕷️

[blazehedgehog]

New Virtua Fighter was announced and the last entry is getting some updates, any thoughts on Segas efforts of bringing their old ips back so far?

One Virtua Fighter does not make up for delisting:

NiGHTS into Dreams

Sega Bass Fishing

Crazy Taxi

Space Channel 5 part 2

Jet Set Radio

Daytona USA

Afterburner Climax

Sega Rally Online Arcade

Outrun 2 Online Arcade

Sonic the Fighters

Sega Rally REVO

Sega Ages: Shinobi

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle

Alien Soldier

Alien Storm

Altered Beast

Beyond Oasis

Bio-Hazard Battle

Bonanza Bros

Columns

Columns III

Comix Zone

Crack Down

Decap Attack

Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine

Dynamite Headdy

Ecco Jr.

Ecco the Dolphin

Ecco: The Tides of Time

ESWAT: City Under Siege

Eternal Champions

Fatal Labyrinth

Flicky

Galaxy Force II

Gain Ground

Golden Axe

Golden Axe II

Golden Axe III

Gunstar Heroes

Kid Chameleon

Landstalker

Light Crusader

Phantasy Star II

Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom

Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium

Ristar

Shadow Dancer

Shining Force

Shining Force II

Shining in the Darkness

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Sonic 3D Blast

Sonic Spinball

Space Channel 5: Part 2

Space Harrier II

Streets of Rage

Streets of Rage 2

Streets of Rage 3

Super Thunder Blade

Sword of Vermilion

The Revenge of Shinobi

ToeJam & Earl

ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkoton

VectorMan

VectorMan 2

Virtua Fighter 2

Wonder Boy in Monster World

Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

We still haven't even heard any more news about the new Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, Shinobi or Streets of Rage games they announced over a year ago. Anything we've seen or heard has been classified as leaks, and not all of it sounds very positive.

Also, Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 would have absolutely been delisted with all the other games recently but I get the feeling somebody at Sega of America pumped the brakes on those two. They were announced to be delisted in other territories, but apparently have not been delisted anywhere as of yet.

They could have stopped more games from being delisted. While a few of these have to be delisted for licensing reasons (Daytona USA is a real life race event, Afterburner, Outrun and Sega Rally all contain licensed vehicles, etc.), there's no reason to delist NiGHTS, Space Channel 5, or 75-80% of those games.

The argument can be made that they'll just prep new versions of this stuff, but you know things are going to fall through the cracks. The PC is supposed to be the forever platform. It's insulting for them to do this.

[freshfreshsalad]

It's a Twitter thing but I'll post it here as well.

25 games to get to know me! Been seeing friends do these lately so I quickly threw one together too. Didn't put too much thought into this, the actual all time favorites are Land of Illusion and Sonic 3&K, while the rest are games I like a lot and left a lasting impression on me.

I'm probably forgetting some games. And there are a few games here I wasn't sure about including such as Alex Kidd in Shinobi World and Asterix SMS, but they're games I grew up with and are quite fond of, so I figured it wouldn't be wrong to include them.

[segadriven]

New video! We take a look at the final Alex Kidd game for Master System - Alex Kidd in Shinobi World!

[graminhani]

Wrath of Man (USA, 2020): 🍿

Vou aproveitar esse espaço de mais um filme pancadão de Jason Statham sobre o qual não tenho nada a dizer a não ser que foi dirigido por Guy Ritchie (!) para discorrer acerca de meu fascínio pelo hoje dito mundo dos retrogames.

Eu adorava jogar videogame quando criança. Tivemos um Atari 2600 da Polyvox que, pelo que me lembro, jogava apenas nas férias escolares durante os anos 80. Enduro, Pac-Man, River Raid, Megamania, Space Invaders eram alguns jogos que tínhamos e eu gostava apesar de eles serem um tanto quanto repetitivos.

Em setembro de 1989 ocorreu um desses eventos que ficam marcados na sua memória autobiográfica para sempre: a propaganda de lançamento do Master System pela Tec Toy. Até aquele momento não tinha ideia da existência de Nintendinho, Super Mario, Phantom System ou qualquer outro clone, ou seja, virei “seguista” imediatamente depois de ver o comercial de Missile Defense 3D com a pistola Light Phaser e os óculos 3D. Talvez em 1989 ou mesmo em 1990 ganhamos o Master e eu não podia estar mais feliz. Me lembro de ter zerado Shinobi sem morrer na casa do Barata, Alex Kidd in Miracle World talvez com a ajuda de dicas das saudosas revistas “Ação Games”, “Videogame” e “Supergame”, Kenseiden eu tinha assim como R.C. Grand Prix, Gangster Town (que precisava da pistola) e Summer Games (Jogos de Verão) que ganhei no Natal de 1990.

No final de 1990 outro baque: chegava o Mega Drive no Brasil. Muito rapidamente encontramos um comprador para nosso Master, Light Phaser, Rapid Fire e todos os jogos (pacote completo) e, assim, ganhei em seguida o inesquecível Megão da massa (!) muito provavelmente em 1991. Fiquei alucinado com aqueles jogos difíceis, os gráficos, sons... Começaram a aparecer as primeiras locadoras em Brasília e me lembro como se fosse hoje quando consegui alugar “The Revenge of Shinobi”. Eu só queria saber de jogar, tinhas as dicas das revistas catalogadas para quando conseguisse alugar as fitas, tinha também listados todos os jogos que tinha experimentado com a informação de at�� qual fase tinha chegado ou zerado. Meus jogos favoritos eram os de plataforma. Gostava mais ou menos dos jogos de esporte, “navinha” e beat 'em up. Definitivamente não queria saber de RPGs e de lutas tipo Street Fighter ou Mortal Kombat. Foram três ou quatro anos maravilhosos! É difícil descrever em palavras as saudades que eu sinto dessa época.

Com a necessidade de estudar para o vestibular em 1995, a jogatina diminuiu vertiginosamente. Faculdade, trabalho, inúmeras mudanças de casa e cidades... Nunca mais voltaria a jogar e, eventualmente, me separei do meu Mega Drive, Sega CD (sim, eu tive até o Sega CD), controle de 6 botões, Game Genie e muitos jogos por volta de 2002. Eu me arrependo sobremaneira disso.

To Be Continued...

[obscurevideogames]

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (Sega - Master System - 1990)  

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Robster 'Alex Kidd in Shinobi World' SEGA Master System Support us on Patreon

[outmax]

Master System

La Master System : Une console rétro au cœur de l’histoire du jeu vidéo

La Sega Master System, souvent appelée "Master System", est une console de jeu emblématique des années 1980. Lancée initialement au Japon sous le nom de Sega Mark III en 1985, elle a été repensée et renommée pour sa sortie mondiale en 1986. Concurrente directe de la Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), la Master System a marqué les esprits avec ses graphismes avancés pour l’époque et son catalogue de jeux mémorables.

Un design innovant et des caractéristiques techniques avancées

La Master System se distinguait par son design élégant et futuriste. Sur le plan technique, elle était dotée :

D’un processeur Zilog Z80 cadencé à 3,58 MHz.

De 8 Ko de RAM, extensibles grâce à des accessoires.

De capacités graphiques permettant d’afficher 32 couleurs sur une palette de 64, avec une résolution pouvant atteindre 256x192 pixels.

D’une puce sonore capable de produire des mélodies simples mais efficaces, bien que l'ajout d'un module FM au Japon améliorait considérablement la qualité audio.

Un catalogue varié et riche en classiques

Bien que la Master System ait souvent été éclipsée par la NES en termes de popularité, elle possédait un catalogue de jeux unique. Des titres comme Alex Kidd in Miracle World (souvent intégré dans la mémoire de la console), Wonder Boy, Shinobi, et Phantasy Star restent des références incontournables.

Le support des jeux était varié : la console utilisait à la fois des cartouches et des cartes de jeu (les Sega Cards), un format plus compact mais limité en capacité de stockage.

Un succès inégal selon les régions

La Master System n’a pas rencontré le même succès partout dans le monde. Si elle a eu du mal à rivaliser avec la NES en Amérique du Nord et au Japon, elle a connu un grand succès en Europe, au Brésil, et en Australie. Au Brésil, grâce à un partenariat avec Tec Toy, elle est devenue une véritable icône, avec des rééditions et des jeux exclusifs développés localement.

Un héritage durable

Aujourd'hui, la Sega Master System est une console prisée des collectionneurs et des amateurs de jeux rétro. Son design intemporel, ses jeux captivants, et son rôle dans la bataille des consoles des années 1980 en font une pièce essentielle de l'histoire vidéoludique.

Pourquoi redécouvrir la Master System ?

Avec la montée en popularité des émulateurs et des consoles miniatures, revisiter la Master System est une excellente façon de plonger dans l’âge d’or du jeu vidéo. Ses jeux simples mais addictifs, ses défis à l'ancienne et son charme rétro séduisent toujours de nombreux joueurs.

En somme, la Master System est plus qu'une simple console rétro : c'est un témoignage du dynamisme et de l'innovation de Sega dans les premières années du jeu vidéo domestique .

[princedinoboy]

Any regional parts of the links should redirect to your region

SEGA Mega Drive Classics / SEGA Genesis Classics: Xbox One | PlayStation 4 | Nintendo Switch

SEGA Mega Drive & Genesis Classics (Steam Bundle)

Crazy Taxi: Steam | Xbox

SEGA Bass Fishing: Steam | Xbox

Space Channel 5: Part 2: Steam

NiGHTS into Dreams...: Steam | Xbox

Jet Set Radio / Jet Grind Radio: Steam | Xbox*

Dreamcast Collection (Steam Bundle)

Virtua Fighter 2 (Arcade): Xbox

Sonic the Fighters: Xbox

Sega Vintage Collection (Xbox Live Arcade): Altered Beast Shinobi SVC: Streets of Rage (Streets of Rage 1, 2, and 3) SVC: Golden Axe (Golden Axe 1, 2, and 3) SVC: ToeJam & Earl (ToeJam & Earl, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron) SVC: Monster World (Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wonder Boy in Monster World, and Monster World IV)

Sonic Legacy Bundle (Xbox Bundle) (Contains Sonic the Fighters)

Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Classics Games (Steam):

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle Alien Soldier Alien Storm Altered Beast Beyond Oasis Bio-Hazard Battle Bonanza Bros Columns Columns III Comix Zone Crack Down Decap Attack Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine Dynamite Headdy Ecco Jr. Ecco the Dolphin Ecco The Tides of Time ESWAT: City Under Siege Eternal Champions Fatal Labyrinth Flicky Gain Ground Galaxy Force II Golden Axe Golden Axe 2 Golden Axe 3 Gunstar Heroes Kid Chameleon Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole Light Crusader Phantasy Star 2 Phantasy Star 3: Generations of Doom Phantasy Star 4: The End of the Millennium Ristar Shadow Dancer Shining Force Shining Force 2 Shining in the Darkness Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master Sonic 3D Blast / Sonic 3D: Flickies Island Sonic Spinball Sonic The Hedgehog* Sonic The Hedgehog 2* Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles* Space Harrier II Streets of Rage Streets of Rage 2 Streets of Rage 3 Super Thunder Blade Sword of Vermillion The Revenge of Shinobi ToeJam & Earl ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron Vectorman Vectorman 2 Virtua Fighter 2 (Genesis / Mega Drive) Wonder Boy in Monster World Wonder Boy III - Monster Lair

*Already Delisted, provided for completion's sake

Sega Classics Delistings Tomorrow

RIP to these old games on Xbox 360, Xbox One & Series, Steam, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Nintendo Switch.

I'll leave links to the Store pages to the affected games as a reblog for anyone interested in scooping them up before they're gone, presumably forever.

Sega Genesis Classics / Sega Mega Drive Classics on Switch, Xbox One, and PS4 were released physically. Crazy Taxi and SEGA Bass Fishing were released physically for Xbox 360 via SEGA Dreamcast Collection, which unlocks Crazy Taxi, SEGA Bass Fishing, and Sonic Adventure on Xbox One onwards via backwards compatibility. Sonic the Fighters for Xbox 360 is included in the Sonic Legacy Bundle on Xbox One and Series alongside SA1, SADX upgrade, SA2, SA2B upgrade, Sonic 4 E1, Sonic 4 E2, Sonic Generations, and Sonic Generations Casino Night DLC, so it may or may not be safe. Most content from Shinobi (XBLA), SVC: ToeJam & Earl, SVC: Golden Axe, SVC: Streets of Rage, SVC: Monster World, and Altered Beast (XBLA) are available as part of Sega Genesis Classics / Sega Mega Drive Classics.

[guilhernunes]

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World