Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
System: SMS
Release Date: June 24th, 1990
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Genre: Platformer
Sega’s first mascot is back for the fifth and final time in Alex Kidd in Shinobi World. Alex is out with his girlfriend, minding their business when the evil Dark Ninja appears. He kidnaps the young lady in a flash and the White Ninja shows up with some exposition. He throws Alex his orb and transforms him into a clone of Shinobi.
If you liked Shinobi, you’re getting a parody here. Alex swings his sword with Button 1 and he jumps with Button 2. The sword can be upgraded to throwing darts if you can find the powerup in a treasure chest. Some enemies are destroyed with a simple slash, others need to be attacked at a certain time. There are vertical and horizontal poles that Alex can climb. Then, if you hold Button 2, you can spin around and launch yourself in the direction you hold. This is useful for getting to special areas.
There are four rounds with two short levels before a boss battle. The boss battles are straight up parodies of Shinobi, just as the harbor level is a straight rip off. Treasure chests usually contain hearts, which are necessary to keep your health up. Until you become an absolute master, you’ll get hit here and there. Very rarely, you’ll find a tornado powerup that makes you invincible for a few seconds.
Some levels have multiple paths, meaning that falling down pits won’t necessarily kill you. These might lead to an extra treasure chest, but nothing really substantial. The final level is a boss rush before the final boss with multiple forms. Timing is key to win this one. This is entertaining as a different way to explore a property that was already successful in an attempt to make another character relevant again.
Graphics: 3.0
Lots of color. I didn’t notice flickering or anything else making my life difficult.
Sound: 2.5
The music and sounds are pretty good, but not really that great.
Gameplay: 3.5
Alex controls well, has access to powerups, and gives you slight room to make mistakes.
Difficulty: 3.0
You only get three lives and one continue, but after you learn the layout of the levels, that’s all you need.
Fun Factor: 3.0
It was a fun, quick playthrough. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable.
Overall Grade: 3.0
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World earns a B. One of the better Master System games is on display here. It can’t hurt to check out.