Alex Kidd in Shinobi World

About Alex Kidd in Shinobi World

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (1990) is Sega's Master System parody of Shinobi, in which Alex Kidd, fused with an ancient warrior's spirit, battles caricatures of Shinobi's enemies to save his girlfriend.

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World in Depth

Hanzo the Dark Ninja escapes after 10,000 years of confinement and kidnaps Alex Kidd's new girlfriend while the couple are on a trip to the planet Shinobi. Powerless, Alex collapses in tears, until the ghost of the ancient warrior who first defeated the Dark Ninja finds him and explains that Hanzo plans to sacrifice her in a ritual to conquer the world. The warrior's spirit fuses with Alex, lending him strength, skill and courage, and together they set out to rescue her and destroy the Dark Ninja.

Despite the Alex Kidd name, it plays much more like the Master System Shinobi than Alex Kidd in Miracle World. Alex's basic sword slice defeats enemies and opens treasure chests holding extra health, throwing darts, a powered-up sword, extra lives and a magic ball that turns him into an invincible tornado; darts and the stronger sword last until the stage ends, a boss falls or a life is lost. He can jump between walls and spin around posts, ropes or bars to become a flying fireball. He starts each round with three hit points, up to six, and at full health heart chests hold extra lives instead. Four rounds loosely based on Shinobi's missions each have three stages, the third a boss battle, with Perfect and Secret bonuses for flawless play.

Making Alex Kidd in Shinobi World

Sega developed it in Japan and released it for the Master System in overseas markets in 1990. It was critically acclaimed on release, Computer and Video Games praising playability that "becomes progressively more difficult as you go along".