It has been a great time for fans of obscure and ancient platformers lately. For example, there is a new Wonder Boy game coming out later this year. Right on its heels, another forgotten platforming icon from yesteryear is making a resurgence. Before Sonic the Hedgehog was a twinkle in Sega’s eye, Alex Kidd was Sega’s posterboy. Well, the little monkey lad is making a return in Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX, and we have a new trailer that announces its upcoming June release date.
For those who don’t know, the first Alex Kidd in Miracle World released in 1986 for the Sega Master System. Alex had a good run for a long time, resulting in several sequels. Miracle World was easily his most popular, and spawned a direct sequel called Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle. Alex’s design is based heavily on Son Goku, the Monkey King. The character is taken from the Chinese novel Journey to the West, which has been the inspiration for hundreds of other pieces of media. In fact, if that name sounds familiar, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Goku from Dragon Ball was initially based on the same character.
All of the Alex Kidd games outside of Miracle World and Enchanted Castle were different genres. After Alex Kidd in Shinobi World released in 1990, Sega decided to focus on a new mascot. Alex faded into obscurity since then, sometimes showing up as a cameo or Easter egg in other Sega games.
Don’t call it a comeback
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is being developed by Merge Games and newcomer Jankenteam. The former being an independent developer based in Manchester, UK. The trailer above, which dropped today, reveals the release date for the game: June 24. As the trailer says, the game will release on Steam and the Epic Game Store for PC. You can find more information on the game right now, or even wishlist it over at Steam.
