If you were an 80s or 90s kid then the chances are you grew up playing with another kid. His name was Alex the Kidd. This was one of the most popular games of its era and symbolised a simpler time when games didn’t require excessive use of graphics or music to be popular. Possibly that was because we didn’t know any different, so we thought the game was great. Nowadays the game would not even register on the radar due to technological changes. Most technological changes have been around the use of mobiles, so it’s unlikely that in today’s age people would want to play a game that required them to sit at home chained to their desktop, PC or television set.
So what was the premise of Alex the Kidd? As per most games of its period, and actually most games in general, Alex needs to overthrow the villain. The villain in this case is Janken the Great who has taken Prince Egle hostage and wants to retain control of the kingdom. Alex sets out on a mission to rescue the kingdom however he must overcome a myriad of obstacles and take back the crown. In many ways it’s a game version of Lord of the Rings, except Alex would be Frodo and the crown would be the equivalent to the ring.
Although the graphics are outdated and players would expect more from game manufacturers these days, the game was extremely popular for its time and is very engaging. Most PC games are centred around the good guy and the bad guy, with the player taking the role of the good guy and needing to resolve some type of major issue; or war if you like.
As you’d expect, Alex had some superpowers such as punching. As he defeated his enemies he could gain credits to be used in the game. Of course there are many obstacles too where he could be in danger of being killed. Alex started the game with a finite number of lives.
The major downfall of the game was that unlike its successors and games made today, players couldn’t save the game, so that means if their computer crashed or there was a power cut the game would be over and they would start at the beginning again. That could be incredibly frustrating for players.
Like pretty much every game on the market, there are a number of cheats or hacks that allow players to continue the game or progress so that they can eventually clock the game. It was much harder to find out what these hacks were in the 80s and 90s though due to the lack of technology, whereas now the hacks are readily available on the internet for players to see.
Despite its faults though, it’s a great game and one that millions of kids around the world played in the 80s and 90s. The good news for long term fans is that the game has actually been released as a mobile game with 90s graphics and is available in the iTunes store. The reviews haven’t been as favourable though, with some describing it as a cheap rip off of the 90s game.
