Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars

The Good
A giant variety of enemies that don't repeat on other levels, an amazing amount when you consider enemy variety in other games of this era. They are well drawn & well animated. This makes every level much more interesting & challenging & fun! This has different level layouts from the arcade version. The projectile weapon is a cool effect like you are shooting people with your soul. The water stage is much more forgiving & fun than its arcade counterpart. Doesn't have boss fights but instead difficult to pass obstacles, a welcome difference.

The Bad
The first couple of enemies in the game are very difficult to get past & gives you the wrong impression about the game's overall difficulty. A bare bummed punk pees skulls. In the arcade the skulls spring up next to him but here it looks like he pees them. Controls are not as good as the arcade version & most of its power-ups are missing. The shoot power-up doesn't appear very often. Alex's scream while dying is terrible & annoying to where you turn the sound off within 3-4 deaths. You have to repeat the game in full to beat the game. Music fits with its tunes but is too high pitchy. I can't find out whether this came out in the arcade before Miracle World in 1986, that bugs me.

The Bottom Line
A fun & simple platformer once you get used to it & past most of the first level. While the level's graphics & themes are based on the arcade the game does have different level layouts making it worth playing both.