Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars

Depois da aventura The Miracle World, na qual Alex Kidd andava em busca de vários tesouros, agora o herói precisa devolver as estrelas perdidas à constelação de Áries. Para tanto, é necessário chegar às 12 bolas milagrosas, onde estão escondidas as estrelas.

Overall, Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars offers what is easily the strongest game in the Alex Kidd series and also one of the strongest platformers on the Master System. Is it a Mario-Killer? No, not in the least, but it could hold its own against Yo! Noid or Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers.

Well-defined – if overly 'nice' – graphics are marred by major sprite glitches, but samples mixed with light music and effects provide a quality soundtrack. The difficulty is Alex Kidd's worst fault, but as this increases lastability, it's no great stumbling block.

Thus, Alex Kidd and the Lost Stars is a GREAT game for younger players, and a very enjoyable romp for more experienced players, who may find it a nearly stress free way to pass some time. Admittedly, it gets a little dull at times, especially playing the levels the second time through, but Sega found a way to inject a very valuable and intangible quality into this and every other game in this popular series, and that is charm. It goes a long way in establishing any video game mascot character, and unless you get nauseous easily, you will appreciate the fact that Alex—in this simple game more than any of the others—has charm, colour and cuteness, in spades.

Insgesamt kann sich Alex Kidd – The Lost Stars zu keiner Zeit mit Miracle World messen. Es ist ganz klar schwächer, viel zu einfach und bietet einfach zu wenig Abwechslung. Aber allein schon wegen der abgefahrenen Gegner ist es einen Blick wert.

En definitiva, estamos ante un plataformas muy extraño y demasiado simple. Hay que limitarse a ir de izquierda a derecha, sin tocar a nada ni nadie y prácticamente sin ninguna manera de defenderse y encima sin luchar contra jefes finales y para acabarlo de rematar, el apartado gráfico es un mejunje de cosas diferentes puestas sin ton ni son en el juego. Como concepto Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars ofrecía poca cosa en su momento para una consola como Master System, y más al ya haber varios juegos de la saga en el mercado, este título es un claro ejemplo de que Sonic no es la única mascota maltratada por Sega.

Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars is a sorry disappointment to Alex Kidd fans. You'd have to be really diehard to actually enjoy this game. It certainly does do well with graphics and sound, but everything else is just not there at all. It's a definite example of how a game can look wonderful, but turn out so horribly. At least what came after this was more than you'll find here.

Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars isn't all bad, as its simplified gameplay and toned-down difficulty likely made it a favorite of some of the youngest Master System players back in the late '80s. But today it simply stands as a disappointment, and the mark of the moment when SEGA's Master System mascot, in just his second appearance on the system, began to go downhill fast.

What chafed me most about Lost Stars was the complete lack of difficulty. While you can score the game now for about $5, it debuted at approximately $30. And I finished it in a single afternoon. That was devastating. But considering its value now at a significantly reduced price… the game is still a rip-off. There's just so little to it that I hope it never comes to the Virtual Console, lest somebody that discovered Alex Kidd in Miracle World there have their impression of the game sullied by this weak follow-up.