Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Alex Kidd: High-Tech World blends timed exploration with light action segments, delivering a unique challenge for retro gamers. You begin your quest in a sprawling castle, where eight hidden map pieces must be hunted down before you can even leave. Each floor offers distinct puzzles—some requiring careful observation of the environment, others demanding you dial a phone for hints or even order a pizza to trigger secret events. This emphasis on alternate solutions adds replay value, as you can discover hidden shortcuts or entirely different paths to the same goal.

Once the castle’s map is complete, the game transitions into a side-scrolling action format as you fight through a dense forest filled with ninja assassins. Combat here is simple but satisfying: Alex’s punches and kicks have solid feedback, and enemy patterns keep you on your toes. After defeating the ninjas, you enter the town section, where NPC interactions become critical. Tasks such as fetching items, negotiating for a travel pass, and managing your schedule play a big role in your overall success. Fail to complete something by a set hour, and you risk having to backtrack or grind time away.

The pressure intensifies with the game’s real-time clock. Events only occur at specific minutes—certain characters appear when thirty minutes of the hour are up, and some doors remain locked until the right time rolls around. This forces you to plan your route, track your in-game watch from the status screen, and decide whether to use a phone call for a hint or soldier on in blind faith. If the tension gets too steep, the password system lets you save progress, but there’s no shame in using it sparingly: figuring out the optimal sequence of tasks for a perfect run is half the fun.

Graphics

As an early Master System title, Alex Kidd: High-Tech World sports colorful 8-bit graphics that still hold a charming appeal. The castle interiors are rendered in muted browns and grays, giving way to richer greens and blues in the outdoor forest levels. Character sprites are surprisingly detailed, with Alex’s spiky hair and iconic jumpsuit translating well into the low-resolution format.

Backgrounds are smartly designed to convey depth despite hardware limitations. Inside the castle, torches flicker against damp stone walls, while the forest levels feature parallax scrolling that adds a sense of movement as you dash through vines and tree trunks. Town scenes are peppered with lively townsfolk wearing bright garb, and each building has unique decorations that hint at the errands you’ll undertake there.

The user interface is clean and informative. The status screen clearly displays your current time, floor number, and collected map pieces. On-screen prompts for phones and key items never feel intrusive, and sound effects—though simple—provide pleasant feedback when you pick up a map fragment or successfully place a phone call. Overall, the graphics marry functionality with a playful aesthetic that keeps you immersed in Alex’s world.

Story

At its core, High-Tech World’s plot is straightforward: a brand-new arcade has opened in town, and Alex Kidd and his friends can’t wait to check it out. Unfortunately, the arcade location is a secret, and its eight map pieces are scattered across a mysterious castle. As Alex, you must piece together the map to set your voyage in motion—and the narrative hook is strong enough to carry you through each stage.

Beyond the castle, the story unfolds through time-based interactions. NPCs appear only at certain minutes past the hour, meaning that conversations, side quests, and vital clues depend on your timing. This mechanic gives the narrative a living quality: you may need to return later to find a key informant, or revisit a shop to pick up an essential item after its scheduled arrival time.

The forest and town segments further flesh out the world. Ninja ambushers lend an air of urgency, while townspeople offer bits of local lore or practical advice. Securing a travel pass becomes a mini-storyline in itself, complete with bartering and negotiation. All of these narrative threads converge toward the climactic goal: will Alex reach the arcade before 17:00? It’s a classic race-against-the-clock setup that keeps the plot ticking along.

Overall Experience

Alex Kidd: High-Tech World stands out in the franchise for its hybrid design, seamlessly weaving exploration, puzzle-solving, and occasional beat ’em up segments into a time-sensitive adventure. The password feature is a smart concession to the game’s complexity, allowing you to break down your run into manageable chunks without losing progress. Even with that safety net, mastering the timing of each event requires patience and careful note-taking—making success all the more rewarding.

The difficulty curve is steady rather than punishing. Early castle puzzles train you in reading visual cues and tracking the clock, while later action stages test your reflexes against clever enemy patterns. If you appreciate methodical progression over sheer twitch gameplay, you’ll find this installment refreshingly balanced. The alternate puzzle solutions and hidden map fragments also encourage experimentation, extending playtime for completionists.

For retro enthusiasts and newcomers alike, High-Tech World offers a charming blend of slice-of-life scenarios and arcade thrills. Its graphics and sound hold nostalgic appeal, and the time-based mechanics inject enough variety to keep each play session feeling fresh. Whether you’re chasing that perfect run before the 17:00 cutoff or simply enjoying a leisurely exploration of the castle’s secret nooks, Alex Kidd’s high-tech quest remains a memorable classic in Sega’s lineup.

Retro Replay Score

5/10