Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX revives a forgotten Sega mascot

Yes, it may come as a complete surprise to many gamers that Sega actually has a mascot. And, no, it wasn't originally Sonic the Hedgehog whose popularity eventually outgrew the gaming company. The distinction of being Sega's first real mascot belongs to the 80s' Alex Kidd who is, just like many old-school games, making a comeback on modern gaming devices and with modern graphics and new gameplay elements to boot.

Alex Kidd was born at a time when Sega was fiercely competing with upstart Nintendo. With the latter making big bucks with its brand new Super Mario titles, Sega needed a character that would be easily identified with the company. That responsibility fell on Alex Kidd thanks to the popularity of his first title, Alex Kidd in Miracle World for the Sega Master System. Unfortunately, even the Kidd was no match for the rotund plumber and Sega eventually shifted its focus on the blue hedgehog.

As they say, the rest is history but gamers can now experience a morsel of that history to suit their modern tastes. Unlike the Wii U Virtual Console port in 2008, this "DX" version is a true remake. Those who want to stay faithful to the original, however, a Classic Mode preserves all the pixels and original content and mechanics.

Those who want more than just reliving the past will be treated to a new art style and new levels on top of the old ones. The boss fights have also been altered, too, perhaps to adjust to modern gamers' lower tolerance for the punishing difficulty older gamers have been notorious for.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is up on Steam but it won't be coming until 2021 for a still unknown price. The game will also be coming to consoles such as the Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch though at even lesser known dates.