Alex Kidd

Alex Kidd is a video game character. He is a monkey-like boy with big ears in a red jumpsuit and was Sega's mascot until Sonic the Hedgehog debuted in 1991. His games spanned various platforms, and appeared in the arcade and on the Sega Master System and the Mega Drive/Genesis home consoles.

The game for which he is best known, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, was released in 1986. It was rereleased in 1990 and was built into the Master System II model itself. Miracle World replaced the Snail Maze/Safari Hunt/Hang-On games of the first model. This version reversed the attack and jump buttons from the earlier version to conform to that of other popular action games of the day.

Unlike the Sonic the Hedgehog series, where changes in game mechanics between games are minimal, most games in the Alex Kidd series differ dramatically from one another. The sole exception is Miracle World and its direct sequel, Enchanted Castle. While most games in the series were still platform-based, the only elements that tied the series together was the name and the title character.

Although he was replaced by Sonic the Hedgehog as Sega's mascot in 1991, Alex Kidd was not Sega's original mascot, That title goes to Opa-opa, star of the Fantasy Zone series.

Video Games Released
The Alex Kidd franchise included:
 * Alex Kidd in Miracle World, 1986, Master System
 * Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars, 1986 Arcade Version and 1989, Master System
 * Alex Kidd BMX Trial, 1987, Master System (Only released in Japan
 * Alex Kidd in High-Tech World, 1989, Master System
 * Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, 1989, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
 * Alex Kidd in Shinobi World 1990, Master System



Sega's Mascot Replacement
After the release of Alex Kidd in Shinobi World in 1990, Sega decided to abandon the Alex Kidd series in favor of Sonic the Hedgehog as their new mascot, due to the mass popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog series. Alex Kidd has made some minor cameos since then.

Cameos

 * There is an homage to Alex Kidd in Altered Beast, where Alex and Stella (Alex's Girlfriend from the Arcade version of Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars)'s names appear on gravestones in the first round.
 * Alex Kidd's face can be seen hidden in the screen in the third round of Kenseiden for Master System. It is mold in the scenario, on the ground, near a dead end, next to a lava pit.


 * Alex appears several times as collectable toys in the Dreamcast game, Shenmue.


 * One of his most recent appearances was in the Dreamcast game Segagaga, where he works in a video game store. He also has a bit part where he narrates about his competition against a certain company's mascot before being forgotten.


 * A warrior named Alex is shown in the intro sequence of Golden Axe, who is then killed by enemy soldiers. However, he does not appear in any ports of the game, only the arcade version.

Current status
Aceland Studios is currently attempting to gauge interest in bringing back the Alex Kidd series.