Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars is a 1986 arcade platformer video game developed and published by Sega. The original release was developed for coin-operated arcade machines, but Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars did receive a Sega Master System (SMS) port in 1988. More than two decades later, in 2009, the game was also re-released on the Nintendo Wii. The arcade version and the Master System version are fundamentally similar, but the game got a few audio and graphic updates when it was ported to the SMS. The arcade version also limited the player to three lives, while the SMS version switched to a time-limit layout instead.
Unfortunately, Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars hasn’t been re-released since the 2009 Wii version. Nintendo hasn’t released a version for the Nintendo Switch, but the Nintendo eShop does have a couple of Alex Kidd titles. Switch owners can pick up SEGA AGES Alex Kidd in Miracle World (2019) for $7.99 and Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX (2021) for $19.99.
Fortunately, there are a few places where curious gamers can still experience the original Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars. The easiest place to play this retro arcade game is on RetroGames.cz. Players can play Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars and many other classic titles for free online. No downloads are required. RetroGames.cz has an impressive catalog of classic games to play for free, including titles like Ace of Aces (1986) and EarthBound (1994).
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars has always had a mixed public opinion. When it was first released, it got mostly solid reviews, with a lot of praise for its fun and colorful graphics. IGN, however, gave the console version a 5 out of 10 and called it “mediocre”. Only 79% of Google users who weighed in on the game claimed to like it, which runs somewhat low in comparison to other games of the mid-1980s. Alex’s scream is worth noting though, because anytime he gets hit, he lets out a memorable wail.
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars Premise
Many games in the 1980s didn’t feature much of a plot or characters. Most games focused on the gameplay itself and only provided a basic premise to make the gameplay believable. Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars stood out among other games of the time because it features multiple protagonists and a simple overarching story. The game doesn’t get carried away with complicated story arcs or character development, but these aspects are an important part of the series.
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars picks up shortly after Alex discovers his royal blood and his rightful title of Crown Prince of Aries, the Miracle World. Alex sees his father reclaim his throne and then leaves on an adventure to explore the Miracle World. During Alex’s travels, 12 stars go missing from the Aries Constellation. Disturbed by the stars stolen from the sky, Alex searches for answers. His search takes him to Mount Eternal, where he meets an old wizard who gives him information about the missing stars. The wizard also informs Alex that 5,000 years ago, Alex’s ancestor, Halifax Kidd, took on the great evil that stole the stars the first time.
After Halifax defeated the star thief, Ziggurat, the villain vowed to return one day, which explains why the constellation has gone missing once again. The game sets Alex off to retrace Halifax’s path to victory. Halifax, the once Crowned Prince, stopped Ziggurat the first time and now that responsibility falls to Alex instead. Alex needs to recover all of the missing stars to save the Aries sky from being dark and empty for all eternity.
To save the stars, Alex, along with his companion, Stella, has to run through multiple levels in search of six miracle balls. Once all the miracle balls are in Alex’s possession, Alex has to go to space to access the land of Ziggurat to face off against the star thief.
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars Main Characters
©World of Longplays / Sega – License
Many video games from the 1980s didn’t bother developing a story or complex characters. Some games didn’t have characters at all. Instead, players would control vehicles or machinery, like in Gradius (1985), where players controlled a spacecraft called the Vic Viper. Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars and the rest of the Alex Kidd series stand apart from games like this because they follow basic plots and have several main characters. The Lost Stars has a few noteworthy characters, so let’s take a look.
- Alex Kidd: Alex Kidd is the main playable protagonist of the Alex Kidd series and in The Lost Stars, the game picks up shortly after Alex learns of his royal blood. Alex is the Crowned Prince of Aries (aka, the Miracle World). He has a deep love for and interest in learning about Aries. Once his father reclaims the Aries throne, Alex departs on an expedition to see everything Aries has to offer. Alex noticeably has massive ears, which tends to be a defining physical trait to help players identify him. Alex Kidd was a popular Sega character in the late 1980s and he starred in many Sega games. Eventually, his popularity died off when people’s interest in him shifted to Sonic the Hedgehog.
- Stella: Stella joins Alex on his hunt for the six Miracle Balls. To this day, fans aren’t quite sure if Stella was written to be a good friend of Alex’s or a potential romantic interest. Either way, she is extremely close with Alex. She has to be to willingly go on a quest to recover the stolen stars with him. Stella is the second player character, so players can choose to play Stella instead of Alex.
- Daleda: Daleda is an ancient wizard whom Alex meets atop Mount Eternal. When Alex first approaches him, Daleda is reading a magic scroll. Daleda tells Alex the story of the first time the stars were stolen by Ziggurat. He also tells Alex the tale of how his ancestor, Prince Halifax, set off on an epic quest to retrieve the stolen stars. To reclaim the stars again, Alex needs to follow in Halifax’s footsteps.
- Ziggurat: Ziggurat is The Lost Stars‘ main antagonist because it’s the being that stole the stars. In actuality, Ziggurat is a star itself. It steals other stars to make itself brighter by capturing their light. Prince Halifax Kidd defeated Ziggurat and reclaimed the stolen stars 5,000 years ago. Before Ziggurat disappeared, it swore it would return to have its revenge. Ziggurat is the final boss that appears in Stage 7 and Stage 14 of the game.
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars Titles in the Series
Alex Kidd spawned a sizable franchise of his own as well as appearing in other media. For a while, this character was one of Sega’s most recognizable protagonists. His popularity only dimmed when Sonic the Hedgehog became a Sega staple.
The Alex Kidd Series:
- Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1986) – Sega Master System
- Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (1986) – Arcade, Sega Master System, Nintendo Wii
- Alex Kidd: High-Tech World (1987) – Sega Master System
- Alex Kidd BMX Trial (1987) – Sega Master System
- Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (1989) – Sega Genesis
- Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (1990) – Sega Master System
- SEGA AGES Alex Kidd in Miracle World (2019) – A re-release/remake of the original Alex Kidd in Miracle World for the Nintendo Switch
- Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX (2021) – PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Alex Kidd Appearances in Other Media:
- Action Fighter (1986) – Sega arcade game
- Kenseiden (1988) – Sega Master System
- Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf (1989) – Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
- Flash Point (1989) – Sega arcade game
- Game Gear Micro – Alex Kidd and Stella have a chance of showing up on Sega’s Game Gear Micro as an indication of a low battery
- Sega Saturn de Hakken!! Tamagotchi Park (1998) – Sega Saturn
- Segagaga (2001) – Sega Dreamcast
- Sega Superstars Tennis (2008) – PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, macOS, Classic Mac OS, and Nintendo DS
- Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (2010) – Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Windows, Mac OS X, Arcade, iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Java ME
- Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012) – PlayStation 3, Android, Microsoft Windows, iOS, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, and Nintendo 3DS
- Sega 3D Classics Collection (2014) – Nintendo 3DS
- Project X Zone 2 (2015) – Nintendo 3DS
- Sega Ages – Alex Kidd is in every Nintendo Switch Sega Ages intro
- Worlds Unite – A Sega and Capcom crossover
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars Cheats, Exploits, & Action Replay Codes
©World of Longplays / Sega – License
Gaming in the 1980s was very different than gaming today. Games were usually short, had small levels, and increased in difficulty quickly. Players got in and immediately felt the heat from the quick-paced nature of whatever game they were playing. Most games didn’t feature a way to save, either. Players had to keep going until they won or lost all their lives. For the arcade version of Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars, players got three lives. If they lost all three lives, they received a Game Over. In the Sega Master System version, there were no lives, but players had a time limit to finish the game instead.
Consequently, many game developers put cheats, cheat codes, or other hidden exploits into their games to make them easier. If players knew about these exploits, they could choose to take advantage of them to help them beat the game. These cheats never impacted the integrity of the game, though. If players simply didn’t use them, the game would play authentically. Unfortunately, despite Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars being the perfect candidate for cheat codes, the game doesn’t have any.
Even popular publications like GameFAQs have no information on usable cheats or exploits for this game. There are a few codes for the Action Replay and Pro Action Replay cheat devices though. To use these codes, players must have access to the appropriate cheat device as well as the corresponding console(s) they work with.
Action Replay Codes
To use these codes, players must have access to the Action Replay cheat device and a Sega Master System.
- Invincible After One Hit (Time Still Decreases): 00CD-0A01
- Infinite Energy: 00CD-1D02
- Infinite Cloud Shots: 00CD-0114
- High Jump (Makes Buzzing Noise): 00CD-0601
- End Level After One Screen: 00C0-50FF
- Level Select: 00C0-4D0?- (Replace “?” with “0 – C” to select the desired level)
- Moon Jump: 00CD-16?? (Replay “??” with any value from E0-FF)
Pro Action Replay Codes
To use these codes, players must have access to the Pro Action Replay cheat device. These codes are the same as the corresponding codes for the regular Action Replay cheat device.
- Infinite Energy: 00cD 1D02 (switch off at the end of the level to get the bonus)
- Always have Cloud Shot: 00cD 0114
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars Cheats FAQ
What are the levels in Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars?
Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars features 14 levels. Once the player defeats Ziggurat on Level 7, they have to replay all seven levels with new enemies. Once they beat Ziggurat again on Level 14, they win.
- Level 1 and Level 8: Toy World
- Boss: Pretty Bear
- Level 2 and Level 9: Machine World
- Boss: Electromagnetic Barrier
- Level 3 and Level 10: World of Make Believe
- Boss: Foxmen
- Level 4 and Level 11: Water World
- Boss: Jumbo Jellyfish
- Level 5 and Level 12: Monster World
- Boss: Volcanic Bomb
- Level 6 and Level 13: Giant’s Body
- Boss: Mr. Hoti
- Level 7 and Level 14: Ziggurat’s Shrine
- Boss: Ziggurat
The image featured at the top of this post is ©World of Longplays / Sega.