Sega fans rejoice! Two more classic Sega games, Alex Kidd in Miricle World and Gain Ground, are now available for the Nintendo Switch as part the Sega Ages Collection. Similar to other games with the Ages label, both of these titles will receive some changes to make them more accessible to modern gamers. In the case of Alex Kidd, this means several quality-of-life improvements including a Rewind option. With Gain Ground, players get an arcade-faithful version featuring an All-Member Mode that unlocks all 20 characters, along with a three-player local multiplayer option. Each game retails for a very reasonable $7.99.
Alex Kidd is the definition of a classic Sega franchise, with roots going all the way back to the Master System era. This particular entry in the franchise, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, was originally released in 1986, and is the first in the series and is arguably the most well-known title to feature the name as well. The game itself is a 2D platformer, and while not as refined as something like the Super Mario Bros. games, is still plenty enjoyable on its own. And with 16 different levels, it has enough content to more than justify this price tag.
Gain Ground is a curious looking action-strategy game that was first released in arcades and then ported to home consoles. Unlike Alex Kidd, I’ve never played Gain Ground personally, but it definitely looks interesting. 20 playable characters with different strengths and weaknesses. I think I will pick it up just to see what it’s all about. And 3-player local multiplayer is a great feature to have in any game in your library.
The Sega Ages label, which is used by developer M2, has been placed on some great re-releases of classic titles since it first debuted on the Sega Saturn back 1996. With these two new additions, the Nintendo Switch continues to be an amazing console for Sega fans, and fans of classic gaming in general.
