Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX - Retro Style Controls - Feedback Thread

[Danny_Merge]

Hey everyone!

*Update*
So we've been pouring through your feedback, and the dev team have been hard at work on bug fixes for the fist patch.

What we are excited to share though is that we're working on some updates to the control system, with the intention of giving the player *a choice* between the intended, more retro feeling controls, or a more modern feeling control scheme. We'll update more when we can, but wanted to share this with the community.

*Original Post*

Thanks for all the comments, suggestions, and feedback we’ve received since the launch of the demo, and indeed the full game today!

I wanted to pin a post here to give a bit more context to the controls and gameplay.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX was designed to be a faithful recreation of the original Master system title. It’s a retro game with authentic retro design. There’s of course a lovely new coat of paint to Miracle World and it’s inhabitants and some additions to the game, as well as some quality of life improvements, but with the core retro gameplay experience intact.
As pointed out in a couple of threads, there’s some elements in the design of the game that can make gameplay feel a little floaty or laggy for some players.
1. Intertia on stopping - Alex continues to move for a few frames after movement input ceases. This is required to perform the slide action and it integral to the way the character controls

2. No coyote time – In modern platforming games it’s common to implement a few frames of leniency in using a jump after your character walks off a platform. Essentially this means you jump while in the air. Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX does not have this, meaning you must be precise with your platforming prowess!

Modern platformers, of which there are a great many, have more modern game design and the above points specifically factored into the way to the game controls. The developers felt that the way Alex handles was a key part of the retro gaming experience, and that is something that was intended to be captured in the DX remake.

Retro games where somewhat more challenging then their modern counterparts in many ways, and whilst there are gameplay mechanics today that could have updated the feel of the game, it wouldn’t be the same Alex Kidd experience. In a world where people are playing through Dark Soul games with a fishing controller, we felt there was room to bring a modern-retro game with an authentic gameplay experience to a modern day audience, and of course many older fans keen to be reacquainted with Alex!

[AmmoniaWasp]

I for one am glad you kept the feel of the game intact for the remake. It has a learning curve guys once you get past it though it is great.

[Enbyeon]

At least based on the demo, I noticed some slight differences in how the game handled compared to the original (can't put my finger on what is different exactly), but I don't mind it since it's not a major adjustment (probably as much as it took me to adjust from 50 to 60 Hz).

[Mideon]

You don't seem to be able to run, duck and then slide forward. You can do this in the master system version to creep underneath blocks.

[Mideon]

Also BUG: game lets you change key bindings but after closing and re-opening, i see my new keybindings are apparently saved, and yet don't work - I have to edit and rebind them.

[ShadowAngel]

Originally posted by Danny_Merge:

2. No coyote time

While i don't have a problem with that, with the way Alex slips and slides after jumps, this really is brutal.
I mentioned in several posts before how the forest stage in the original was one of the few actual challenging spots in the game and i have to say, it's even more difficult here if you don't use the flying cane. Trying to make those pin-point jumps on 1 block, while a monkey shoots at you (and sometimes, you can't even see their projectiles because some folliage/tree oves into the forground blocking the view...wtf?!) is not that much fun actually

[SixelAlexiS]

Originally posted by Mideon:

You don't seem to be able to run, duck and then slide forward. You can do this in the master system version to creep underneath blocks.

You can still do it, but you have to get the right timing like the original:

"Slide
In order to slide under a block, you must have a running start. Just
before you reach the block, you must stop pushing the D-button right or
left, and hold down instead; you cannot be pushing two directions at once."

There is no turbo swim tho...

"Turbo Swim
When in the water, hold down button 1 while you swim to the right or left.
This will enable you to swim faster."

[momocruis]

My gamepads did not work with the demo - has anyone tried with the full game?

[Danny_Merge]

Originally posted by momocruis:

My gamepads did not work with the demo - has anyone tried with the full game?

What pad are you using? I'll see if I can find anything to help, I've played the full game on Steam with both an Xbox & PlayStation controller just fine.

[Danny_Merge]

Originally posted by Mideon:

You don't seem to be able to run, duck and then slide forward. You can do this in the master system version to creep underneath blocks.

As someone flagged it does work if you get the timing right, here's a screenshot for you! https://imgur.com/utG5o8t

[Danny_Merge]

Originally posted by Mideon:

Also BUG: game lets you change key bindings but after closing and re-opening, i see my new keybindings are apparently saved, and yet don't work - I have to edit and rebind them.

Thanks for sharing, i've flagged with the team.

[Terrence M. Delawgan]

I have to admit DX controls really feel like the ones from original game.
Except for one thing : Alex NEVER slipped like if he walked on soap each time he landed after a jump. On the contrary, some sort of inertia was applied as soon as his feet touched the floor.
This adds an useless difficulty in places where an error of only one pixel means death. It's very annoying and frustrating for me so far.

[Coldflame H (aka H Hog)]

The first acid room in Janken's castle fills up MUCH faster than in the original game. The acid is already halfway down the room by the time you enter, so if you don't hit the correct two blocks immediately, you're basically dead.

[SixelAlexiS]

Originally posted by Terrence M. Delawgan:

I have to admit DX controls really feel like the ones from original game.
Except for one thing : Alex NEVER slipped like if he walked on soap each time he landed after a jump. On the contrary, some sort of inertia was applied as soon as his feet touched the floor.
This adds an useless difficulty in places where an error of only one pixel means death. It's very annoying and frustrating for me so far.

Actually the controls of DX are very different compared to the original SMS game.

The air time when holding the jump was much higher in the original game (about 800 ms), in the remake the rise and fall time are shorter (about 600 ms) so you have less control in the air when you jump and less time to adjust the jump.

On the contrary the walking speed is slower on the DX version compared to the original so it's actually more prevedible on initial movement, on DX you cover less space so you have a bit more control.

The issue you talk about is probably tied to another BIG difference: on DX the inertia you gain from the jump direction remains even if you don't keep pressing the right/left direction. In the OG game if you left the d-pad during the jump then Alex fell down, so, again you had much more air control in this regard too.

In DX as soon you start a jump in that direction Alex will keep going, and so you will land at top speed on a platform like you were holding the initial direction all the time and start slipping at the landing (a bit like happened in the origina tool).
In the OG game you could just release the d-pad and have a more controller landing, here you can't do that, this is why is more frustrating.

The developers keep saying that DX isn't 1:1 but is "faithful", but to me it sounds contradictory if there are so many changes in the physic behavior, for better or for worse (more on the worse side from the back and forth tests I'm doing honestly).

[Terrence M. Delawgan]

Originally posted by SixelAlexiS:

The issue you talk about is probably tied to another BIG difference: on DX the inertia you gain from the jump direction remains even if you don't keep pressing the right/left direction. In the OG game if you left the d-pad during the jump then Alex fell down, so, again you had much more air control in this regard too.

YES. *_* I couldn't put meaningful words on my feel but it's 100% what you described. Thanks for accurately highlighting what will probably make me ask for a refund (it's far too irritating).

[Camm]

It definitely seems like gravity is stronger and inertia is handled differently.
I just played through the original and died about 5 times. In the remake I am dying constantly in levels that I know like the back of my hand.