It was released in Japan on November 1, 1986, followed by North America in December 1986, with Europe in September 1987, plus South Korea in October 1988, and Brazil in 1989.

A remake by Merge Games and Jankenteam, titled Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX, was released on June 22, 2021.

A young martial artist named Alex Kidd learns of a villain named Janken the Great who has defeated King Thunder of the city of Radaxian and who has kidnapped his son, Prince Egle (or 'Igul'), and Egle's fiancée Princess Lora.

[5][6][7] Alex Kidd in Miracle World originally began development in 1984 as a licensed tie-in game based on the Dragon Ball manga series.

[16] In 1991, Sega Pro magazine stated that, with "so much to do and so many different ways of doing it, this is one of those games you will keep coming back to even when you have finished it completely.

"[26] In a 2008 retro review, IGN gave Alex Kidd a score of 9 out of 10 and an "Editor's Choice" award, calling it "an exceptional platformer with loads of action and some great puzzle-solving challenges" that "still holds up remarkably well.

The remake features new levels, new NPCs, alternate boss fights, and can instantly change between modern or retro-style graphics by using the right trigger button.