The VC Advantage: Rocking, Papering, and Scissoring Out
by JC Fletcher 
{ Jun 25th 2008 at 9:00PM }
We may not have recommended Alex Kidd in Miracle World for everyone, but many of us are still charmed by the colorful adventures of Sega's erstwhile mascot. The boss battles are one of the most adorable aspects of the game -- they're played out in the arena of rock, paper, scissors. In theory, this is cute and quirky, but bosses based on random chance can get frustrating quickly. Good thing, then, the opponents' throws aren't random at all. The bosses are pre-scripted! There's evidence of an element of randomness: the bosses' attacks in later games will be different depending on what you throw in earlier games. But if you adhere to the following solutions list, you'll sail through the janken games. The two moves next to each name correspond to the two rounds involved in each battle.
Stone Head: Rock, Scissors
Scissors Head: Scissors, Paper
Paper Head: Rock, Scissors
Stone Head 2: Paper, Paper
Scissors Head 2: Rock, Rock
Paper Head 2: Rock, Scissors
Janken the Great: Paper, Paper
The VC Advantage is a weekly look at the secrets inside games -- not just cheat codes, but assorted trivia and oddities. We aim to bring back the feeling of the hint columns from game magazines, except when we do something else.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John @ Jun 26th 2008 4:08PM
I distinctly remember finishing this game (20 years ago now, yeesh...), and though some of the earlier bosses had set throws to beat them, the later ones didn't at all. The secret was to stay at something, then quickly change (double tap up, or single tap down) your throw at the last second (After the second fist shake). Worked like a charm. I can't believe I haven't played this one in what seems 15 years now, but I distinctly remember the sounds in the game.
And I gotta say, even though there aren't any warps, I prefer this game far more than Super Mario Bros. Great little platformer.