The game originated in Japan as Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, a Licensed Game based on an anime by Sunrise of the same title, but when NEC Home Electronics released it in the U.S. and made it the pack-in game for the TurboGrafx-16, they retitled it Keith Courage in Alpha Zones and wrote a new plot involving an Alien Invasion by the Planet of B.A.D. (Beastly Alien Dudes).
Tropes:
- American Kirby Is Hardcore: For starters, Keith Courage looks like an adult on the cover instead of the nine-year old boy he is in the game proper.
- BFG: The enemy Titan Guard carries an enormous pistol on top of its head.
- Deadly Doctor: The enemy Dr. Sting flies through the air and throws syringes.
- Defeat Equals Explosion: If Keith is killed while in the Nova Suit, it explodes.
- Degraded Boss: The first boss is a recurring mook in subsequent stages.
- Dual Boss: The fifth boss is a duo of two Recurring Bosses, and the Final Boss is a Palette Swap of the fourth with the addition of an invincible companion. The first boss also comes in two.
- Everything's Better with Rainbows: Levels are connected by a Rainbow Transport.
- Flying Face: The Skulls and Long Bones.
- Fun with Acronyms: Keith fights for N.I.C.E. (Nations of International Citizens for Earth) against B.A.D. (Beastly Alien Dudes).
- The Goomba: Zakkos, frequently Palette Swapped blobby little creatures that do nothing but walk.
- Inconveniently-Placed Conveyor Belt: Conveyor belts are all over the place in both parts of the last zone.
- Leap of Faith: In the Underworld sections, constantly.
- Lethal Lava Land: Fire Zone, the third level.
- Long Song, Short Scene: The Rainbow Transport music is quite a bit longer than what is heard in-game.
- Money Spider: A lot of different creatures drop golden coins.
- Piñata Enemy: The flying cats are the best resource for money grinding, especially given that killing sixteen of them will spawn a golden version with a more valuable drop.
- Powered Armor: Keith's Nova Suit is depicted as this in the manual's comic, however, in the original anime, it was a Humongous Mecha.
- Recurring Boss: The first boss later reappears as a mook, Stitch and Baron Chairman return as a Dual Boss in Stage 5, and Mr. Roboto receives an upgraded Palette Swap for the Final Boss battle.
- Respawning Enemies: Enemies spawn continuously if you hold in one position, which is useful for money grinding on the overworld levels.
- Slippy-Slidey Ice World: Glacier Zone, the fifth level.
- Spikes of Doom: Touching spikes is instant death (same as a Bottomless Pit), and since Keith only has one life, it's back to the beginning of the level (or game) if he dies.
- Trauma Inn: There are hospitals in the overworlds where Nurse Nancy will heal your wounds for gold.
- Underground Monkey: The Titan Warrior is a golden version of Mr. Roboto.
- Wackyland: The Reverse Zone has upside-down pieces of ground in the air.
