For being an NES game that came out in 1986, the year where many beloved Nintendo franchises were born, like The Legend of Zelda and Metroid, Kid Icarus is one that is not remembered as much as the others. It also doesn't help that there are only three games in the series, and that the most recent one took more than 20 years to come out after the second game.
It has also been over 10 years since that third game came out, and we are not even sure if there will be another anytime soon.
Even so, I felt like revisiting the first game in the series, Kid Icarus on the NES. This isn't my first time playing this game, as I played it a few years ago, and remember feeling that it was a hard game, but fine at its core, and that's that.
I feel like my opinion of this game has slightly become more positive since last time, as this second playthrough made me pay a bit more attention to many of the mechanics this game has.
But first of all, you might be wondering, what is this game?
Taking place in Greek Mythology, we follow the journey of Pit, a little angel that can't fly, who's trying to save Lady Palutena from the clutches of Medusa, who's trying to take over the Skyworld.
Pretty simple plot, which makes sense considering the limitations of the time.
In terms of gameplay, Kid Icarus is a platformer where you jump and shoot arrows as your main projectile. Pit feels a bit slippery to control, but I eventually got used to it.
Just like fellow NES platformer Super Mario Bros., Kid Icarus also has plenty of side-scrolling levels, whether vertically or horizontally. Actually, you'll find more vertical ones than horizontal ones. And the game does suffer the same issue as that game, where you can't go back after parts of the stage go off-screen. In the case of the vertical levels, this means that you will die if you fall in something that was there before, but no longer is on-screen.
I didn't really mind it too much, but it is something to consider.
Something that is going to be pretty noticeable though is the difficulty. I wouldn't really call Kid Icarus one of the hardest games I've played, but it does challenge you and you do have to be careful and patient with your surroundings.
But unlike other NES games, I feel like this game gets slightly easier the further you progress. The reason? Well, after you reach a certain score, Pit will gain more health, and by destroying more enemies and getting hearts, you'll get points easily.
And the second reason involves something unique to this game. In the stages, you'll find many doors that you can go through, and after you leave them, they will be closed permanently. What's behind each door varies, as they can be home to: a shop, where you can use the hearts you gather to buy helpful items; an enemy room, where you defeat enemies to gain more hearts; or a challenge room, where you will be given an endurance challenge and after you beat it, you gain access to an additional weapon.
And these weapons rock, as they can give you a projectile that pierces through enemies, or a barrier that helps you defeat enemies close to you (it doesn't protect you though).
With these upgrades and power-ups by your side, you will eventually get used to the game and the game will start becoming easier the more you play it.
There are three worlds in this game, with 4 acts each, and in the 4th act of each world, you'll be in a Fortress level. These levels are very different from others in the game, as these are more like mazes similar to dungeons in the Zelda series.
I did get lost in these, and it was a bit hard figuring out where to go, but I didn't mind the design of these levels too much.
But these levels also contain something interesting. See, throughout the game, you may pick up hammers. Well, in the Fortress levels, by pressing the Select button, you'll be able to use a hammer to destroy statues and save these little angels, that will help Pit fight that Fortress' boss. That is pretty neat!
And speaking of the bosses... they're okay. I think after the 2nd boss, the rest of the bosses don't put much of a fight, as long as you dodge their slow movements.
In regards to the presentation, it's decent for an early NES title. The stages can be a bit barren when it comes to background, but enemy designs are unique and varied, and I liked how some stages looked. The music, while a bit limited, is well composed, and some of these tracks are pretty memorable, I'd say.
Overall, Kid Icarus, while it can be challenging and some levels were not the greatest, it can be a pretty fun NES platformer, thanks to its power-ups and good level design in most levels.
It has also been over 10 years since that third game came out, and we are not even sure if there will be another anytime soon.
Even so, I felt like revisiting the first game in the series, Kid Icarus on the NES. This isn't my first time playing this game, as I played it a few years ago, and remember feeling that it was a hard game, but fine at its core, and that's that.
I feel like my opinion of this game has slightly become more positive since last time, as this second playthrough made me pay a bit more attention to many of the mechanics this game has.
But first of all, you might be wondering, what is this game?
Taking place in Greek Mythology, we follow the journey of Pit, a little angel that can't fly, who's trying to save Lady Palutena from the clutches of Medusa, who's trying to take over the Skyworld.
Pretty simple plot, which makes sense considering the limitations of the time.
In terms of gameplay, Kid Icarus is a platformer where you jump and shoot arrows as your main projectile. Pit feels a bit slippery to control, but I eventually got used to it.
Just like fellow NES platformer Super Mario Bros., Kid Icarus also has plenty of side-scrolling levels, whether vertically or horizontally. Actually, you'll find more vertical ones than horizontal ones. And the game does suffer the same issue as that game, where you can't go back after parts of the stage go off-screen. In the case of the vertical levels, this means that you will die if you fall in something that was there before, but no longer is on-screen.
I didn't really mind it too much, but it is something to consider.
Something that is going to be pretty noticeable though is the difficulty. I wouldn't really call Kid Icarus one of the hardest games I've played, but it does challenge you and you do have to be careful and patient with your surroundings.
But unlike other NES games, I feel like this game gets slightly easier the further you progress. The reason? Well, after you reach a certain score, Pit will gain more health, and by destroying more enemies and getting hearts, you'll get points easily.
And the second reason involves something unique to this game. In the stages, you'll find many doors that you can go through, and after you leave them, they will be closed permanently. What's behind each door varies, as they can be home to: a shop, where you can use the hearts you gather to buy helpful items; an enemy room, where you defeat enemies to gain more hearts; or a challenge room, where you will be given an endurance challenge and after you beat it, you gain access to an additional weapon.
And these weapons rock, as they can give you a projectile that pierces through enemies, or a barrier that helps you defeat enemies close to you (it doesn't protect you though).
With these upgrades and power-ups by your side, you will eventually get used to the game and the game will start becoming easier the more you play it.
There are three worlds in this game, with 4 acts each, and in the 4th act of each world, you'll be in a Fortress level. These levels are very different from others in the game, as these are more like mazes similar to dungeons in the Zelda series.
I did get lost in these, and it was a bit hard figuring out where to go, but I didn't mind the design of these levels too much.
But these levels also contain something interesting. See, throughout the game, you may pick up hammers. Well, in the Fortress levels, by pressing the Select button, you'll be able to use a hammer to destroy statues and save these little angels, that will help Pit fight that Fortress' boss. That is pretty neat!
And speaking of the bosses... they're okay. I think after the 2nd boss, the rest of the bosses don't put much of a fight, as long as you dodge their slow movements.
In regards to the presentation, it's decent for an early NES title. The stages can be a bit barren when it comes to background, but enemy designs are unique and varied, and I liked how some stages looked. The music, while a bit limited, is well composed, and some of these tracks are pretty memorable, I'd say.
Overall, Kid Icarus, while it can be challenging and some levels were not the greatest, it can be a pretty fun NES platformer, thanks to its power-ups and good level design in most levels.
Honestly, this game is pretty solid. It's one of those games that starts off challenging because of how weak Pit is compared to the enemies. Once he gets access to power-ups and upgrades, it becomes far more manageable. My only major complaint is with the final level, in that you move too slow for my liking. And the final fight with Medusa is kinda anti-climactic with how easily you can cheese it with the right position.
This was one of those games that always kicked me in the ass, even now. Hard as hell, yet somewhat addicting to play once you get into it, but alot of things about this game really grind my gears.
I like the game but man, I think this was created by Hades himself.
I like the game but man, I think this was created by Hades himself.
Am I the only one bothered that collecting hearts does not fill your health back up? Besides that, it's your average NES platformer.
This game is so hard. But it’s one of the cooler NES game. Metroid like platforming, side scrolling and an arcade-y shooter. It’s awesome.
I almost certainly love this game more than you will, but this was the first NES game that I decided to grind out until I could beat it. The first few levels are intense, but it gets easier as it goes on, so stick with it.