tldr: an amazing story with wonderful characters also has excellent gameplay, really well done voice acting and a slew of fun meaningful extra content. its only issues is the way difficulty is handled and that the beginning is kind of hard to get through on replay.

the main story is a rollercoaster joyride
although the actual narrative takes a bit to get really interesting, the characters are amazing from the start. i love dark pit, palutena, viridi, pit and hades so so much and their interacts bring me nothing but joy. and once the narrative gets going, you get both a compelling story and wonderful characters--something rarely seen outside a typical turn based rpg

and the gameplay itself is really good too! the shooting half is like a really cinematic starfox, with specific music tracks tailor made for specific parts of the level that takes full advantage of the fact that you are on rails. the ground segments are brilliant too, but not all of them are amazingly designed all of the time unfortunately

this is one of the most complete videogames ever, because of the sheer amount of meaningful content- on top of the brilliant story mode, there's sakurai's signature challenge boards (three of them!), smash trophies, weapon collection, AND an amazing online multiplayer mode as well.
but when it comes to flaws, ive got a few words-
-replayability is really bolstered by the sheer variety of weapons and weapon types- but also hurt by the fact that hearing the same voice lines over and over again can get really frustrating
-the way difficulty is handled really irks me. i hate that death makes the game easier. i really just want to play entire level at one fixed difficulty, but the game wont let me
-the beginning ten chapters are the worst parts of the game and are a bit of a drag on replay
-bosses are also hurt by the difficulty problem
-controls dont bother me but they really bother others- especially people who are left handed
but besides these things this might be my favourite videogame but also not really but also maybe?
idk but i love it a whole lot

the most underrated 3DS game.

played this game for the first time a couple years ago, and jesus christ it absolutely blew me away. i will admit that the first few chapters didn't win me over, but the slick writing and interesting combat had me coming back for more. over time i started to get hooked, it's a blend between fast-paced rail shooter with gorgeous visuals (seriously, it's like a roller coaster ride that doesn't end), with the admittedly not as exciting ground combat, but makes up for the lack of adrenaline with sick level design and VERY unique combat options. the difficulty is handled weirdly, if anyone's played smash classic mode you'd see what i mean, it essentially works on a slider mechanic, being able to choose exactly how hard you want some rock with hands to kick your ass. anyways, the story is engrossing and the characters are absolutely top-notch, the interactions between them make the game worth it on its own. i would love to give this game a perfect score BUT we come up on the reason why uprising has fallen to the wayside for so long: the controls. the game would absolutely love if you were right handed and would probably stab you in the heart if you were left handed and if it had the chance. playing for prolonged periods starts to have an impact on your wrists (nothing serious, but it's a nagging feeling) with how you have to hold your ds to control pit. absolutely needs a re-release (or better yet, a sequel), but for the time being, playing it this way isn't so bad. begging everyone to give it a shot, you won't be sorry

With vast steps from its predecessor, Uprising took a fearless leap onwards into 3D with its own bag of flair, while at the same time remaining faithful to the Icarus universes share of recurring elements.
Through a narration composed with hands down excellent writing and great voice actor performances the plot pivots unpredictably between the whimsical and surprisingly darker territories. although most of this is played for satire through banterings between our heroes and villains as background noise while playing the game, it's still very fun and well synced dialogues to what happens on screen as you play.

The unpredictable nature of Uprising also carries through the presentation, set pieces to hazards and enemy designs.
For every stage there are jaw drop moments of realisation and discoveries, with a good handful of laugh out moments for silly attention to details to splendours of soaring through space and below waters. It's simply a joyride throughout.

Every stage presents their own tune of aestetical values as you slice, dice and barrage enemies through a technical two segmented gameplay foundation. Mainly from the preluding and cinematic sky shooter parts into the more technical and semi platformy ground combat segments.

It is unfortunate that the biggest gamekeeper in Uprising is namely the controls that requires heavy hand coordinations for both moving and aiming around at the same time, in addition to absorbing everything happening on screen.
The control schemes asks a lot from the player, not to mention the durability of the 3ds analog as you need to flick from left to right, to constantly dash around or dodge enemy projectiles and the likes.

Once you get to grips with the controls it only gets better from there as you unlock better weapons and can adjust
the difficulty to your liking from playing it safe to harder difficulties to keep on unlocking better gears.

In addition to the main story there's a lot of collectables and different weapons to alter melee, range and movement speed. There's plenty of game optimising to play around with which adds up for great replay value.

Not to mention there's a multiplayer mode with arena combat and seperate modes, which to my delight were still active when I tried it out.

Whether you're soaring through the skies, or sweeping through the grounds. Uprising will light your path with its divine tongue in cheek energy and creativity.

Man after beating this game I know there's so much to love and appreciate, the writing is humorous and entertaining, the characters are all charming and witty, the music is grandiose and striking, but what does all of this mean when the controls for this game are horrendously bad. I want to love this game but playing through it was as an exhausting chore that I liked thinking about this game more than I liked actually playing it. I'm sorry but this NEEDS to be on another console other than the 3DS, it's the biggest thing holding it back from greatness. The idea and foundation of this game are solid but I cannot in good faith recommend this to someone who likes having hands. I think if you watched a playthrough or the cutscenes you'll have just as good of an experience, if you don't want to do that proceed with caution, this game is straining on the hands and everyone who made those arthritis jokes is right.
It pains me to give it anything less than 4 stars but it really is that bad to play, I thought at first maybe it's something you get used to but with how this game controls it made it downright annoying trying to do the higher difficulties and it sucks. If they port this to a console with an actual controller we'd be seeing a higher rating but because its stuck on a dead console it's hard for me to give it anything higher than this.
Updating this because I feel like it needs to be said, I'm left-handed, and I've experimented with all of the control styles in this game. If you want my recommendation for all my lefties out there, I did the circle pad for reticle movement and abxy for general movement, with the shoulder buttons acting as the skill selector. While this did help out tremendously for me I lost out on the ability to move in a precise manner, though problem is if you decide to do it the other way then you also lose out on the precise reticle movement. Which both are needed for the sky and ground sections so... pick your poison.

This system clearly was not designed for a game like this, but they still tried to make it work, and it just doesn't.

The game has on-rail shooter levels and on ground levels. The on-rail shooter levels are fine since you just need to move and shoot, but the on ground levels are where this game falls flat. There's various different control methods but the one I found the most comfortable (it's not) was the stylus circle pad hybrid where you control the camera with the stylus, move with the stick, and attack with the L button. The game expects too much from the player with how limited these control schemes are. I would play a single stage a day and get hand cramps immediately, until I just decided to rush through the rest in one day because I was sick of playing it.

The best thing about this game though is its equivalent of tiktok subway surfers family guy clips on the bottom screen when Palutena and Pit are conversing with various other characters chiming in while you are playing the game. If not for this I would not have finished the game. The voicework is good and the dialogue is usually pretty funny. A lot of the humor is just them making references to old Nintendo games. It should be cringe in theory but it's charming, I'd say.

I would actually like to see this game ported with a proper control scheme to the Switch. I'd probably have a lot more fun with it if I was able to properly appreciate its game design.

Hot diggity damn, Sakurai really doesn't miss. This game from beginning to end fires on pretty much all cylinders with zero breaks or stops. It looks visually stunning (especially in 3D), has a phenomenal soundtrack with an all-star cast of composers, has great writing with equally good delivery, depth in its combat with the different weapon types and flick tech, hell even a really damn solid multiplayer mode with both local and online play. This game has mfin EVERYTHING, and each thing is crafted with such a huge amount of polish that it's an absolute blast to play.

My only real gripes would be in the ground segments of the game, in that I felt like they were too long and rely a bit too much on flicking the circle pad constantly in a lot of ways that feels imprecise, and the game kinda demands precision so the flicking kinda becomes a hindrance to the games control. I dropped the game halfway through back when it first came out because of how long the ground sections just dragged on and on. The flying sections are easily the best part of the game though, as they pretty much are sin and punishment levels with their spectacle and control.

I know this is a pretty highly demanded game to be brought to the switch or had a sequel made, and I can certainly understand the hype. However considering both the games development history and overall balance, I don't think that would be very likely. Apparently this game was developed by a one-and-done ragtag team that was made specifically to make only this game before disbanding, so I don't think they can get back together for a port or a sequel... I do hope they at least preserved the source code... The game is also designed around extremely quick precise camera and aiming controls that is done through swiping the touch screen like a trackball, and the overall game speed and balance is quick and snappy to compensate for that advanced precision you get. It's something that I don't think could translate to like any other type of control scheme outside of an actual IRL trackball, so that's kinda another thing going against it getting the ol HD switch treatment unless they essentially rebalance the entire game to accommodate a less precise and slower control scheme. That's not even considering things like how the game uses the bottom screen to run its radio drama-esque dialogue portraits in an unobtrusive way. Like it or not, this game is made for the 3DS, and on this system it will stay. Honestly, I'm fine with that. This game feels so complete that I honestly don't know what they could do should a sequel come along. It's not exactly flawless, but it's pretty damn close. An ABSOLUTE must-play on the 3DS library, especially if you like your games flashy and bombastic.

I owned this game for about a decade and never played it and found that disheartening, so, after some two dozen hours later, approximately two playthroughs, typically ranged on intensities 5.5 to 8.0, I came out thinking about how, when they aren’t performing certain disagreeable practices, Nintendo is exceptional at producing games that are unconventional and unafraid to be different.

In other words, I’m not going to pretend that this writeup, like anything I post on here, is anything less than an encapsulation of my personal enjoyments and thoughts on the game - especially seeing as it's one I probably won’t master anytime soon. But Kid Icarus Uprising has charm to it that anyone could find to some extent I’d feel - but before anyone plays it, you’re given some prewarning about how strange it is to play.

The controls are meant for maximizing the 3DS’ capabilities in the minimalist sense possible with three inputs, a trigger button for offense, a control stick for basic movement, and using the touch screen for reticle aiming and camera manipulation. Whilst I understand how, even with in-game explanations for controller layouts and sensitivity options, this layout is extremely niche for players to get used to. However, as someone with specific real-life gross motor skill issues, I can say that, while there is some kind of adjustment, the responses to player input after finding the right settings and timing were extremely consistent. The stylus inputs are less intimidating once you understand it's more about swipes than extensive holding - as if you’re writing notes in a notepad than shading in a part of a picture. While I do think a camera reset button would be an extremely helpful addition, I find myself disagreeing with the vast majority of criticisms as my experience progressed and noticing just how impeccably responsive my inputs were.

That said, the core gameplay, over the course of 25-chapters, is split in two sections: One, based upon a scripted rail shooter scroller, focused on avoiding enemies and blasting anything in your way. These sections, billed through plot explanations, only last five minutes, but they fulfill their job as far as establishing the mission’s intensity from the start - enemies come out in waves and you do have to pay attention to obstacles. The real meat of the game, however, comes in the ground-based sections.

What I said before about KIU’s maximizing itself in minimalist ways ought to be a recurring theme here - again, only three different inputs are used, but various permutations and utility exists within each. While I won’t pretend I understand the full extent of the weapon system, Pit can be equipped with set weapons based around stat and attack option properties. Some may excel more with melee, some have longer cooldown times between charge attacks, et cetera. Moreover, timing defensive maneuvers in dashes and dodges can affect the projectiles used with a quick followup input, thereby rewarding players for experimenting with what kind of weapons they equip and how they use it - a feedback loop exists to improve player skills whilst ensuring they can craft some style by their preferences. Certain built-in implementations such as the powers (e.g. temporary hyperarmor, homing shots, shields), item drops, and stamina (to prevent players from being too powerful) keep the engagement going. While the game gives you all the tools to work with, it’s ultimately up to you to discover the hidden technical skills (i.e. attacks the go through walls),

This is facilitated further by the enemy designs. Whilst many shooters emphasize attacking weak points or body parts, most enemies in Kid Icarus Uprising are a single model, yet almost every fight has a gimmick. In these levels, it’s important to be familiar with what the enemy can do - then you can allocate your setup around handling it. Some foes only can be affected by melee, some have projectiles you can knock back at them, and some even consume other enemies to get stronger. While the game does leave solving many of these problems to the player, the main premises are provided the minute the enemy appears. Consequently, this means the player probably won’t experience any “gotchas” that they can attribute to the game being unfair.

Bosses up the ante at the end of every chapter by playing upon all the lessons KIU wants you to learn and then providing their own quirks to the mix. You’ll find they ask you to think about when to dodge, where you want to stand, and even how the environments affect the flow of battle. If you liken them to puzzles that play into the game’s strengths, the more you can get out of them. Every one of them is some new lesson to ingrain into the player - no fight truly blends together.

This is all topped off by Uprising’s colorful cast of misfits, all trapped in a cacophony of bizarre sequential events, carried entirely through the game’s incredibly amusing banter and progression. This game knows exactly what it is and spends every moment making the best out of everyone. It’s fascinating how well it balances out proper characterizations, in-game dialogue assistance correlating well to how everyone is acting, and an adventure that would, in almost any other circumstance, come across as a mess. It’s one of the funniest games I’ve ever played. I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the main villain in particular is the standout and steals every scene he’s in.

Suffice it to say, I have an enormous amount of respect for this game. The myriad of scenarios and feedback loop, along with bonus content (multiplayer, boss battles rush, difficulty selections, weapon choices) means that there is an inherently high replay value for anyone who loves this game. It epitomizes pure fun in its entirety and time/care was evidently taken to ensure it worked.

I have to confess, however, that this game isn’t 100% my thing and I’m struggling to come up with a clear explanation for why. Nonetheless, I can list a few points that I did not enjoy as much in this game:
-There were moments where the game’s hitboxes were incredibly inconsistent. This was especially prevalent versus bosses whereupon I would successfully dodge in one instance only for the same move to connect later.
-I do think, despite my admission that I don’t quite understand the full weapon system (thereby making the following possibly incorrect), there isn’t as much utility to melee attacks as there is for ranged. That isn’t to say they aren’t useful, but there are encounters whereupon melee builds are straight up not practical. While I could admit it’s fine the game wants me to keep trying other options, I don’t think restricting one is entirely the answer.
-Some bosses had untelegraphed attack patterns and outright broke some of the game’s rules. Chapter 18’s boss limits you to a melee-attacks only, but will break out of your combos seemingly at random. Chapter 16’s boss makes your only defense to shoot projectiles, yet the boss has attacks that cannot be destroyed and can break through your own fire.
-While I think the risk/reward factor for raising the intensity is a good system, I don’t follow why the difficulty is knocked down to a full point for deaths (i.e. dying on intensity 6.5 will lower it to 5.5 if you wish to continue). You could argue it forces players to be mindful, but it’s strange because there’s already a consequence for failure, namely losing out on bonuses and the hearts you bet. It strikes me as very unnecessary.

I may well be wrong about many of the above, yet they were things I noticed through my two runs through the title.

That said, Kid Icarus Uprising is an absolutely spectacular game as I’ve outlined - and my above issues are most likely strictly for my own experience. There is a stellar amount to appreciate in this game even if it may not be you. The gameplay plays with conventions in ways you don’t simply see, its systems are tuned to be balanced and fair as much as possible, replay value is prevalent, and its production value shows through its all-star team of soundtrack composers and voice actors. I don’t know if I’ll return to it, though what I can without a doubt say is, if I was younger, this would have easily been one of my favorite games.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is the best game on the Nintendo 3DS. Every mode in the game is fun, and what started as me playing the online again, before it was gone for good on April 8th, turned into a full replay. I really love how this game mixes story and character interactions into the gameplay, having every character talk while you play, using the on rails sections as playable cutscenes but keeping the challenge and openness of an actual game compared to a lot of modern games today. This game is full of a lot of the Sakurai design ethos in maximizing customization, fun, and challenge, similar to Kirby Air Ride, which makes me consider this both his best game and probably one of Nintendo’s best games ever. The story is great, the characters are all largely full of depth and well written, and the level design is amazing. The only way this game falls short to me is the controls, now a lot of people hate the controls as it hurts them, I’ve never had this issue somehow. My issue is instead that I feel like the controls are just not precise enough, I found myself sprinting when I wanted to walk, constantly falling off platforms because of this and fighting the camera to turn it at all. I think overall this is always going to be somewhere in my favorite games ever,.

This was my first Kid Icarus game and I immediately fell in love with Pit!
He's basically an even more childish KH Sora. Adorable.

The (frequent) dubbed dialogues are super amusing and cute. Pit is iconic. He calls his dark version Pittoo (Pit two).
Palutena is the sweetest, Viridi is sassy, Pandora sounds like an old lady trying to be cute. Hades is a sassy dandy man.

The Tempura Wizard transforms Pit into TEMPURA and can eat him. The Eggplant Wizard into... yes, an eggplant.

The combat system is certainly unique: you can fight while moving in flight or on land with a wide variety of claws, staffs, clubs, orbitars, blades, bows, palms, cannons or arms. They each have different stats and range, so it's fun to find what works best on which enemy and for your own playing style.
I usually go for the Pandora Claws.

It's very HARD!! I simply cannot pass the higher difficulties, because tons of enemies arrive from all directions. It's a bit frustrating, but still pretty fun.
Also, sometimes I get distracted listening to the dialogues and get hit by enemies.

Creo que los rail shooters son lo más cercano en la actualidad a Dragon's Lair. Una peliculita animada en la que no dejan de suceder cosas rimbombantes de fondo mientras como jugadores nos limitamos a una suma de comandos anecdótica. Nada de lo que ves se siente real y encima todo está sobrelabrado. Cada animación de caminar, de disparar, de atacar, de esquivar es excesiva a la vista en esta estética kingdomheartera de polígolonos inflados y destellos para todo. Y entre tanto artificio está un sistema de control que te desliga más todavía de lo que acontece. Con todas las acciones posibles en un único botón se crea una falta de consistencia constante. Pegar cuerpo a cuerpo y disparar se hacen con la misma acción, girar la cámara y apuntar lo mismo, o moverte y dashear. Y no es un asunto de sistema de control extraño al que cuesta acostumbrarse (estoy jugando Resident Evil 5 en paralelo y su control es tan peculiar como consistente), es un tema de falta de saber ligar todo este desorden de animaciones, acciones, destellos y juego de cámara en un sistema compacto. Porque entonces se perdería la pretendida espectacularidad de estos juegos donde hay que creerse que lo que ves y juegas es lo más increíble que has visto y jugado nunca.