Kid Icarus: Uprising soars on weird and wacky wings
Since the Nintendo 3DS was announced, we’ve been teased with bits and pieces of a new Kid Icarus title, originally slated as part of the system’s launch lineup. Over one year since the system’s launch, Kid Icarus: Uprising has finally made its way onto store shelves and into gamer’s hands.
The game’s developer, Project Sora, is headed up by Masahiro Sakurai of Super Smash Brothers fame, a designer known for taking his time to perfect titles instead of following deadlines. Thankfully, all that extra work paid off in Uprising. What comes out of this lengthy development cycle is one of the strangest and most awesome Nintendo titles I have ever played.
Much more than the sum of its part, Kid Icarus puts you in control of the franchise’s hero Pit, an angel unable to fly on his own, who is pitted against Medusa in a rehash of the original NES game’s conflict. Gameplay wise, the levels are split between 3D flying and shooting sequences a la Panzer Dragoon and on ground levels that keep the shooting mechanic and and add a bit of brawling to the mix.
While the gameplay is fun and the story is acceptable (but nothing special), the game’s strongest aspects are in its writing, its characters, and its overall wacky atmosphere. Whether Pit is addressing the fact directly that he is in a video game or he finds himself wielding a massive club that looks exactly like a Skyscraper (complete with spotlights), Kid Icarus: Uprising rarely gets boring. With a full multiplayer suite as well, you could easily pry over 100 hours from this game. It is equal parts funny, fun, and replayable which, for modern handheld games, is a winning combination.
Kid Icarus: Uprising is available now for the Nintendo 3DS. The game retails for $39.99 and includes the 3DS stand and one pack of AR cards.
