Kid Icarus

In the late seventies/early eighties, the Atari 2600 ruled the video game market, even though other consoles such as the Colecovision and Intellivision managed to do fairly well. But in 1983 the bottom fell out of the gaming industry, and video games seemed to be nothing more than just a fad. Thankfully Nintendo, a company that started out making playing cards and eventually arcade machines, decided to take a gamble and create their own console. In 1985 they released the "Nintendo Entertainment System." (known as the Famicom in Japan) Nintendo had the idea to allow third party development of games for their system, increasing the amount of games and diversity. Nintendo also made their own games. Super Mario Bros., The legend of Zelda, and Metroid were among their firsts. But one game has been over shadowed by the success of it's brethren. "He can jump like Mario, collect items like Link, and shoot enemies like Samus." Quite possibly the first video game to be labeled a Cult Classic, Kid Icarus is the game that Nintendo forgot.

Background: Kid Icarus was developed by Nintendo R&D1 alongside it's sister game Metroid. The game uses the same engine as Metroid and was released the same month. The reception of Kid Icarus, was relatively good and it is frequently mentioned as one of the best NES titles, though it failed to outshine the success of Metroid. So far only one sequel has been made, Kid Icarus: of Myths and Monsters for the Gameboy, even though fans have begged Nintendo for more. Kid Icarus 2 had been in development for the Super Nintendo, but was never released. Since then rumors of a sequel have sprouted up with the release of the N64 and Gamecube, but so far none have been confirmed. The latest rumor of a sequel on the Wii, seems inevitable to some fans with the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where Kid Icarus' protagonist, Pit, is a playable character. Supposedly the company Factor 5 is working on this unconfirmed sequel, and it will be released next year, though I wouldn't hold my breath.

Story: The story tells of a time when gods and humans coexisted in harmony. Angel Land is ruled by two goddesses, Palutena, the goddess of light, and Medusa, the goddess of darkness. Palutena shone light on the mortals and helped cultivate their crops, while Medusa destroyed their crops and turned the mortals into stone. Enraged, Palutena used her powers to turn Medusa from a radiant maiden, into an hideous beast, banishing her to the underworld. Medusa, angry at her exile and new form, created an army of monsters and attacked angel land. Turning it's residents into statues, and hiding the three sacred treasures (the only weapons able to stop her) in her three evil fortresses, Medusa becomes the ruler of Angel Land.

Meanwhile, Pit, an angel youth and captain of Palutena's guards, is captured and is being held in a dungeon in the underworld. Palutena realizing he is their only hope, uses the last of her power to free Pit and asks him to retrieve the sacred treasures from Medusa's gatekeepers. Pit agrees and sets off on his journey, armed with only his bow.

Gameplay: Gameplay is where this game really shines. Like mentioned before it features aspects of Mario, Zelda, and Metroid, but brings in it's own uniqueness that makes this a truly satisfying game. In the beginning of the game you start by climbing up the ruins of the underworld while fighting countless enemies. You could just run past these monsters making the game somewhat easier in the short run, but if you stay and fight them, you will gain experience to up your endurance and strength, making the game's final levels much more fun.

The game is broken up into four different levels; the first three ending with a fortress stage. Level 1 and 3 are both vertical, and you will have to climb up to the top to move on, being careful not to fall. Level 2 is your basic sidescrolling platformer, though I found this level to be the hardest in the game. The fortress levels are completely different from the rest of the game, and take on more of a Legend of Zelda feel, in that you can retrace your steps, your overall goal being to find the boss and defeat him. The fortresses are difficult, and feature enemies that will push your skills to the limit. Among these are the Eggplant Wizards, which turn you into a walking eggplant that cannot attack. If you get turned into an eggplant you will have to find the fortress's hospital to get the curse removed. These wizards usually roam the rooms near the boss, creating a frustrating situation when you have to backtrack to the hospital.

As you climb up to reach the top of the first level there will be sections where the platforms seem to lead you to a dead end on the side of the screen, but just walk into the side of the screen and you will appear on the other side. This adds to the enjoyment of the vertical levels, and I find this a very unique approach to designing a game. I do find it somewhat annoying that on some platforms, if you press down you fall through. I'm sure the designers planned this to make it so you could drop down onto another platform, but why just down, most games that have this "jumping down" feature use it by pressing down and the jump button. I don't know how many times I hit down to duck under enemy fire, only to fall to my death.

Along your journey you will come across shops where you will be able to buy helpful items such as water of life and angel feathers. The water of life fills up your heath meter part way, while the angel feathers make it so if you fall, pit will start flying and you can save yourself from death. I did find it a bit strange though that hearts represent currency and not health. The first time I played this game I remember taking damage, and figuring it was no big deal since I was picking up so many hearts, and seconds later I would die. But I did figure it out and it didn't really bother me once I thought to look at the red meter instead of the number next to the heart.

Graphics: Not a lot to say here, since most NES games had the same look to them. The graphics are okay, but not quite as visually appealing as later NES titles such as Contra, or Kirby's Adventure. The background is a solid color, usually black, much like in Metroid or Super Mario Bros.. The enimies are all designed well, as is Pit, and the platforms are great, making the levels seem believable. Although some enemies glitch and appear in areas where they weren't supposed to, such as inside a wall or down a couple of platforms. The game does slow down from time to time when too many enemies are on screen, but speeds back up as you kill them.

Music: The music is pretty good for being in the 8-bit era. It does a good job of setting the mood for each level, like any good music should. Creepy when in the underworld, foreboding in the fortresses, and epic when facing Medusa. Again there isn't much to say here. Hmmm....oh the sound effects are pretty good too!

Originality: The game stems from a line of Nintendo games that saved the world of gaming, and takes aspects from each. At no point during the game did I feel bored, or unenthused. The story is loosely based on Greek mythology, and has nothing to do with the story of Icarus and how he flew too close to the sun. The game is diverse and doesn't fallow a pattern. The enemies are creative, even those Eggplant Wizards which I hate so much, and challenging. The third level even features metroids, and the Manuel says "These beings are thought to be from another planet." paying homage to the game's sister franchise. Overall this is a very enjoyable and unique game that has never been seen before, or since, and I would recommend this to anyone with an NES or a Wii with an Internet connection. (It's on the virtual console)

Overview:

Story: 3/5

Gameplay: 4/5

Graphics: 3/5

Music: 3/5

Originality: 4/5

Difficulty: Medium

Length: Average (about 2 hours, that was pretty good in those days)

Best Part: Putting on the Sacred Treasures and kicking Medusa's ass.

Worst Part: Getting turned into and eggplant (again)

Total Score: 3.4 Worth Buying

Conclusion: If your a Nintendo fan, this game is for you. It is a classic that represents the history of video games, and exemplifies the quality of Nintendo's first console. You won't be disappointed in this game.

Next Post Hint: From now on I will give a hint at the game I will review next so here goes, This game is unique, in that the only enemies you fight are bosses, otherwise there aren't any.