Kid
Icarus: Uprising
Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Sora Platform: 3DS Players: 1 (Adventure), 2-8 (Together) Release: 2012 Genre: Third-Person-Shooter / Adventure
Rating: 9.4 \ 10.0: Excellent
“Sorry
to keep you waiting!” says Pit as he bursts into action at the start of the
game. The angelic protagonist, Pit, last appeared in 2008 in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (which was directed by the same person) but this
statement is most likely related to the fact that he hasn’t starred in a solo
game since 1991’s Kid Icarus: Of Myths and
Monsters for the Game Boy, which
I never played. It’s not a sequel to that game, but it serves as a follow-up to
the original Kid Icarus, which was
released for the Nintendo Entertainment
System (NES).
Enough with history talk— now comes the plot. The game is set 25 years after the original, which is the time between the releases of the two games. Pit is once again tasked with defeating Medusa and her Underworld army. Throughout the ques which is influenced by Greek mythology, you must take down Medusa’s commanders. You'll also have to deal with Dark Pit, Pit’s evil doppelganger who’s created when Pit smashes the Mirror of Truth, which creates copies of whatever looks at it. Before beginning a stage (referred to as a chapter) you must select an “intensity” at the Fiend's Cauldron. The intensity ranges from 0.0 (virtually impossible to die) to 9.0 (virtually impossible to survive) Only 2.0 can be played for free. You’ll have to pay hearts (the game’s currency) to play at anything lower and wager hearts to play at a harder level. Each of the game’s stages are split into three segments: a five-minute flying sequence, a segment in which you must traverse the land, and a battle with one of Medusa’s commanders. The Goddess of Light, Palutena, chats with Pit throughout the game, and the games dialogue is very humorous, and occasionally contains Nintendo references (I faintly remember hearing a Nintendogs joke when I was battling a flaming three-headed dog). Strangely enough, the characters are aware they're in a video game. There are many other characters who Pit bickers with, including Dark Pit and Medusa. You even have a humorous dialogue with Medusa's commanders as you approach the end of the stage, and as you battle. The plot of Kid Icarus has a complex storyline. After slaying Medusa, you will encounter her creator, Hades, God of the Underworld. He creates a myth about a Wish Seed that can grant any wish, and informs the humans of its existence so that they'll fight each other to extinction over it. And then, there's Viridi, Goddess of Nature, who thinks humans are ungrateful barbaric creatures that ruin the Earth, and tries to wipe them out with nuclear bombs (made from natural materials). Instead of wielding a simple bow throughout the game, you can amass an expansive arsenal ranging from nine weapon categories: blades, staffs, arms, claws, palms, orbitars, cannons, clubs, and bows. There are countless weapons, each one with a certain use. Weapons can be found randomly in treasure chests, earned by slaying bosses, and by other means. In addition to weapons, you can also assign several magic powers to your arsenal, including massive jump boosts, poisonous attacks, the ability to transform into a missile, the ability to summon a fiery explosion, and more. These powers are assigned to a grid, with each one assuming a different Tertromino-like shape based on value. You can have as many powers as you can manage to fit into the grid, and it feels like a fun jigsaw puzzle. In your Adventure mode menu, you can visit the arms altar. Here, you can convert weapons into hearts, purchase new ones, or fuse them together to make stronger ones. The game gives you weapons a value rating, so you'll know which weapon to turn into hearts if you end up with two of the same one. Your arsenal can be tested at the Practice Range. In addition to the epic single-player quest, there are two multiplayer modes: Free-For-All, in which you can battle numerous fellow KI: U owners in a large arena, and Light vs. Dark, in which you must team up to defeat your opponents. In Light vs. Dark, each team has a health gauge that depletes as your teammates die. When your teams gauge empties completely, the next team member who dies is reborn as either Pit (if you’re on the Light side) or Dark Pit (if you’re on the Dark side), and the opposing team must defeat him to win. There’s a twist: the more powerful your weapon, the more of your team’s health is eaten away when you die. The best performing player in a multiplayer match receives a mystery bonus: Either a weapon or power. You are also able to play these modes with CPU opponents with controllable difficulty, or have a private match with your buddies. As with the Super Smash Bros. series, you are able to collect countless trophies and listen to a musical pictures that can be viewed at any time. Which reminds me, whatever you're doing in the game, you'll be treated to a beautiful orchestrated musical score that combines amazing original pieces (most notably Dark Pit's theme) with improved rearrangements of classic tunes that were already great as chiptunes. The soundtrack trails not far behind the Super Mario Galaxy games on my list of favorite video game music, a very difficult feat for a game to accomplish. Even so, the game isn't perfect . Sometimes, even the default and low difficulty for the main game’s stages can be frustrating, and the touchscreen camera controls are mediocre. Additionally, this game makes it clear that the 3DS was not built for shooters. The clamshell design of the handheld doesn't allow for triggers, but thankfully, you're not forced to use either of the shoulder buttons. While it may sound awkward, I use the Y button to shoot. The system also doesn't have a right circle pad, meaning that you must either purchase the circle pad pro attachment to have tradtional aiming or use the touchscreen, which I found to be easier than most people did.
Kid Icarus: Uprising is very well worth playing. It's one of the best titles available for the 3DS, and an absolute must-have for any Nintendo fanatic. But either way, you should really give it a shot.
Ups
Epic single-player quest
Fun additional modes
Tons of extra content
Spectacular musical score
Hilarious script
Downs
Default difficulty can be frustrating
Mediocre touchscreen camera controls
System not built for shooters
ESRB: E 10+ Content: Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, and Mild Suggestive Themes Price: $39.99 (Retail / Download)
Enough with history talk— now comes the plot. The game is set 25 years after the original, which is the time between the releases of the two games. Pit is once again tasked with defeating Medusa and her Underworld army. Throughout the ques which is influenced by Greek mythology, you must take down Medusa’s commanders. You'll also have to deal with Dark Pit, Pit’s evil doppelganger who’s created when Pit smashes the Mirror of Truth, which creates copies of whatever looks at it. Before beginning a stage (referred to as a chapter) you must select an “intensity” at the Fiend's Cauldron. The intensity ranges from 0.0 (virtually impossible to die) to 9.0 (virtually impossible to survive) Only 2.0 can be played for free. You’ll have to pay hearts (the game’s currency) to play at anything lower and wager hearts to play at a harder level. Each of the game’s stages are split into three segments: a five-minute flying sequence, a segment in which you must traverse the land, and a battle with one of Medusa’s commanders. The Goddess of Light, Palutena, chats with Pit throughout the game, and the games dialogue is very humorous, and occasionally contains Nintendo references (I faintly remember hearing a Nintendogs joke when I was battling a flaming three-headed dog). Strangely enough, the characters are aware they're in a video game. There are many other characters who Pit bickers with, including Dark Pit and Medusa. You even have a humorous dialogue with Medusa's commanders as you approach the end of the stage, and as you battle. The plot of Kid Icarus has a complex storyline. After slaying Medusa, you will encounter her creator, Hades, God of the Underworld. He creates a myth about a Wish Seed that can grant any wish, and informs the humans of its existence so that they'll fight each other to extinction over it. And then, there's Viridi, Goddess of Nature, who thinks humans are ungrateful barbaric creatures that ruin the Earth, and tries to wipe them out with nuclear bombs (made from natural materials). Instead of wielding a simple bow throughout the game, you can amass an expansive arsenal ranging from nine weapon categories: blades, staffs, arms, claws, palms, orbitars, cannons, clubs, and bows. There are countless weapons, each one with a certain use. Weapons can be found randomly in treasure chests, earned by slaying bosses, and by other means. In addition to weapons, you can also assign several magic powers to your arsenal, including massive jump boosts, poisonous attacks, the ability to transform into a missile, the ability to summon a fiery explosion, and more. These powers are assigned to a grid, with each one assuming a different Tertromino-like shape based on value. You can have as many powers as you can manage to fit into the grid, and it feels like a fun jigsaw puzzle. In your Adventure mode menu, you can visit the arms altar. Here, you can convert weapons into hearts, purchase new ones, or fuse them together to make stronger ones. The game gives you weapons a value rating, so you'll know which weapon to turn into hearts if you end up with two of the same one. Your arsenal can be tested at the Practice Range. In addition to the epic single-player quest, there are two multiplayer modes: Free-For-All, in which you can battle numerous fellow KI: U owners in a large arena, and Light vs. Dark, in which you must team up to defeat your opponents. In Light vs. Dark, each team has a health gauge that depletes as your teammates die. When your teams gauge empties completely, the next team member who dies is reborn as either Pit (if you’re on the Light side) or Dark Pit (if you’re on the Dark side), and the opposing team must defeat him to win. There’s a twist: the more powerful your weapon, the more of your team’s health is eaten away when you die. The best performing player in a multiplayer match receives a mystery bonus: Either a weapon or power. You are also able to play these modes with CPU opponents with controllable difficulty, or have a private match with your buddies. As with the Super Smash Bros. series, you are able to collect countless trophies and listen to a musical pictures that can be viewed at any time. Which reminds me, whatever you're doing in the game, you'll be treated to a beautiful orchestrated musical score that combines amazing original pieces (most notably Dark Pit's theme) with improved rearrangements of classic tunes that were already great as chiptunes. The soundtrack trails not far behind the Super Mario Galaxy games on my list of favorite video game music, a very difficult feat for a game to accomplish. Even so, the game isn't perfect . Sometimes, even the default and low difficulty for the main game’s stages can be frustrating, and the touchscreen camera controls are mediocre. Additionally, this game makes it clear that the 3DS was not built for shooters. The clamshell design of the handheld doesn't allow for triggers, but thankfully, you're not forced to use either of the shoulder buttons. While it may sound awkward, I use the Y button to shoot. The system also doesn't have a right circle pad, meaning that you must either purchase the circle pad pro attachment to have tradtional aiming or use the touchscreen, which I found to be easier than most people did.
Kid Icarus: Uprising is very well worth playing. It's one of the best titles available for the 3DS, and an absolute must-have for any Nintendo fanatic. But either way, you should really give it a shot.
Ups
Epic single-player quest
Fun additional modes
Tons of extra content
Spectacular musical score
Hilarious script
Downs
Default difficulty can be frustrating
Mediocre touchscreen camera controls
System not built for shooters
ESRB: E 10+ Content: Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, and Mild Suggestive Themes Price: $39.99 (Retail / Download)
Sounds like a fantastic game! Will have to Try it out!
ReplyDeleteYou'll most likely be satisfied--In the meantime, you can track down Pit's old games! (I haven't bothered)
DeleteIt does sound awesome.
ReplyDeleteI've said in other responses to comments that I want to make my reviews make the games seem only as good as they are--and this is good. Real good. =)
Deleteyou just got me excited about it
ReplyDeleteThen what're you waiting for? It's just $40! (Or maybe 30. Or 50.)
Delete