Kid Icarus: Uprising Review SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING!

Hey guys! Let's just clear the air, Kid Icarus: Uprising is amazing. Even if you don’t read the rest of the review, just know that you should buy this game. It's arguably the best game on the 3DS It’s a real breath of fresh air to review a game that I don’t just like, but in fact love. At times it may seem as if I’m gushing, and that’s probably because I am. Kid Icarus is one of those rare experiences that comes along and completely blows you out of the water. So without further ado, let’s get into the meat of the review.

Masterpiece is a term that tends to get thrown around a lot these days. It’s a buzzword used to incite debate and raise sales numbers. However, every once in a while a game, movie, or television show will come around and actually merit such praise. It is in my opinion that Kid Icarus: Uprising is one such game. From the immaculate story, to the fluid gameplay, everything about this game is simply impeccable.

If you buy your copy new (as you should), you’ll notice a few things before you even start the game. Each new copy comes complete with a pack of AR cards and a fun little stand. These are really periphery things but they are neat inclusions. The AR cards allow you to scan certain 3d models and have them show up in the real world. Nintendo is trying to encourage people to try to collect as many of these cards as they can, but personally I have no interest of going down that long and winding road. The stand is included because of the controls, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

You can also play if you're Japanese

So what is Kid Icarus: Uprising exactly? Well it’s a sequel to Kid Icarus for the original Nintendo Entertainment System, but it’s drastically different. While the original game was a 2D platformer of sorts, this new game is more akin to rail shooters like Sin and Punishment. The face behind the reimagining is Masahiro Sakurai, the same creative mind behind the Super Smash Brothers series. Of course developing games takes an entire team of inventive people, yet Sakurai’s influence is still very apparent from the first Smash Bros-esque menu screen.

Then you begin the story, and that’s when things really explode. You play as Pit, the young angel from the first game who is out to destroy the forces of evil. You are guided along by the goddess Palutena, who acts sort of like your commanding officer. Medusa is back and has resurrected her dark army, and it’s up to Pit to bring peace to the land once again. The story is crazy, and feels like a winding rollercoaster. Along the journey you will be introduced to brand new characters, and interesting new enemies. I’d tell you more, but I really can’t say much without offering up huge spoilers. Just know that there is much more to the story than you may initially think.

All of the characters are well fleshed out and interact with one another constantly. While you are taking on missions, Palutena and Pit will have context specific conversations that are not only self-aware, but hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the back and forth antics. It’s really well done, and will keep you excited throughout the entirety of the game.

I love Palutena.

Luckily the game does not simply rest on its fantastic presentation, but actually has fun and addictive gameplay. You control Pit’s movement with the analog nub, shoot with the left trigger, and control the camera/shooting reticle with the stylus. Sound a little awkward? That’s because it kind of is. I mean, Nintendo packed in a stand to make players more comfortable. Although after a few hours you will get used to the unusual controls, and they become a second nature. You may occasionally fall off of smaller platforms because Pit is prone to dashing unexpectedly, but other than that the controls are actually a good fit for the precise nature of the game. It would have been nice for Team Sora to include an option to control the camera with the circle pad pro, but on its own the controls are perfectly suitable. 

The gameplay is divided into two sections. The first section is in the sky. Here Pit’s direction on rails, and you only need to focus on dodging enemy fire and shooting back. These sections are exhilarating and full of magical set pieces. Pit only can fly for five minutes at a time before needing to cool down, and this is an excuse for a lot of fighting on the ground. The ground battles are also very linear, guiding you through certain dungeons and castles. On the ground you control Pit’s movement, and will sometimes find secret rooms, challenges, or hot springs. While the ground sections are still fun, they are a little slower than the fast paced shooting galleries found in the air combat, and sometimes the camera can be a little hard to control. Despite the tiny nagging flaws, the combat is still fun and nimble. At the end of each level you face off against one of the games tremendous bosses. This can be anything from a giant fire breathing dragon, to a one on one with another powerful being your size. The bosses are usually witty and charming, and have their own unique personalities. The dialogue between Pit and his foes is usually so cavalier that you will sometimes forget that they are locked in heated battle. 

The levels change every time you play. Well they don’t physically change, but Kid Icarus: Uprising has a dynamic difficulty setting. Depending on how many hearts you have (hearts are the game’s main form of currency), you can chose which difficulty setting you want. Increasing the difficulty makes enemies more abundant and difficult, but you will stumble upon better weapons and more hearts. Finding better weapons is the name of the game, and there are tons. As of this review I have played through the entire game, and I have yet to see every weapon in the game. The dynamic difficulty encourages you to go back through previous levels in order to find everything there is to see in the game. 

You can also change your play style by picking different power ups before each level in a Tetris style inventory system. If you want an example of what this is like, think of the Resident Evil 4 inventory in which you can carry as much as you want, as long as it fits within the grid. After you play each level you are taken back to the main menu. From here you can use eggs to try to find new 3d trophies, check your puzzle pieces (Achievements), change your gear, and offer hearts to the goddess. Who knows what offering hearts to the goddess does though. You can also take the weapons you’ve collected and forge them into new weapons by combining them. It gets really addictive to try to maximize your power by destroying your old weapons. 

For those of you who love to Streetpass on your 3DS there is a Streetpass function. You can collect and distribute weapon orbs which can be used to create certain weapons. There is also an online multiplayer functionality to the game. You take your customized classes that you use in single player and you can take them online against people around the world. There are two game types for online multiplayer, a regular free for all, and a team deathmatch game with a twist. In the team death match variant the entire team has a single life bar. Kill enough guys, and eventually one of the players will be turned into either Pit or Dark Pit. Then it’s a mad dash to see who can kill the opposing team’s angel first. It’s only a slight twist on an old format, but it does enough to make it feel fresh and exciting. There is also an option of local multiplayer if you have that many friends. 

 

Dark Pit actually ends up being really cool.

I really want to emphasize how good this game is. I am almost scared that I will forget an important detail and somehow sell the game short. The music is fantastic and is made up of old remixes and new scores, the art style is fabulous and bursting with character and the game just looks beautiful at times. You will be wowed many times throughout the campaign, and may even forget that you are playing on a handheld. So go out and buy Kid Icarus: Uprising. Hell, buy two copies just for fun! It is a fantastic game, and undoubtedly my favorite game of this year so far.

 Well that was a mouthful. Thanks for all of the support guys. Last month we got a substantial amount of views and I really appreciate that you read. If you like what’s hear just go ahead and tell a friend or someone who may be interested. We don’t get paid for this, but it’s worth it to know people are reading! Till then I hope you guys stay safe, and I’ll see you next time!