Review

Gameplay

Kid Icarus is a platform/adventure game that takes its mix of platforming and action from the likes of its sister game, Metroid (sister in the sense that they are both based off of the same game engine). The player controls Pit, guiding him across platforms and around traps and enemies. The enemies are frequent and never-ending; generally, they come in packs of four, and once the pack is defeated, a new pack will come to take their place.

The game is divided into different worlds, each with different themes and structure. For example, the first world is the underworld, and Pit must make his way out by climbing ever higher on platforms to reach the main world. Once he has reached the top, the game changes from a vertical platforming orientation to a maze of rooms that allow exploration and back-tracking. In the second world, the overworld, the orientation switches back to the platforming of the first few levels, although now Pit is forced to go right ala Mario. This mix of level structure keeps the game fresh and breaks up the worlds into unique segments.

The first time I played through the game, I didn't even know the worlds had different structures, which was a welcome surprise.

-good mix of platforming and action -level uniqueness is good -i like the mix of vertical scrolling and horizontal scrolloing -exploration added perk -its cool that there are optional items to get -good mix of items to help in the fight -difficulty: -first run through the game is pretty tough -subsequent runs are very easy -bosses are too easy -good placement of shops/items to keep you in the fight -game is a lot harder without the super bow -eggplant wizareds are the most annoying things ever -password feature is annoying (they are pretty long) Story -story: -non-existant in game (need manual) as in the tradition of early nes games -ending is short, but multiple endings are cool (good replay value) Control -control is a little sluggish -jumping on moving platforms: the screen can scroll weridly causing death -flying using a feather takes some getting used to Graphics -graphics: -failry simple -each world has a unique look -good number of different enemies/items -even pit can change his look Sound

The music of Kid Icarus is pretty strong for an early NES game. Each world gets its own tune, which helps to mix -sound: -music is strong -sounds are average