Kid Icarus

Infobox VG
title = Kid Icarus


caption=North American boxart
developer = Nintendo R&D1
publisher = Nintendo
designer = Gunpei Yokoi
Satoru Okada
composer = Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka
series = Kid Icarus
engine = "Metroid"
released = NES
^JPN December 18, 1986
^NA July 1987
^EU 1987
Virtual Console
^NA February 12, 2007
^{EU, AU} February 23, 2007
genre = Platform game
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: E (Everyone) (Wii) [http://wii.ign.com/articles/744/744751p1.html]
OFLC: G (Wii)
platforms = FDS, NES, GBA, Virtual Console
media = FDS floppy disk
1 Mbit cartridge
requirements =
input = Gamepad:"For the title character, see Pit. For the series as a whole, see Kid Icarus (series)."

nihongo|"Kid Icarus"|光神話 パルテナの鏡|Hikari Shinwa: Parutena no Kagami|"Myth of Light: The Mirror of Palutena" is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo R&D1 and published by Nintendo for the Famicom Disk System in 1986 and the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. It is the first game in the "Kid Icarus" series, the second being "".

The game has been re-released twice: on August 10, 2004, for the Game Boy Advance as part of the Famicom Mini Series in Japan only, and on February 12, 2007, on the Wii's Virtual Console in North America. It was released on the European and Australian Virtual Consoles on February 23, 2007.

Gameplay

"Kid Icarus" is often compared to "Metroid" (which was released the same year), as it uses the same game engine. It even includes a Metroid enemy, though it is called "Komayto" in "Kid Icarus". The game manual theorizes that Komayto may have come from another planet. [cite web| url = http://vimmslair.com/| title = Kid Icarus Manual| work = Vimm's Lair; The Manual Project| accessdate = 2006-11-30 p. 19; "One theory has it that it came from a planet other than the Earth."] In volume 204 of "Nintendo Power", an article was written about the game describing it as blending together elements from "The Legend of Zelda", "Super Mario Bros.," and "Metroid", stating that Pit can "jump like Mario, collect items like Link, and shoot enemies like Samus."

Plot

In a time where humans and gods coexisted in harmony, the kingdom of Angel Land was ruled by two goddesses, "Palutena" the Goddess of Light and "Medusa" the Goddess of Darkness. While Palutena administered the light and helped the mortals cultivate their crops, Medusa despised the mortals and used the darkness to destroy their crops and turn the mortals into stone. Enraged, Palutena transformed Medusa into a hideous monster and banished her into the dark Underworld.

But Medusa would not go quietly. She assembled an army of monsters and evil spirits of the underworld to conquer Palutena's home, the Palace in the Sky. War erupted and Medusa's minions overwhelmed Palutena's army, eventually imprisoning the Goddess of Light. Medusa then seized the Three Sacred Treasures—the Mirror Shield, the Arrow of Light, and the Wings of Pegasus—and gave them to her most powerful minions.

Defeated and imprisoned, Palutena's only hope was to seek the help of Pit, a young angel trapped in the Underworld. Using the last of her strength, she sent Pit a magical bow. Thus, Pit set out on a quest to escape the Underworld, retrieve the Sacred Treasures that would help him defeat Medusa, and rescue Palutena and restore peace to Angel Land.

In the end Pit retrieved these three treasures and battled Medusa. Having won, Pit traveled back to Angel Land to find the newly restored Palutena bestow on him armor (perhaps raising his rank). However, if the secret ending is reached, Pit will be turned older (teenage years) and afterwards receive a kiss of gratitude from Palutena.

Development

The original Famicom Disk System versions feature save slots, unlike the North American version which uses a password system (known in-game as "Sacred Words"). As with "Metroid", the FDS version of "Kid Icarus" also features higher quality music and sound effects that take advantage of the system's additional sound channels. See below.

"Kid Icarus" was produced by Gunpei Yokoi and the music was composed by Hirokazu Tanaka. [ [http://blaze.spicelab.net/kidicarus/credits.htm "Transcription of game's credits"] . The "Kid Icarus" Coliseum. Retrieved 27 January 2005.]

Reception

Despite being overshadowed by "Metroid", "Kid Icarus" is regularly recognized as a significant game. It was awarded the 84^th slot in IGN's 2003 list of the Top 100 Games of All Time [ [http://top100.ign.com/2003/81-90.html#84 "IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time (81–90)"] . IGN. 29 April 2003. Retrieved 24 May 2006.] and was also inducted into the GameSpy Hall of Fame. [Cassidy, William. [http://www.gamespy.com/articles/488/488733p1.html "Like its mythological namesake, Kid Icarus's time in the sun was entirely too brief"] . GameSpy. 14 September 2003. Retrieved 24 May 2006.] In Volume 199 of Nintendo Power, it was voted number 54 in a list of the top 200 Nintendo games of all time.Citation|year=February 2006| title=NP Top 200|periodical=Nintendo Power|volume=200|pages=58-66.] The protagonist of the game, Pit, was included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii.

References

External links

*StrategyWiki
*moby game|id=/kid-icarus|name="Kid Icarus"