Kid Icarus: Uprising

[BlueTidalGamer]

Is the game really that good? Should I buy it?

Oh yes indeed. It's easily the best 3DS game and the best revival of an old franchise ever made.

[Ekaje]

I've been playing it for a few days, just beat chapter 9 a bit ago, and I can say that it's a very good game. Make sure to mess around with the controls and aiming sensitivity a bit before playing though.

[Cola]

Is the game really that good? Should I buy it?

Indeed it is.

One of my favorite games of all time, now.

[Nintendoga]

Is the game really that good? Should I buy it?

Do not be fooled by Nintendo's "oh look, Medusa's back, be in a star-fox clone and kill her" marketing,

No no, it goes much, MUCH farther then that.

Buy the game, it's one of the main reasons to have a 3DS, (besides the 3D and Smash Bros )

And to think, I hated this game less then a month ago, curse my past self.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Nintendoga

[Komodin]

Is the game really that good? Should I buy it?

Yes, it is and yes, you should definitely buy this. I'm not being my usual neutral self this time; it's honestly my favorite 3DS game, as well as one of my all-time favorite games, so far.

[sonfan1984]

Oh yes indeed. It's easily the best 3DS game and the best revival of an old franchise ever made.

Indeed it is.

One of my favorite games of all time, now.

Do not be fooled by Nintendo's "oh look, Medusa's back, be in a star-fox clone and kill her" marketing,

No no, it goes much, MUCH farther then that.

Buy the game, it's one of the main reasons to have a 3DS, (besides the 3D and Smash Bros )

And to think, I hated this game less then a month ago, curse my past self.

Yes, it is and yes, you should definitely buy this. I'm not being my usual neutral self this time; it's honestly my favorite 3DS game, as well as one of my all-time favorite games, so far.

Wow, thanks so much guys. If it's really that good then I might pick it up this week then. Hopefully I don't have to play the early Kid Icarus games to get into this.

[Rinzler]

There have been a lot of lines in this game: some funny, some hilarious and few cringeworthy but this one stuck out for me.

Chapter 19

Pit: This trip was so long we even had a loading screen back there.

Viridi: SSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH. We're not supposed to talk about that!

The Metroid reference in the same chapter was great as well.

Nintendo I will never doubt your writing skills again.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Deception Riders

[T-Min]

So yeah, I wrote a review of the game to be posted on my blog eventually and decided that I would post it here, like I did with my Sonic reviews. So, here it is, if anyone cares. (spoilered for length and big pictures)

Ah, yes. Kid Icarus Uprising. Uprising was one of the first games announced for the 3DS at E3 2010. It quickly became one of the most highly anticipated games of the 3DS’ line-up, partially because it was the first Kid Icarus game in around twenty years and partially because it actually looked really good. I, myself, had never played either of the two Kid Icarus games beforehand, but that doesn’t really matter considering Uprising is probably almost nothing like them. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Kid Icarus Uprising is not only the best game to come out on 3DS thus far, but probably even…one of my favorite games in general. Let us not dawdle any longer; this is the masterpiece known as Kid Icarus Uprising.

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Kid Icarus Uprising stars Pit, the right-hand man of the Goddess of Light Palutena. The evil Medusa has returned after her defeat in the original game, and with a whole slew of Underworld forces at her command. As such, Pit and Palutena once again find themselves in a gigantic war between light and dark. Proving a bit of a hindrance is the fact that Pit actually can’t fly on his own and must rely on the Goddess Palutena to do so, and even then the Power of Flight only lasts five minutes. Also, further complicating things is that a dark doppelganger of Pit known as Dark Pit is running amok after Pit accidentally created him in the process of destroying the Mirror of Truth, a mirror that was being used to create more and more Underworld forces. And as Pit and Palutena will soon find out, there’s more to Medusa’s return than they may be taking for granted.

The storyline of Uprising is actually really good. It will come off as simple at first, but as the game goes on it becomes really interesting and even surprisingly complex. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously, either. While the plot has its more serious elements and moments, the tone of the game remains very lighthearted and fun. Also, the writing of this game is actually really funny. Not only is it just generally humorous, but it’s incredibly self-aware to the point that there is no fourth wall whatsoever and there are also a lot of great references to other Nintendo games and franchises. The voice acting is really good, too, and characterization is very strong. The main cast is very likable and even the one-off villains are very well-written and enjoyable. In addition, most of the dialogue and story will actually take place during the gameplay, a choice which suits the game very well, as you will see when you play the game.

Uprising is also great in the aesthetics department. The orchestral soundtrack is simply fantastic and as one of the first games announced for the 3DS at E3, it did a great job of showing off what the handheld could do visually and still does. The 3-D effect, while not as good as that of, say, Super Mario 3D Land, is also pretty nice. The wow factor of this game’s visuals actually comes less from the environments and more from the setpieces. The on-rails sections, in particular, have a great deal of amazing setpieces that really do a fantastic job of keeping things exciting and interesting.

Which brings me to the gameplay, and essentially, Kid Icarus Uprising can be thought of as Star Fox Assault if it actually didn’t suck. The game features both rail-shooting sequences and ground combat sequences and while both play styles are pretty different from each other, the controls remain similar enough that switching between them isn’t jarring at all. The default control scheme has you using the Circle Pad to move, the stylus to aim the reticle and the “L” button to fire your weapon or perform a melee attack if you’re close to an enemy. During ground combat, you also slide the stylus along the screen to change the camera angle and you can tap the Circle Pad twice in any direction to dash, much like in Super Smash Bros., as is pointed out in the tutorial. If you tap the Circle Pad twice just as an enemy attack is about to hit you, you will do a dodge. There’s a slight learning curve, but once you get used to the controls, they work great, being very precise and responsive and allowing you to keep up with the game’s fast-paced action.

And there will be a crapload of that, rest assured. The fast-paced, over-the-top action of Uprising on top of the solid mechanics and controls is really what makes it an amazingly fun experience. The rail-shooting sections are absolute mindless fun and, as I said before, the setpieces are amazing. This game seriously makes Star Fox 64 look dull. That is an accomplishment. The ground combat sections aren’t quite as fast-paced, but are just as much fun because they have more to offer. The areas feature a great deal of variety in the challenges they pose and vehicle and rail-grinding segments do a very good job of changing things up when they appear. Boss battles are also superbly designed and feature a lot of variety. In short, really, really amazing stuff.

One really interesting thing about Uprising is the fully controllable difficulty level. It’s actually sort of a high risk, high reward type deal. As you defeat enemies, you gain Hearts, which are basically money. You use these Hearts to buy weapons and such, and unwanted weapons can even be converted to Hearts. So, how does this apply to the game’s difficulty level? Well, every time you start a chapter, you’re allowed to adjust the Intensity, or difficulty level. Raising it and even lowering it beyond a certain point is going to require more and more Hearts. Playing chapters on higher Intensities will get you better treasures and rewards and there also Intensity Gates in the levels, which you can only open if you’re playing on a certain Intensity or higher. Behind these gates are usually really good treasures. Difficulty still does curve naturally, but what will ultimately affect your experience the most is the Intensity you’re playing on. If you die, however, you will not only lose some of the Hearts that you bet, but the difficulty will also be knocked down a bit. It is a really nice idea that adds a great deal of replay value to the game and gives you a lot of incentive to improve your skills.

Oh yes! There is one more thing that needs to be covered! With Kid Icarus Uprising, Nintendo decided to not be lazy and gave the game online multiplayer! And the online multiplayer is not only un-sucky, but really fun and addictive! There are two modes – free-for-all and Light vs. Dark. Free-for-all is just what you would expect: a gigantic brawl between several players. In Light vs. Dark, players are organized into a light team and dark team and have to duke it out. Every time a player is killed, that player’s team’s gauge decreases. When said gauge decreased all the way, a team angel will appear, and the first team to kill a team angel is the winner. You can use the weapons and upgrades you get in the single player mode in the multiplayer mode and vice versa. Overall, it’s a very fun multiplayer mode that almost makes me not care that Star Fox 64 3D didn’t have online multiplayer. Almost.

Still not letting it go.

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Kid Icarus Uprising is…wow. I didn’t actually expect this much from it, but it thoroughly blew me away. Even the story was really good, and it’s surprisingly long, too. It’s surpassed Super Mario 3D Land as the best 3DS game, and I would honestly put it up there with my favorite games of all time. It is a legitimately amazing game and I can’t really think of any real complaints I had with it. If you own a 3DS, you have no excuse not to get this game.

Grade: A+

Edited April 2, 2012 by T-Man

[BlueTidalGamer]

Finally finished the game. Overall, I have to say that this was the best Nintendo game i've ever played from the company! It was absolutely incredible!!! I loved every single minute of this masterpiece =D

[sonfan1984]

I got it!! I can't wait to play.

[Old dead account]

All these comments everywhere calling this the best nintendo game ever really give me ridiculously high standards for this game. Is it really that good? It's gonna have to be crafted by God to make it top Skyward Sword for me.

[Thigolf]

Got it today as well. I played seven chapters and... wow. It is incredible. The dialog, the graphics, the story, the music, the gameplay... Simply amazing. And so much content! The multiplayer is awesome as well: Because you always get hearts and sometimes items and weapons you can use in Single Player, you have a lot motivation to keep on playing even if you're not that good. The camera is a problem though. Yeah, you get used to it, but I still feel lost sometimes. But let me tell you: If you get a chance to pick it up, DO IT. It's THAT good.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Thigolf

[PSI Wind]

All these comments everywhere calling this the best nintendo game ever really give me ridiculously high standards for this game. Is it really that good? It's gonna have to be crafted by God to make it top Skyward Sword for me.

You don't consider Sakurai a god? What is wrong with you

[T-Min]

All these comments everywhere calling this the best nintendo game ever really give me ridiculously high standards for this game. Is it really that good? It's gonna have to be crafted by God to make it top Skyward Sword for me.

I wouldn't quite say it's *better* than Skyward Sword, but if it's not on par, it's really dang close.

[#EndyGate]

So seeing as Kid Icarus is compatible with Nintendo Network, what are the chances that we'll get DLC?

[BlueTidalGamer]

Hope so. Maybe more Campaign chapters?

[Solly]

Gonna be going for all level 9 runs tomorrow. This is going to be brutal.

The game's fantastic. As a fan of the original Kid Icarus I loved all the references to the first game. The story, the writing, the gameplay, the music- everything is really great, and it feels like a step forward for Nintendo games in a lot of ways.

I think the controls are really iffy though, and the fact that so many people had an issue with them speaks for itself. They aren't crippling or anything, but they could use work.

[Nintendoga]

I wouldn't quite say it's *better* than Skyward Sword, but if it's not on par, it's really dang close.

ehhhhhh *cough* *cough* Whatever you say bro, whatever you say

skyward sword sucks

So seeing as Kid Icarus is compatible with Nintendo Network, what are the chances that we'll get DLC?

I'm not really expecting much in this game, but there's two things I'd like to see.

1. Some more multiplayer stages/weapons or whatever. I still haven't gotten all them yet, but it'd be nice for Nintendo to keep supllying us with tons of new content.

I'm going on a limb, but if they could, (which they probably won't since Sakurai is working on SSB4) maybe a filler chapter between 17 and 18. Like yeah they do explain some of it, but it's never really elaborated in the game. It's just

Magnus: Pit, you've been gone for 3 years

Pit: 3 Years?

Magnus: Yup

Pit: K

Like they never really elaborate on it. They just say it and move on. Plus it never really feels like it was 3 years. Next chapter and I almost forgot about the time skip (If it wasn't for the constant reminder of Lady Palutena) I'd like to see what happened during those years. You know, play as emotionless Pit or something, and let everyone else tell the story. Something I doubt will happen, but it'd be nice for them to try.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Nintendoga

[Red Cap]

I think the controls are really iffy though, and the fact that so many people had an issue with them speaks for itself. They aren't crippling or anything, but they could use work.

Yeah, but to be fair the controls work for the game and are actually pretty darn accurate once you get used to them.

I really think the controls would have been a lot more comfortable if Nintendo had made the 3DS wider. There's next to no extra room between the Circle Pad/Face buttons and the edges of the system, and it's even a problem that other 3DS games are affected by (Such as Mario Kart 7).

Edited April 4, 2012 by Red Cap-Blue Spikes

[Nintendoga]

Yeah, but to be fair the controls work for the game and are actually pretty darn accurate once you get used to them.

I really think the controls would have been a lot more comfortable if Nintendo had made the 3DS wider. There's next to no extra room between the Circle Pad/Face buttons and the edges of the system, and it's even a problem that other 3DS games affected by (Such as Mario Kart 7).

Yeah, I've noticed that too, with some games (mainly this and Starfox 64 3D) my hands get cramped/I have to move it around a bit cause of how small the 3DS is. Maybe for the revision or something that can be fixed.

Also going off on a tangent here but, let's be honest, this is one of those games where you just really wish there was a second circle pad for camera control. Like the flying sections work great, but the camera's the main problem of the game on foot.

They should've done something like that with the CPP, but it's not that big of a deal I suppose. Just...really makes the 3DS's hardware problem so jarring.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Nintendoga

[Conando]

Aiming would blow with dual sticks, if it's any indication with the stick aiming we already have. The only thing adding a second stick would allow gamers with comfort problems to play longer, it wouldn't make the game better to play in any other term.

[Red Cap]

Aiming would blow with dual sticks, if it's any indication with the stick aiming we already have. The only thing adding a second stick would allow gamers with comfort problems to play longer, it wouldn't make the game better to play in any other term.

Yeah, I agree. I don't think this game would benefit from dual analogs too much. The kind of precision the game demands is just not possible with a Dual Analog control scheme (Especially with how crazy it is), and it would defintiely make multiplayer a drag with how much people dodge and dash around.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Red Cap-Blue Spikes

[LATER BUDDY]

I've been taking it slowly to chew it all, which is really rare for me to do in a game. As a result, I really think this might be my new favorite Nintendo IP. I mean I love you Zelda, but I wasn't a fan of your last outing that much (maybe I just gotta get into that more though). I'm quite the big psycho when it comes to endless upgradable items and the "there's always better" approach. I wanna be the very best guys, like no one ever was.

I'm a fan of all the forms of gameplay, and find myself only doing about 2-3 chapters a day or two, and then replaying some of the old ones on higher difficulties, or dumping hours into multiplayer. So I'm about to start chapter 8 now (5 and 6 was AMAZING). At the moment I'm using:

End-All Arm

Ranged: 6, Melee: 3.5 (are the white stars halves or?), Value 300

Overall defense +1

Burning +3

Dash cont. fire +3

Melee dash attack +1

And I've been stuck with this thing forever. I'm not too big on the arm weapons, so it's like "ugh D;". I'm pretty found of the bows or claws, but I can never even manage to get something higher than 260 as of late it seems. As a result, I've been saving my hearts a bit, which are at roughly 45,000 now. I think I'm gonna keep banking them until the 100,000 and get one badass 300 valued weapon to fuse later.

Lastly, guys, guys. Dat Dark Pit music, <3333.

[PSI Wind]

So seeing as Kid Icarus is compatible with Nintendo Network, what are the chances that we'll get DLC?

I'm personally hoping for

A few extra chapters to give some more backstory on Magnus and Dark Lord Gaol. Obviously, it'd take place a bit before the game began, but it would still be interesting.

[LATER BUDDY]

So do we have a group playing this at all? It'd be awesome to have a few matches of something with everybody, =O.