Kid Icarus
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‘Kid Icarus’ and ‘StarTropics’ come to the Nintendo Switch next week
Nintendo is adding a pair of vintage NES games to its Switch Online library next Wednesday. Starting on March 13th, you'll be able to play Kid Icarus and StarTropics on the online service. Kid Icarus, which was released in North America in 1987, has assembled a sizeable cult following over the years and fans have called for a sequel. Nintendo, for its part, hasn't totally put the platformer to bed, though updates have been rare. Kid Icarus: Uprising for 3DS, released in 2012, received a warm reception from critics who welcomed the revival of the franchise.
This year's Club Nintendo elite rewards are all downloadable games
Marking a change from the calendars, posters and other Nintendoodads, the 2014 Club Nintendo elite rewards for North America are all downloadable games. While that'll disappoint some of you, as a European I have to note on our side of the ocean it's all physical - and personally, not the most appealing selection either. So if you want to swap places... well, we can't, but you get the drift. As before, qualifying Platinum members can have their pick of one Gold or one Platinum gift, while Gold members have to make do with the golden selection. If I were so lucky, I'd pick one of Game & Wario, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Dr. Luigi and Earthbound from the Platinum games. On the Gold side, I'm totally in the mood for some Zelda 2. Sigh.
Palutena from Kid Icarus joins the fight in Super Smash Bros.
Goddess Palutena joins the playable roster in Nintendo's upcoming Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS, launching later this year.
New Nintendo eShop releases: Kid Icarus, Picross E2
Kid Icarus flaps his ineffectual wings on the Wii U Virtual Console this week. The 3DS picks up a new puzzler, Picross E2. That's pretty much it for high profile releases, but then who wants to follow Earthbound?
Portabliss: Kid Icarus Of Myths and Monsters
Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in, with our Portabliss column. In each installment, we'll tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: Tumble Pop. Kid Icarus and Metroid are inextricably linked in their early history. The two NES games came out in parallel, as silver-boxed "Password Paks" in the US, and both were produced by the late Gunpei Yokoi. Also thanks to Yokoi, both saw sequels on the Game Boy that maintained the basic gameplay of the original in portable form. For Metroid 2, that meant isolation and exploration. For Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, which has joined it on the 3DS Virtual Console, it means "really weird and difficult."In other words, this Game Boy game is really only recommended to people who have played the NES game and therefore know what they're getting into. Virtually every element that made the NES game such an anomaly are present here, including rooms full of flying monsters or tiles that attack you in large numbers; reapers who freak the hell out and send little flying versions of themselves after you; maze-like ending levels to each world; and eggplants.
Kid Icarus Uprising review: Uplifting
Kid Icarus: Uprising for 3DS is more than the return of a long-dormant Nintendo franchise; it's effectively the birth of a new franchise that feels nothing like anything else in Nintendo's lineup. It's fresh, exciting, funny, and has the ability to be customized deeply to the player's interest and comfort level.It is, in short, an excellent game. And it's one I almost didn't bother to play, because -- to put it charitably -- its controls are a barrier to entry that is uncharacteristic for Nintendo. To put it bluntly, the controls are uncomfortable and hard to get used to. Nintendo is aware of this, hence the stand. I was fully ready to write the game off based on the controls, if only it weren't so consistently awesome in every other way.%Gallery-145129%
3D Classics Kid Icarus is a pre-order bonus for Uprising
Nintendo of America has finally revealed at least one way for North Americans to get their hands on the 3D Classics remake of the NES Kid Icarus: by pre-ordering Kid Icarus: Uprising. Nintendo reported today that the download code will be delivered along with pickup of the game, from "select retailers." In other parts of the world, the eShop download was given out as a freebie with registration of two qualifying 3DS games on Club Nintendo, and then offered separately for sale later.
Kid Icarus: Uprising flies too close to the 3DS, gets bundled with a stand
D'ya know what'd make up for a nineteen-year wait? Well, Project Sora thinks the answer is a plastic peripheral. Yes the long, long awaited Kid Icarus: Uprising looks like it'll be bundled with an official "Nintendo 3DS Stand," according to a tweet by the game's maker. It's no doubt a practical addition, as those analog-plus-touchscreen controls look like they'd make your arms tired -- which is probably what got Icarus in trouble in the first place. No word on price for the goods at this time or even if it'll travel across the pacific, but we're keeping our primary feathers crossed. Update: We've gotten word that the stand will only be available in the bundle, at least for now. We'll let you know if we hear otherwise, but don't hold your breath for a standalone purchase option.
There's another, more familiar Kid Icarus coming to 3DS [update: Free in Europe!]
What's that? You say you want Kid Icarus but you don't want any of that newfangled 3D? Well, according to Australia's Classification Board, your wish has been granted sort of. The site has posted a rating for the original Kid Icarus as a 3D Classic for the 3DS. There's no telling how much of a 3D makeover Pit will receive – or when it will be released, for that matter – but at least those yearning for the (super difficult) classic will have a chance to run from Death once again. Update: Nintendo has officially revealed that Kid Icarus will be offered as a free download in Europe for registering two qualifying 3DS titles with Club Nintendo. Details here.
Kid Icarus: Uprising multiplayer preview: Pitted against friends
For the second E3 in a row, Nintendo wowed E3-goers on stage with a presentation of Kid Icarus: Uprising. That's a nice way of saying the game still isn't out, in case you didn't pick up on that subtlety. This year, however, Nintendo did have playable demos in both single- and multiplayer. Wait, multiplayer? It's true! The 3DS update to the classic franchise includes a multiplayer mode that takes the ground-based parts of the single-player game and turns them into a competitive sport.%Gallery-125667%
Nintendo 3DS in-depth preview, slight return (update: more videos!)
Immediately following its big 3DS price and release date unveiling, Nintendo had on hand dozens of new titles playing on what we'd surmise is final hardware (or at least near-final, given its February 27th Japanese launch). Our first hands-on experience was just over six months ago during E3, at which point we were very impressed with what we saw. Did this playthrough garner the same excitement? Have our decidedly older but not much wiser selves become jaded by the novelty of it all? Venture on after the break to find out. %Gallery-114669% %Gallery-114714%
Sakurai on how he's preventing Kid Icarus: Uprising from causing eye strain
In a GamesMaster interview (the same one during which he revealed tentative plans for online play), Kid Icarus: Uprising producer Masahiro Sakurai discussed strategies for preventing 3DS users from ruining their eyes. "In my experience of development and actually using it," he said, "when you have a lot of objects flying towards the user I find that it's more likely to cause eye strain so during development I'm using objects moving away from the user which doesn't have that effect." It sounds like the 3D effects will be most notable for Pit's arrows and projectiles, then, rather than things being flung at the winged hero. The path of those projectiles is also noteworthy, according to Sakurai: "In standard shooters or FPS games you see the bullet travel to its destination and it's just a dot because it travels in a straight line," Sakurai explained. "But because of 3D technology you can use arcing shots and get a sense of a bullet travelling with real depth." Sakurai also mentioned that he had an indirect role in the system's development. "Early on, Nintendo were soliciting lots of feedback from within the company and from me. And I had very specific requests from Mr. Iwata in regard to what my ideal picture of the device was, etc." He didn't say what his specific recommendations were, but he did subsequently call the combination of the touch screen and the Slide Panel "very important" for 3D games.%Gallery-95653%
Project Sora 'testing' online multiplayer for Kid Icarus: Uprising
According to a GamesMaster interview with Project Sora head Masahiro Sakurai (excerpted by ONM) 3DS flagship title Kid Icarus: Uprising might feature Kids Icarus, plural. "The online capabilities are currently being tested," Sakurai said. "There could be some versus play but we can't go into any detail. There are a lot of capabilities that expand on what was in the DS that people are taking advantage of." If anyone's going to make a 3DS online game happen, it's Sakurai, one of the few Nintendo developers to make an online game (Super Smash Bros. Brawl). But how would a versus mode work in an on-rails shooter -- score competitions? %Gallery-95653%
Masahiro Sakurai explains Kid Icarus' uprising on 3DS
Speaking to Techland, Kid Icarus: Uprising producer Masahiro Sakurai described how the new 3DS franchise revival came about. Essentially, all of the distinguishing characteristics of the game came into the picture separately. First, Sakurai decided that he wanted to make a shooting game for Nintendo's new handheld, which he knew would be more powerful than the DS. Then, according to Sakurai, "Mr. Iwata said, 'Maybe you might like to do some Nintendo franchise,' and I felt that if the match was good, then there's definitely room for that." Sakurai was thinking Star Fox, but "the game design incorporates a lot of different views; for example, flying and shooting sideways, or turning around and shooting behind -- and I felt that there were some restrictions with Star Fox in this regard." (Of course, Star Fox ended up on 3DS anyway.) It was only after coming up with the game concept that Sakurai learned of the 3D screen, and "quite by chance or luck, [Nintendo] found that to be a very good match with the gameplay idea." Sakurai also proved that he's basically as clueless as the rest of us about the renewed popularity of Pit, the protagonist of an inscrutable NES game about shooting mice, collecting hammers and being turned into an eggplant. "I think -- and you can recognize this from the original game, too -- that he has sort of this carefree, worry-free sort of air about him, and that, I think, provides a positive outlook for the player and relieves some of the stress that you get from more serious games." %Gallery-95653%
Kid Icarus Uprising trailer unfortunately isn't in 3D
Here's the unfair thing about the Kid Icarus Uprising trailer that we've posted after the break -- we got to see it running on a 3DS (in 3D) just yesterday, so we're pretty bored with all these silly two dimensional videos running on our computers. Sure, the game looks purty and features some pretty massive environments (especially considering it's a portable game), but it's not exactly running in brain-melting 3D. Oh, and if the model for Pit looks familiar, that's probably because it's nearly identical to his appearance in 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In case you were wondering, that's a good thing, folks. %Gallery-95653%
Kid Icarus: Uprising announced for 3DS
You remember Kid Icarus in Smash Bros. Brawl? That's what Kid Icarus looks like in his new game, Kid Icarus Uprising for the 3DS. Seriously, we were straight up shocked at how impressive the graphics are for a handheld title. Nintendo announced the title at this morning's presser as "Project Sora" before showing off the first trailer. We'll have more info (and the trailer) for you as soon as we can.
Nintendo's Sakamoto: No Wii Kid Icarus now, but possible
[VGMuseum] If there's a Kid Icarus reboot in the works somewhere at Nintendo, Metroid: Other M producer Yoshio Sakamoto, who worked on the original NES game, doesn't know anything about it. "I don't know personally about any project underway regarding Kid Icarus," Sakamoto told Kotaku, "but if so many of those people are interested in it and really want to see it on the Wii, they should really speak up." It's not as simple as making a Zelda game with flight, apparently (that's our guess for what people want in a Wii Kid Icarus game). Sakamoto suggested that Nintendo has yet to hit upon the right design. "If we can find some sort of way to bring it to the Wii; a way to make the game for the Wii that makes sense, we would happily do so," he said. "But just keep in mind it may not be me making the game."
Factor 5 shuts down US operations
Factor 5 officially announced the closure of its US operations recently, concluding a story that feels like it's been just out of reach for half a year. The developer had been having some rough times since the poignant failure of Lair. Following that, there was its falling out with Brash Entertainment (which led to layoffs), leaks of the Superman and Kid Icarus games, and, obviously, the closure of the studio.The bright side on this really dark tale is that Achim Moller, CEO of Factor 5 Germany, states the company has "partnered with both old and new friends in the industry who will reveal our upcoming projects over the next months." With E3 visible in the smog-filled distance, perhaps we'll learn what the German-based developer is up to soon.[Via Kotaku, Siliconera]
Reggie promises a better E3 from Nintendo this year ... again
Fresh off the announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks at GDC 2009, Nintendo of America head honcho Reggie Fils-Aime had some interesting things to say about Nintendo's plans for this year's E3. "From Nintendo's perspective, we always go into E3 with a very high bar wanting to satisfy not only the core fans but also ourselves," he told GameTrailers TV, teasing the reveal of a release date for the upcoming Zelda. "We haven't announced a launch date -- maybe we'll do that at E3."So, conclusive evidence of a brand new Kid Icarus game? Not quite. Though Keighley hammered "the Regginator" for details on what exactly Nintendo would be bringing to the "glamour and sizzle" fest of this year's E3, the exec kept mum, saying, "Everyone wants to know what we're going to announce at E3 and my answer is, come to E3 and you'll see." Guess we're waiting 'til June 2 like everyone else.[Via Play.tm]
Rumor: Early Factor 5 Kid Icarus model flies out
Early last year, we saw some potential concept art for a Wii Kid Icarus update from developer Factor 5. Today, NeoGAFfer Shiggy posted what may be an early character render from "late 2007/early 2008." We've included the original Famicom Disk System version's character art for comparison.This is about as tenuous a rumor as there could possibly be because: A) We don't know if the Factor 5 Kid Icarus game was ever real. B) We don't know if this image or the previous concept art was actually from that hypothetical game. C) Even if it was real at some point, the game is most certainly dead now, due to the state of Factor 5. We don't want to cast aspersions on Factor 5. They are responsible for true classics like the Turrican series, as well as recent favorites like the Rogue Squadron games. But we won't lament the early demise of this (probably fake) interpretation of Pit. After all, he's got Solid Snake hair circa-Metal Gear Solid and he's wearing a sort of Ryu Hayabusa ninja outfit. We could only imagine this game's story involving Pit getting infected with a techno-organic super-virus codenamed E.G.G.P.L.A.N.T.
