Post by Pilgrim John on Apr 6, 2006 18:30:50 GMT -5
KID ICARUS, for the Nintendo Entertainment System
****review by Pilgrim John
Back in the late 80's, when Bush's father was in office and Return of the Jedi was still the talk of the town, Gunpei Yokoi did something absolutely brilliant. Always pushing the envelope with invention, Yokoi-san created a game called Kid Icarus, a game filled with angels, demons, Greek mythological overtones, and epic battles.
Many gamers consider Kid Icarus to be one of the greatest neglected 8-bit wonders of the world, and any nay-saying was instantly vanquished by fans. Did the game really hold up that well over the past nearly 20 years?
(GRAPHICS)
Say what you want about 8-bit graphics--they hold a charm that newer, flashier-looking games can't hold a candle to. Icarus is no exception. Rocky terrain, marble flooring, cloudy textures, and stone statues in the background all add depth to the rustic, blocky environment. Main character Pit animates just as nicely as his foes. You'd expect an old game like this to get major slowdown when the screen fills with enemies, but you'd be dead wrong. Despite having over ten monsters swarm the screen, Icarus' graphics and speed are top notch and survive the unforgiving test of time.
(GAMEPLAY)
As with many NES games, Kid Icarus' gameplay mechanics usually have something to do with jumping platform to platform. However, in an odd twist, the screen doesn't scroll left or right (at least not in the first few levels). Instead, it's able to go up and down. The level design itself is as treacherous and entertaining as they come: small ledges, icey bridges, sword traps, prickly demonweed lining the walls, and how can I forget the enemies?
Over 20 different monster types are present, each of which are terrors that young warrior Pit must bring down with extreme prejudice. Floating eyeballs rush at you from above, snakes commonly drop from the ceiling, abominable snowmen give chase, and strange insectlike monsters will steal precious powerups. The two most memorable normal nonboss monsters are (predictably) The Reaper and the Eggplant Wizard. Reaper will stride to and fro, creepily keeping watch on his surroundings; as soon as he detects the living, he calls forth the Death Worms who decend on you like kids on ice cream trucks. The Eggplant Wizard is perhaps the most dangerous of all, with the ability to completely strip you of any and all defenses and attacks. When he curses you, you can only trek back to a Hospital Room to change back. Be sure to remember where those are.
Doors during levels can lead you to many things, such as traps, "Find the Useful Item" minigames, shops (with absurdly priced baubles), and harsh training rooms that will reward your courage with a powerup. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled.
Every few levels or so, Pit will end up in a long, winding dungeon, where the gameplay shifts dramatically. Instead of a "get-to-the-end" straight-ahead map, you are placed in a Metroidian castle where your only hope of survival is sharp wit. Using hammers on the statues here will release angels that aid you in the boss encounters. With their help, the boss fights ought to be easier (if only by a tiny bit). Grab your map, a Pencil, and a Torch and be ready for some of the most intense dungeon crawling in an NES game.
And now, the problems. The jumping is pretty loose. Maybe Mario has spoiled me, but tight jumping controls are quite the necessity in this kind of game. I can't count the number of times Pit has slipped off the edge of a cliff due to somewhat slippery controls. The collision detection is also a bit of problem as well: for example, standing NEXT to a sword trap as the blade comes down will result in Pit taking damage anyway. The hearts that monsters will leave behind are vital to afford useful powerups, but sometimes Pit will touch one and not pick it up. I have no idea why this happens, but it does.
And the passwords... Eesh. They may have been convenient in the past, but game saves have spoiled us since then. Just be sure to bring along a notepad and pencil while you're playing the game.
(STORY)
Pit is a human who was abandoned as a baby and was adopted by angels. However, he was referred to by many of the angels as an "Icarus", or a human who masquerades as an angel, so he was always feeling a little left out. One day, however, Angel Land was suddenly attacked and conquered by the wicked Medusa, who encased the angels in stone to decorate her castles. As for Pit, Medusa considered him a worthless mortal and tossed him down into Hades, where the game begins. The quest of Pit's life leads him to collect three legendary treasures to take on Medusa and her hellish hordes (Sounds like a rock band). Good luck!
(MUSIC/SOUND)
Another perk to the game is the sounds. Pit squeakingas he's hurt kind of diminishes the badass side of him that he shows off later in the game, but it's still worth a chuckle. The levels have interesting scores written by the legendary Hip Tanaka, so you know your ears are in for a chipset treat.
(OVERALL)
Kid Icarus is a fantastic game despite the fact that it's nearly 20 years old and its gameplay is a bit rough around the edges (especially compared to modern games). Do you have a copy? If not, rush out to Gamecrazy or amazon.com to order yourself one and enjoy this awesome piece of Nintendo history.
(GOOD)
*Splendid graphics for its time
*Catchy musical tracks
*Very challenging. Keep 'em coming!
*The Eggplant Wizard!
*A pretty well-written story for an NES game
*By the end of the game, Pit will have this badass edge to him that God of War's Kratos has nightmares about
(BAD)
*Collision detection is iffy
*Passwords. Who needs 'em?
SCORE: 9.0/10
Nintendo's museum is filled to the brim with classics like this one. What the heck are you waiting for???
****review by Pilgrim John
Back in the late 80's, when Bush's father was in office and Return of the Jedi was still the talk of the town, Gunpei Yokoi did something absolutely brilliant. Always pushing the envelope with invention, Yokoi-san created a game called Kid Icarus, a game filled with angels, demons, Greek mythological overtones, and epic battles.
Many gamers consider Kid Icarus to be one of the greatest neglected 8-bit wonders of the world, and any nay-saying was instantly vanquished by fans. Did the game really hold up that well over the past nearly 20 years?
(GRAPHICS)
Say what you want about 8-bit graphics--they hold a charm that newer, flashier-looking games can't hold a candle to. Icarus is no exception. Rocky terrain, marble flooring, cloudy textures, and stone statues in the background all add depth to the rustic, blocky environment. Main character Pit animates just as nicely as his foes. You'd expect an old game like this to get major slowdown when the screen fills with enemies, but you'd be dead wrong. Despite having over ten monsters swarm the screen, Icarus' graphics and speed are top notch and survive the unforgiving test of time.
(GAMEPLAY)
As with many NES games, Kid Icarus' gameplay mechanics usually have something to do with jumping platform to platform. However, in an odd twist, the screen doesn't scroll left or right (at least not in the first few levels). Instead, it's able to go up and down. The level design itself is as treacherous and entertaining as they come: small ledges, icey bridges, sword traps, prickly demonweed lining the walls, and how can I forget the enemies?
Over 20 different monster types are present, each of which are terrors that young warrior Pit must bring down with extreme prejudice. Floating eyeballs rush at you from above, snakes commonly drop from the ceiling, abominable snowmen give chase, and strange insectlike monsters will steal precious powerups. The two most memorable normal nonboss monsters are (predictably) The Reaper and the Eggplant Wizard. Reaper will stride to and fro, creepily keeping watch on his surroundings; as soon as he detects the living, he calls forth the Death Worms who decend on you like kids on ice cream trucks. The Eggplant Wizard is perhaps the most dangerous of all, with the ability to completely strip you of any and all defenses and attacks. When he curses you, you can only trek back to a Hospital Room to change back. Be sure to remember where those are.
Doors during levels can lead you to many things, such as traps, "Find the Useful Item" minigames, shops (with absurdly priced baubles), and harsh training rooms that will reward your courage with a powerup. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled.
Every few levels or so, Pit will end up in a long, winding dungeon, where the gameplay shifts dramatically. Instead of a "get-to-the-end" straight-ahead map, you are placed in a Metroidian castle where your only hope of survival is sharp wit. Using hammers on the statues here will release angels that aid you in the boss encounters. With their help, the boss fights ought to be easier (if only by a tiny bit). Grab your map, a Pencil, and a Torch and be ready for some of the most intense dungeon crawling in an NES game.
And now, the problems. The jumping is pretty loose. Maybe Mario has spoiled me, but tight jumping controls are quite the necessity in this kind of game. I can't count the number of times Pit has slipped off the edge of a cliff due to somewhat slippery controls. The collision detection is also a bit of problem as well: for example, standing NEXT to a sword trap as the blade comes down will result in Pit taking damage anyway. The hearts that monsters will leave behind are vital to afford useful powerups, but sometimes Pit will touch one and not pick it up. I have no idea why this happens, but it does.
And the passwords... Eesh. They may have been convenient in the past, but game saves have spoiled us since then. Just be sure to bring along a notepad and pencil while you're playing the game.
(STORY)
Pit is a human who was abandoned as a baby and was adopted by angels. However, he was referred to by many of the angels as an "Icarus", or a human who masquerades as an angel, so he was always feeling a little left out. One day, however, Angel Land was suddenly attacked and conquered by the wicked Medusa, who encased the angels in stone to decorate her castles. As for Pit, Medusa considered him a worthless mortal and tossed him down into Hades, where the game begins. The quest of Pit's life leads him to collect three legendary treasures to take on Medusa and her hellish hordes (Sounds like a rock band). Good luck!
(MUSIC/SOUND)
Another perk to the game is the sounds. Pit squeakingas he's hurt kind of diminishes the badass side of him that he shows off later in the game, but it's still worth a chuckle. The levels have interesting scores written by the legendary Hip Tanaka, so you know your ears are in for a chipset treat.
(OVERALL)
Kid Icarus is a fantastic game despite the fact that it's nearly 20 years old and its gameplay is a bit rough around the edges (especially compared to modern games). Do you have a copy? If not, rush out to Gamecrazy or amazon.com to order yourself one and enjoy this awesome piece of Nintendo history.
(GOOD)
*Splendid graphics for its time
*Catchy musical tracks
*Very challenging. Keep 'em coming!
*The Eggplant Wizard!
*A pretty well-written story for an NES game
*By the end of the game, Pit will have this badass edge to him that God of War's Kratos has nightmares about
(BAD)
*Collision detection is iffy
*Passwords. Who needs 'em?
SCORE: 9.0/10
Nintendo's museum is filled to the brim with classics like this one. What the heck are you waiting for???
