Kid Icarus: Uprising

About the Game

Kid Icarus: Uprising is an action-adventure and shooter game developed by Project Sora under the direction of Masahiro Sakurai and published by Nintendo. It was released exclusively for Nintendo 3DS on March 23, 2012, marking the return of the Kid Icarus series after many years.

The protagonist is Pit, a young angel and warrior who serves Palutena, the goddess of light and protector of humanity. The story begins with the return of Medusa, Queen of the Underworld, who has gathered an army and launched an assault against humanity. Palutena sends Pit to confront Medusa and her forces.

The game's connection to Greek mythology is particularly strong, although it is not a direct adaptation of any ancient Greek myth. Medusa, Hades, Poseidon, Thanatos, and Pandora are among the mythological names and figures used throughout the game, alongside numerous creatures and concepts inspired by Greek mythology.

The story eventually develops far beyond the initial conflict with Medusa. Pit travels through different worlds and encounters new threats, gods, and mythical creatures, while the plot introduces new factions and characters. Greek mythology therefore serves primarily as the foundation for a large fantasy universe rather than as a historically accurate recreation of antiquity.

Gameplay combines aerial shooting with ground-based action combat. During aerial sections, Pit flies through predetermined routes while fighting enemies from a distance. Ground sections give him more freedom of movement, allowing him to fight enemies both at close range and from a distance. Nintendo describes the game as a combination of aerial action, ground combat, and major boss battles.

Pit has access to a wide variety of weapons, which form an important part of progression and strategy. There are nine different weapon categories, including bows and claws, each with different characteristics and uses. Players can collect and select different weapons according to their preferred playstyle and the challenges of each chapter.

One of the game's distinctive systems is the Fiend's Cauldron, which allows players to adjust the difficulty of each chapter between 0.0 and 9.0. Higher intensity makes enemies stronger and more aggressive while also increasing the potential rewards. This allows players to decide how challenging each individual chapter will be.

The game also features multiplayer for up to six players, with both local and online modes. Players can use their different weapons and abilities in competitive battles, while cooperative gameplay is also available.

The visual style of Kid Icarus: Uprising uses Greek mythology in a highly imaginative way. Its world is not intended to resemble historical ancient Greece; instead, it is a colorful fantasy universe where Greek gods, monsters, and mythological names coexist with fictional technology, flying machines, and characters created specifically for the series.

The title Icarus itself is a direct reference to the Greek myth of Icarus, although the protagonist Pit is not the mythological Icarus himself. The Kid Icarus series more broadly uses ideas associated with wings, angels, and Greek mythology as inspiration for its own fictional universe.

Kid Icarus: Uprising Trailer