Game Debate #109: Kid Icarus

[Reed Rothchild | 9,526]

[Lynda Monica | 350]

Kid Icarus is my favourite NES game, and one of my all time favourite games. There's a lot of learning that needs to be done before you can get the most out of the game, and I don't blame anyone for not sticking with it long enough to fully understand it. It's a tough sell to modern audiences, but once you start going for best ending playthroughs, Kid Icarus becomes a really wonderful game.

One of my favourites, but I'm accustomed to hearing bad things about it. It's certainly not newcomer friendly, that's for sure. I adore the game to bits and I think it's excellent in all aspects, yet I'm also not quick to rush to its defense. It's a very old game with very old mentalities.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Lynda Monica

[Webhead123 | 675]

I rented this one a couple of times as a kid. I was always intrigued by the uniqueness of the game, although I was never able to get very far. For better or worse, there really isn't another game quite like it on the NES, especially in the early years. That said, it really served as little more than a curiosity for me and even though I have returned to it every couple of years to futz about for a few minutes, I can't say that I've ever been truly compelled to see the game through to its end.

5/10

[MagusSmurf | 577]

I remember the game starting out fairly hard out the gate, generally got outright easier as it went along, I think had weird bonus rooms with dumb "go check an FAQ for the best rewards" mechanics or something, those annoying eggplant status effect dudes in the fortresses where I had to keep backtracking to fix it, and a final level that was nothing like the rest of the game other than it fitting the difficulty curve by being the easiest part in the entire thing. And the gameplay just never felt that good.

Edited July 7, 2022 by MagusSmurf

[Sumez | 2,950]

As a kid I never realised the game had more than one stage

[Dr. Morbis | 2,088]

I think they went with the vertical levels first, which are significantly harder, so it wouldn't look like a Mario rip off, and that's what killed it: non-stop bottomless pits right out of the gate.  The dungeons are cool, and the second world - since it's horizontally scrolling - is child's play compared to the first; but much like sumez said, when I was a kid I didn't even know if it had more than one stage, because I never got through the first level...

[RH | 4,903]

All I know is I found Pit to be a tad annoying in Captain N, but the game seemed pretty cool.  The fact that it's a silver box helps too.  Can't go wrong looking like Metroid in that way.

[twiztor | 851]

i had rented this a couple times as a kid, and as others have mentioned, never made it past World 1 and just generally didn't "get" it.

one of my quarantine resolutions was to play through more games, and Kid Icarus was on that list. i played through using save states (usually that is against my rules) but i was more interested in this as a curiosity than a potential great game. I enjoyed it quite a bit more, especially the dungeon stages, but i think the gameplay never hits the highs of the concepts. 

rated it a 4. it has some merit, but so many games are so much better than this. hard to recommend or even go back to.

[TDIRunner | 2,737]

I never got into this game as a kid.  I remember seeing it at the rental store all the time, but for whatever reason, we never rented it.  

[docile tapeworm | 4,198]

Game suuuuuuucks. I played the gameboy version a little bit. But ballon kid is the better kid wwwwwwooooooooo!

[glazball | 169]

One of my favorite NES titles.  The silver box games represented a giant leap forward on the NES at the time.  Though I remember a fit of rage or two when a thief would steal and item or an Eggplant Wizard turned me into a helpless vegetable, I loved it.  Still love it today.

[Skorp | 383]

One of those NES games never got a chance to play. Definitely will try it this weekend on the Powerpak.

[Johnny Nunchucks | 15]

I did enjoy playing through Kid Icarus...I don't think it's a bad game, but I'm also in no rush to play through it again.
I would hesitate to recommend it because I don't think it has aged well.
5/10 here.

[Nintegageo | 582]

8. I honestly didn't think it was that tough a game.

[fox | 1,667]

I've tried to several times over the years and it just never clicks.  Obtuse design, lopsided difficulty, janky gameplay.  Not the worst, but this is one of the rare times when a first party Nintendo title really missed the mark.

[AstralSoul | 502]

This is one of those games I really want to like more than I actually do. For years I played it with no idea what I was doing outside of simple platforming and I hated it. Years later I looked up the finer details of the game and understood it more. So now I slightly like it, but I still don't think it's great. 6/10

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I put an 8 but debated a bit on a 7, again wishing I had 1/2 point choices.

The game itself is quite good, easy enough to recommend for the most part, but that's the issue, the most part.  It's brutal, and not just the easier to get used to vertical stages where former platforms that scale off are now instant death, but let's be honest, it's those damned labyrinths and those alone.  They're nasty, beyond nasty in places where you basically will take a hit unless you're a seasoned very repeat offender pro with the timed pokey spears etc.  But even beyond that, it's the crap they made fair in the GB sequel, the Eggplant Wizard's curse, you're screwed until you find the nurse (GB it's timed, not short, but is timed.)  Second to that the confusing setup on how the easily lost upgrade treasures work out and if you don't do X Y Z right you're done, not going to get those upgrades on specific stages.  Lots of failed attempts and luck, or using a guide will only figure that garbage out.

The game plays well, not too tight or floaty.  Great enemy selection, catchy fun music, solid abilities to aim/dodge/take shots too, and a nice little added strategy with the hammers (getting, using to get boss fight help.)  It's a game I find basically impossible to go back to due to the short comings other than to just screw around and play for a short stretch until I've had enough because of that.  That's why I was hung up, it's great, but also greatly problematic if you go in blind.

[mbd39 | 2,020]

As a kid I was always put off by the high initial frustration factor. I should give it another go someday.

 

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

I always liked this game. The first level worked on me as I initially was drawn to the vertical platforming even though it is unforgiving. I don't think I actually ever beat the game but I go far enough to feel satisfied before losing interest. I want to come back to it as I have it CIB now and give another try at beating it.

I like the game, I'd recommend the game, it's distinct and quirky enough to put time into it and feel rewarded once you get the game down. Definitely one of the better games the NES library has to offer. 8/10. 

[rdrunner | 422]

8/10 - Fun, top-tier NES classic that deserves a lot more sequels.  To people who think this game has not "aged well", modern games have spoiled you.

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

I gave it an 8 but I haven't played it in years.  Truly unique.

For some reason, Kid Icarus eluded me for a while and when I finally came across a copy it was $15.  I gladly paid but it was pretty steep at the time.

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

22 hours ago, Lynda Monica said:

one of my all time favourite games.

How did you only give it an 8?

 

22 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

10/10 - One of your very favorite games of all time.

 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,526]

Just now, JamesRobot said:

How did you only give it an 8?

@DarkTone gave his favorite game of all time a 9 

[Lynda Monica | 350]

57 minutes ago, JamesRobot said:

How did you only give it an 8?

Yeah, I know it's weird. XD

I gave it an 8 because I thought the description fit a little better. It IS one of my all time favourite games, but I'd be in denial to say it has no flaws. I gave it an 8 because "I like to recommend it" seems like the most accurate way I'd talk about it to someone in person. I would hesitate to gush about it to someone offline, as there's a lot that could be argued against it. 

Favourite and highest rated don't really go hand in hand for me. Some of my favourite games aren't really the best.

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

4 minutes ago, Lynda Monica said:

Favourite and highest rated don't really go hand in hand for me. Some of my favourite games aren't really the best.

Ah but this thread is purely about personal preference.  Merely being technically "the best" doesn't cut the muster.

 

On 7/6/2022 at 9:29 PM, Reed Rothchild said:

Rate based on your own personal preferences, NOT historical significance 

 

Although certain titles I have a hard time separating historical significance from my experience of a game.  Sometimes you just had to be there.