Game Debate #109: Kid Icarus

[docile tapeworm | 4,204]

@JamesRobot the only reason I have a copy in my collection is because of its nostalgia personally. Never enjoyed the game but it was just always around…

Edited July 8, 2022 by docile tapeworm

[Brickman | 4,005]

I’ve never played it but have always been interested.

Seems like it’s a mixed bag with the rating. Some love it and others say meh. 

[RH | 4,936]

6 hours ago, docile tapeworm said:

@JamesRobot the only reason I have a copy in my collection is because of its nostalgia personally. Never enjoyed the game but it was just always around…

You know, I get this.  I had an adopted uncle (who was more like a cousin) that was around my age and he had this game.  I saw him play it a lot, but I never got into it.  I know many friends who had it too.

To me, this game is like the Mega Man series, although MM is obviously more prolific.  This was one of the games that was around, everyone had but me, and it seemed like a classic.  Because of that, I definitely wanted to pick up a copy just because it was part of the gaming scene, so to speak.

[Tanooki | 4,943]

Hah that's how I kind of am with Earthbound.  I don't hate it, I just don't love it, it's quite flawed despite the fanboy tool orgy over it for like 20 years now making irrational demands for this and that everytime some scrap of news, maybe an update, etc appears.  It's at best a middling RPG from the decade, might be generous there, but it's got those unique bits no one else replicated.  I'm just used to it being on my shelf it stays, though, price being asinine for years now is another as I'd hate to let it fly for another 5-10 years then get sticker shock too.  Kid Icarus kind of fits that mold, without the obscene costs, and honestly the copy I have now is the one I pulled the shrink wrap off of in the 80s.

[T-Pac | 7,577]

On 5/3/2020 at 2:58 PM, CasualCart said:

I finished Kid Icarus (NES) for the first time without using turbo-fire. I didn't realize there was a bad ending, though, and Palutena turned me into a farmer. Does anyone know what the in-game criteria is for the different endings?

-CasualCart

Surprisingly, I really like Kid Icarus, even though I tend to prefer entirely-linear games.

Like most of you, I couldn't get into it at first. But then I played the GameBoy sequel (Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters). It was a much more accessible introduction to how Kid Icarus works, and I learned to love the original when I revisited it later.

-CasualCart

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

On 7/7/2022 at 9:46 PM, rdrunner said:

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.

This right here. I didn't finish it until I was older, but I really enjoyed it. Solid 8/10.

[G-type | 2,496]

I think Kid Icarus had the potential to be a cool mascot franchise. I like the theme, and the music, and the overall feel. The alternating between vertical, horizontal, and fortress levels gives a nice variety.

but this game has a number of questionable design choices:

• Why is the main character's name Pit and not "Kid Icarus"?
• Putting your toughest levels at the beginning is really bad.  Once you get to the horizontal levels, the game becomes much easier!
• Making hearts money instead of health is just as bad as games that assigned jump to "B"
• experience points aren't distributed very well and level grinding becomes necessary at various points, usually by point farming those annoying little reaper birds.
• the eggplant curse is funny, but it should have just worn off after a period of time. Anytime dying is a preferable option to finding the hospital, that's poor design.
• Final level as a shmup that doesn't fit the game
• final boss you can just camp in a safe spot and win.

Edited July 11, 2022 by G-type

[DefaultGen | 5,422]

5/10. The only reason if hasn’t been forgotten to the abyss of mediocre early 8 bit platformers is the Nintendo logo on it. Forcing you to play slowly and grind currency in a platformer is dumb and it’s hard to think of many other games with a similarly bad mechanic. My ideal platformer is Ninja Gaiden or Adventure Island where you want to blast through the level as fast as possible and put all the bad guys behind you and Kid Icarus is basically the opposite. The production values are great but I’ve never once in my life said “Boy I want to play through Kid Icarus tonight”.

[wongojack | 220]

4 out of 10

Yeah, I tried to play this as a kid and as an adult, and it just isn't fun.  Too much death early on and too many instances where the non-existent game loop just begs you to turn it off and play something else.

On 7/11/2022 at 11:19 AM, DefaultGen said:

The only reason if hasn’t been forgotten to the abyss of mediocre early 8 bit platformers is the Nintendo logo on it. 

 

Edited June 5, 2023 by wongojack