Kid Icarus: Uprising Review for Nintendo 3DS

System: 3DS
Dev: Project Sora
Pub: Nintendo
Release: March 23, 2012
Players: 1-6
Screen Resolution: N/A	Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes

Like the weaponry, the power-ups are numerous as well, but have fixed uses. Customizing your loadout before each mission is a side game in and of itself, as each power corresponds to a Tetris-like shape (despite Pit claiming it being more like the Nintendo-owned Dr. Mario), which fills a square grid. Making the most out of your power set and stuffing every gap in the grid are essential for maximizing success as you journey on.

Kid Icarus: Uprising Screenshot

Other extras include a Treasure Hunt, which gives you a grid of 120 squares. These squares can be eliminated by completing certain conditions (the game's own version of the Trophy or Achievement system), but success also grants rewards like hearts, weapons, and idols. Idols are the collectibles of the game, each presented with an individual description and an adjustable perspective to scrutinize at your leisure. There is also an extra side game called Idol Toss, which allows you to place up to five eggs in a pan to increase the success rate of discovering a new idol. If you have no eggs to spare, you can spend Play Coins (a 3DS currency gained by walking with the system in sleep mode) to produce an egg. It's simple, but it's yet another substantive piece of content in the game and another good use of the system's built-in software.

Multiplayer is the final point of praise in this already jam-packed adventure. Like many of the other features, it is simple, lacking the depth and customization you'd find in current console shooters, but it still provides a means to showcase your skills against friends or unknown players around the globe. There are only two modes, free-for-all and Light vs. Dark, the latter being the most interesting. In this mode, you and two other players will team up against another trio, with each team sharing life bar. The player who depletes the gauge with a death then becomes an angel, the target the other team must destroy in order to claim victory. The action plays significantly different than the single-player mode, and the weapon rewards and hearts make victory or failure a worthwhile venture.

It's hard to find much to complain about in Kid Icarus: Uprising. The game looks and sounds very good, but the pixels are extremely noticeable and the music score, while rekindling some classic themes, lacks a certain epic quality. However, with so much packed into this highly touted adventure, the cartridge's forty-dollar price point will no doubt be deemed money well-spent.

By
Sean Engemann
Contributing Writer

@CardCanuck
Date: March 26, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.2

Graphics
For the size of the adventure crammed in, the graphics hold up well. The 3D is still easy on the eyes, even with the frenetic action.

3.7

Control
If you have a Circle Pad Pro, it's rather smooth, with simple but effective attacks. However, the stylus-on-touchscreen method is a pain, literally.

4.2

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Plenty of voiced dialogue, delivered well but bordering on overuse. The music is nice, just not phenomenal.

5.0

Play Value
There's so much crammed into this game that I could have expounded with a review twice as long. Just go discover all the goodies for yourself.

4.3

Overall Rating - Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Designed by Masahiro Sakurai - creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros. - Kid Icarus: Uprising features a vividly redesigned game world and a new look for Pit and other returning characters.

While Pit is battling in the air, the action unfolds like a dynamic guided shooter. Yet when he's facing enemies on land, it handles like a third-person shooter. Throughout the sprawling adventure, players gather numerous distinctive weapons and collect treasures.

Beyond the deep single-player adventure, Kid Icarus: Uprising also offers a thrilling and unique take on multiplayer battles. Two teams battle against each other, whittling away their point totals as each team member is defeated. When one team loses all its points, the last member defeated is revived as the powerful Angel Pit. If the other team can track him down and defeat him, they will win the match, introducing a new ebb-and-flow dynamic to multiplayer battles.

The game includes AR Card compatibility. Using the built-in 3D camera on the Nintendo 3DS system, the game recognizes countless specially designed AR Cards, with animated game characters popping up in 3D on the game screen and even battling each other when two cards face off.