Kid Icarus (game)
- "Kid Icarus" redirects here, for other uses see Kid Icarus (disambiguation)
Kid Icarus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
光神話 パルテナの鏡 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hikari Shinwa: Palthena no Kagami | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kid Icarus, known in Japan as Light Mythology: Palutena's Mirror (光神話 パルテナの鏡 Hikari Shinwa Parutena no Kagami), is a video game released for the Famicom in 1986, and the NES in 1987. It features Pit, the main protagonist of the series. Kid Icarus had two successors, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, and Kid Icarus: Uprising. Kid Icarus re-released on multiple Nintendo consoles and also has a 3DS Remake, 3D Classics: Kid Icarus. Much like Metroid, the game featured saving through the use of passwords. It was directed by Satoru Okada.
Plot
There once existed a land where man and gods coexisted peacefully. This place was known as Angel Land. This land was ruled by two beautiful goddesses: Palutena, the Goddess of Light and Medusa, the Goddess of Darkness. While Palutena loved the mortals and helped them cultivate their crops, Medusa despised them. In her hatred for them, she destroyed the crops that the mortals toiled to grow, and turned humans into stone. Enraged, Palutena turned Medusa into a hideous monster and banished her into the Underworld.
Medusa would not go quietly, however. She began building an army of demons and monsters. With this army, she broke out of the Underworld and waged war against Palutena's army. The latter's army suffered many casualties and Palutena herself was imprisoned in the Palace in the Sky.
Medusa’s army also killed off most of Palutena’s angel followers, leaving only a young angel named Pit because he lacked the ability to fly. Using the last of her power, Palutena granted Pit a magical Bow and entrusted him with the duty of defeating Medusa and saving Angel Land. To do this, however, Pit would have to reclaim the Three Sacred Treasures. These sacred items rightfully belonged to Palutena, but Medusa stole them and gave them to her three most powerful minions. Pit would have to escape the Underworld, which would prove easy since most of Medusa's forces were in the Palace in the Sky. Pit must also travel through two other realms, the Overworld and the Skyworld, before reaching the Palace in the Sky.
The game also has five different endings, depending on how well the player did throughout the game. In the NES version, the "worst" ending has Pit rewarded only a helmet, while in the "best" ending, he becomes an adult and receives a kiss from Palutena. In the Famicom version, Pit is turned into a Specknose for the "worst" ending, and becomes a grownup in the "best" ending, but does not receive a kiss from Palutena.
Gameplay
Kid Icarus is a side-scrolling platformer, though the last stage undergoes a genre shift and becomes a side-scrolling shooter, with a small looping twist.
Pit's arrows have only a short range and he has a jump height of about three times his height; despite having wings, he cannot fly naturally. He can crouch to avoid enemies and even move while crouching at the same speed. However, there are many platforms, such as ice and clouds, that Pit will fall through should he crouch while standing on them. Being damaged will result in a small amount of knockback and very brief invulnerability (even less so when standing on a damage tile, such as lava). Pit can walk behind certain objects, such as pillars and plants, but this won't protect him from being damaged by an enemy.
Pit starts off with one block of health that contains 7 Hit Points. He can earn more blocks, each of which contain 8 additional HP, upon reaching certain score values:
- Level 2: 20,000
- Level 3: 50,000
- Level 4: 100,000
- Level 5: 200,000
All weapons require Pit to be at a certain "experience level" in order for them to activate, and have full health for that bar, so a high score is a must. The first weapon (after being obtained) activates when Pit reaches two bars, the second weapon requires three, and the third weapon needs a total of four full health bars to activate. Once activated, a weapon stays active even if Pit should fall below the required health level needed to activate it.
Pit's mission will take him through four worlds, each with four stages culminating in an intimidating Fortress. Here, Pit must defeat the guardian and obtain the Sacred Treasure. In the last area, Pit must fly through the remaining forces of Medusa. After defeating Medusa, Pit will restart the game at level 1-1; however, his score, weapons, hearts, level, strength, and Credit Card debt all remain intact, making the next playthrough much easier (especially since the Sacred Chamber in 1-1 will now likely grant Pit a strength upgrade if he's not already at 5). However, any password for 1-1 will override Pit's status and restart the game as though it were a new one. Therefore, players should proceed to 1-2 before acquiring the password.
Rooms
Pit's quest will allow him to explore many chambers. Once Pit leaves a room it's forever sealed, with the exception of Fortress rooms. They include:
Items
Pit has a variety of items at his disposal. Some are earned in Sacred Training Chambers, others discovered in Treasure Chambers, others must be bought with Hearts in a variety of Stores.
Regular Items
Fortress Items
Fortress items disappear when Pit leaves the Fortress that they were found in.
Recovery Items
Weapons
Pit's weapons do not necessarily activate when obtained; they require him to reach a certain level of health before they'll activate automatically (which in turn requires him to increase his level; see the Gameplay section above). Pit must reach 15 HP to activate the first weapon he picks up. The second weapon requires 23 Hit Points, the third demands 31.
Enemies
Pit will encounter a vast variety of monsters in his quest, including Fortress guardians protecting the Sacred Casket.
Underworld
Overworld
Skyworld
Palace in the Sky
All Areas
Passwords
Kid Icarus uses a password system in the non-Japanese versions of the game. Every time Pit gets a game over, a code, called "Sacred Words" appear. Plugging this code into the continue screen will allow the player to return to the level they were in, along with any Hearts and items they've collected and life lost or gained in the level. Certain passwords also bestow Pit with power-ups. Below is a list of passwords that aren't affected by the player's progression and what they do. To make differentiating them easier, Os are underlined and zeros are not.
Password | Effect |
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0000aC 10v000 O50000 0004Yw |
Start Stage 1-2 without items gained in the level |
0000Cq 30r200 m60000 100820 |
Start Stage 1-3 without items gained in the level |
0000KP 50y300 E30004 1000Jk |
Start Stage 1-4 without items gained in the level |
0000uE D0!100 u00008 H000Kb |
Start Stage 2-1 without items gained in the level |
C0G00Q G0v500 kO0008 I004af |
Start Stage 2-2 without items gained in the level |
C0W0C? K0e300 ET0008 I0084Z |
Start Stage 2-3 without items gained in the level |
CaW0qv P0w300 MV000C I000rS |
Start Stage 2-4 without items gained in the level |
CaW04L b0P300 O3000C I100sw |
Start Stage 3-1 without items gained in the level |
CeW0qB d0j400 O3000C J104s7 |
Start Stage 3-2 without items gained in the level |
EeW1yw h08300 u2000C J1086j |
Start Stage 3-3 without items gained in the level |
EeW10S m0K000 M3001C J100tk |
Start Stage 3-4 without items gained in the level |
EeW14O y04000 O3000G J5008a |
Start Stage 4-1 without items gained in the level |
??? | Start Stage 1-1 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
6eW3!! !!!!00 F38W!H C0042N |
Start Stage 1-2 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
??? | Start Stage 1-3 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
0000eu 60j700 uG0004 1000J0 |
Start Stage 1-4 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
000ys T0J300 m2001C H000aS |
Start Stage 2-1 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
??? | Start Stage 2-2 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
??? | Start Stage 2-3 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
00008C i04400 mIG01D I0005F |
Start Stage 2-4 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
0000mu w0K200 O3G00H I100s5 |
Start Stage 3-1 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
??? | Start Stage 3-2 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
ICARUS ANDTHE ARROWS FLYING |
Start Stage 3-3 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
0000y0 11X200 u0G00H I100t0 |
Start Stage 3-4 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
00008p 414100 O3G00H I500eB |
Start Stage 4-1 with maxed strength, Hearts, and items |
8uuuuu uuuuuu uuuuuu uuuuuu |
Start game with infinite Waters of Life |
PAKING PAKING PAKING PAKING |
Start game with everything |
ICARUS FIGHTS MEDUSA ANGELS |
Start game with invincibility |
KidKid Icarus KidKid Icarus |
Start Stage 4-1 with invincibility |
DANGER !!!!!! TERROR HORROR |
Start Stage 4-1 with invincibility |
AuW2e5 XcdF00 mt000G K50Wuu |
Start Stage 4-1 with max points |
FGHIJK LMNOPQ RSTUVW XYZTOM |
Start Stage 4-1 with all upgrades |
DUVANS MAMMOR KOMMER BORTOT |
Start Stage 4-1 with invincibility and fully upgraded arrows |
Differences Between the Nintendo Entertainment System and Famicom Disk System Versions
- Due to the FDS's advanced soundfont, most of the music and sound effects are more enhanced compared to the NES version.
- There is a file select and naming system similar to that of The Legend of Zelda.
- Medusa isn't seen in humanoid form after her defeat in the FDS version; the eye simply vanishes, and Pit walks into the opening.
- The worst ending in the FDS version features Pit being turned into a Specknose for taking too long to rescue Palutena instead of being turned into a farmer. Likewise, the best ending in the NES version (where Pit becomes a full-grown angel and receives a kiss from Palutena) is removed. In its place is the second-best ending from the NES version, where Pit simply becomes a full-grown angel.
- There are no credits in the FDS version, and the background for the ending is stark-black instead of a temple setting.
- On a related note, the ending in the FDS version is a static screen, whereas the NES version's ending is fully animated.
- The haggling system is altered; someone must shout into the microphone on the Famicom's second controller, instead of pressing A and B on the NES's second controller.
Trivia
Mythology
The universe of Kid Icarus borrows heavily from Greco-Roman mythology, as is evidenced by the items, monsters, and characters within. The story itself is (very) loosely based on the legend of Perseus, a human youth who made the dangerous boast of being able to kill Medusa. Aided by Athena, and a few fetch-quests to obtain powerful magic items later (Mirror Shield included), he finally slew her.
The appellation "Icarus" is from a story of a separate youth, the titular son of the famous inventor and genius Daedalus. While kept prisoner, Daedalus created set of human-sized wings, crafted from wooden straps with bird feathers stuck to the frame by wax. Icarus borrowed the wing frame and flew high into the sky, over the seas. Though Daedalus warned his son not to fly too high to the sun, Icarus disobeyed him and kept flying higher. The intense heat from the sun melted the wax binding the feathers to the frame and Icarus fell, dashing himself upon the ocean and dying instantly.
Metroid
Kid Icarus was released on the same month as Metroid in North America and functions on the same game engine. Kid Icarus even includes an enemy from Metroid, a Komayto which is said to have come from another planet. Unlike Kid Icarus, the Metroid series has been highly successful, with several sequels on many different consoles.
External Links
Kid Icarus series | |
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Main Series | Kid Icarus • Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters • Kid Icarus: Uprising |
Remakes | 3D Classics: Kid Icarus |
Related Games | Super Smash Bros. Brawl • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate |
Related Media | Captain N: The Game Master • Kid Icarus 3D Anime |
Key People | Toru Osawa • Yoshio Sakamoto • Masahiro Sakurai • Hirokazu Tanaka • Gunpei Yokoi |