Kid Icarus (series)

Kid Icarus[lower-alpha 1] is a media franchise of fantasy video games by Nintendo. The games are set in a fantasy world based on classical antiquity and Greek mythology, called "Angel Land". The gameplay consists of a mixture of action, adventure and platform elements. The Kid Icarus franchise is known as a cult classic and a sibling series to the Metroid franchise.

Kid Icarus
Genre(s)Platform
Developer(s)Nintendo R&D1 (1986-1991)
Tose (1991)
Project Sora (2012)
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Platform(s)Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Nintendo 3DS
First releaseKid Icarus
December 19, 1986
Latest releaseKid Icarus: Uprising
March 22, 2012

The first installment, Kid Icarus, was released in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and was received to critical acclaim despite poor sales. A sequel, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was later released for the Game Boy. After a 20-year hiatus, Kid Icarus: Uprising was released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS handheld.

History
Release timeline
1986Kid Icarus
1987–1990
1991Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
1992–2011
2012Kid Icarus: Uprising

After Nintendo's release of commercially successful platforming games in the 1980s, including Donkey Kong, Ice Climber, and Super Mario Bros., as well as the critically acclaimed adventure game The Legend of Zelda, the company was interested in entering a different genre. They began work on an action game. The game was called Metroid. Nintendo released Metroid for the Family Computer Disk System on August 6, 1986, and on the Nintendo Entertainment System one year later.[1] One year later Kid Icarus was developed alongside as its sister game, it shares elements and programmers with Metroid.[2] The game was produced by the same man who produced Metroid, Gunpei Yokoi, who previously produced Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Junior (1982) and the original Mario Bros. (1983), and it featured music written by Hirokazu Tanaka, who also composed for Duck Hunt (1984).[1]

After the release of its handheld sequel, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, the series received no new installments for two decades. An installment for the Nintendo 64 was rumored to be in development,[3] but was never released. A mature reimagined title that a series revival was planned for the Wii, development under Factor 5. This appearance eventually led to cancellation.[4] In 2006, Pit was revealed to appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl with a new design. During their E3 event in 2010, Nintendo unveiled Kid Icarus: Uprising for the Nintendo 3DS, the first game in the series since 1991. The game was released in March 2012 to positive reviews from critics. In 2014, it was announced that Palutena and Dark Pit would be playable in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.[5] In 2018, Nintendo announced that Pit, Palutena, and Dark Pit would be returning, alongside all previous characters, in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[6]

Characters
Main articles: Pit (Kid Icarus) and Eggplant Wizard

The Kid Icarus series has a cast of recurring characters. The most common characters in the series are Pit, Palutena, Dark Pit, Poseidon, Medusa, Viridi, Arlon, Pyrrhon, Magnus, Phosphora, Cragalanche, Pandora, Dyntos, Thanatos, and Hades.

Notes
  1. Known in Japan as Light Mythology: Palutena's Mirror (光神話 パルテナの鏡, Hikari Shinwa: Parutena no Kagami)

References
  1. Metroid Retrospective Part 1 (video). GameTrailers. Defy Media. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  2. Thomas, Lucas M. (2007-03-06). "Kid Icarus VC Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 9, 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  3. "Gaming Gossip". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 92. Ziff Davis. March 1997. p. 28.
  4. Brian (2008-08-05). "Factor 5 officially developing Kid Icarus for Wii?". Nintendo Everything. Archived from the original on 2022-04-29.
  5. Luckerson, Victor (2014-06-10). "WATCH: 'Kid Icarus' Character Lady Palutena Joins Smash Bros. Roster". Time. Archived from the original on 2014-06-10. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  6. Zaher, Troy (2018-06-28). "Everyone is here with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". Softonic. Archived from the original on 2022-04-29. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
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