First Look: Kid Icarus Uprising

Kid Icarus Uprising is a new 3DS game released March 23rd 2012. It's one of the newest and most anticipated titles released this year, so you must be wondering- is it worth getting. We got it, we played it, and we're here to give you the first inside look from a player's perspective on what you'll get out of purchasing the game.

So here's my story. I got an e-mail from Gamestop on March 21st saying the new Kid Icarus Uprising game was available now. Don't believe me? Here's the exact ad I got in an e-mail:

So anyway, I head over almost immediately to get the game. Not only was the ad wrong, releasing the game Friday March 23rd, but I was massively disappointed. This did mean, however, that I got to put a pre-order in. So what do you get when you pre-order this game? Another game! That's right, for pre-ordering Kid Icarus Uprising, you got a free download of "3D Classics: Kid Icarus" for your 3DS. So if you didn't pre-order it from Gamestop, I feel kind of bad for you.

Fast forward to release day. I got the game, and at first I was sketchy on what came in the box. You get the game (Duh), a 3DS Stand (more on this later), and a package of AR cards. The AR cards are random, as no two boxes should, theoretically have the same cards. I won't spoil my own pulls (there's 6 total), but since the identification numbers on two of the cards I did get are AKDE-001 and AKDE-220, I can only imagine that there are quite a few. Now while this seems all well and good, these are in-game AR cards, used ONLY for unlocking idols (collectibles) in the game. That's right- they are not compatible with your AR GAMES application already on your 3DS.

Very bad Nintendo, very bad. I can only hope there's an update later, but for now I shall relish in the disappointment. At least I can trade cards with friends though, as that seems to be all that Nintendo is good for these days..You can also battle these cards, facing the two arrows on cards to each other, and if they are both on screen they will battle each other. It's pretty cool to see, but beyond that, I don't think you're going to get much out of these...


So on to the other odd inclusion- the 3DS stand. It's a simple stand, that displays your 3DS system like one of grandma's expensive dishes. I really don't know why we need this, as all it is plastic and holds your system, but apparently some people use it. I guess it's good for keeping your 3DS off a dirty surface, a resting spot if your hands get tired, or if you want to watch a movie on Netflix or play something less-intensive like a Pokemon game, it's ok to have. But hey- it was free in the game box, so who's really complaining?

Now let's look at the game. When you start it up and watch the intro video, you find out right away that there's speech in the game. Cool! Playing through a few levels, I can tell you that Pit and Palutena do have conversation while you're playing as well as a few other characters. There are two game modes of the game that you'll be interested in: Solo, and Together.

Solo Mode is your basic story mode, controlling Pit through his adventure trying to stop the evil Medusa. Keep in mind, I've only just beat the second stage. So far, I enjoy the game, but the controls are pretty tough. You have to use the joystick to move, the L button to fire, and the touch pad to aim. On the touch pad is where you see notifications, characters that are talking, and any powers you have. As long as you don't touch the powers, the touch to the touch screen corresponds to the aiming on the top screen, where your focus of what you're doing it.

The camera is very shaky, and to me the most difficult part of the game, using the touch screen to swipe the screen and rotate the camera accordingly. If you were to ask me a controls rating I'd give it a 2/10, as it is easily the toughest controlling I've ever had, even with the 3DS stand attempts. The game itself is a basic RPG, moving through levels and fighting enemies, with occasional help. Battles are open world, so you might just find an enemy or they might appear in front of you. If you've ever played a game like Kingdom Hearts, Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, or Sonic The Hedgehog, think along those lines. The levels are split into two types- Land Mode and Air Mode. In air mode you're flying, and on land mode you're glued to the ground. Each have their own specific on-screen display, and so far I like Air Mode the best, although the levels are short and have a specific length and time.

Together Mode is your basic online multiplayer, giving you mediocre multiplayer fun. At one end, you get to battle people both near and far, but on the other end it is wireless so find a good connection to do so. Unfortunately, if you're a total newbie or not good at this game, don't bother. There's no ranking system, so you could go into multiplayer first and get wrecked by someone with a super-weapon with amazing qualities while you try with a sword. If you're wondering what my first online experience was like, you just read it.

Other game qualities include various weapons, such as bows, blades, clubs and so forth, and the weapons are customizable. You can get various weapons and fuse them to make new ones, or buy them with hears, the in-game currency. You can also dismantle weapons into hearts, in case the weapon doesn't really do much for you. There's also a practice area, so if you make a new weapon and want to try it out, feel free. You can get powers and weapons also from the rewards section, after doing certain objectives in the game. You also get idols this way, another collectible feature and the things you got from redeeming your AR cards from the game.

Lastly, there is a street-pass option, where you trade "gems" with people. Think of gems as those capsules you bought as a kid for 25 cents- inside is a weapon from your inventory and you trade it to other people. Pretty neat, huh? You get some in return, of course.


So what else do you want to know about this game? I've only gotten to the third level, received a few rewards, and no street-passes yet. I'm going to give the game a try, it' definitely fun and I like the challenge it gives. Will it get better, will it get worse...time will tell. If you didn't pre-order it, I'd save your money for a month or two, get it a little cheaper or at best rent it from somewhere before you make a commitment.