Today’s “Have You Played…?” is going a bit retro. We are going back to the days of the NES to recommend Kid Icarus, a title that launched way back in 1987. I never played the original on the NES and it may be hard for you to do so too, but like me, you can download a 3D version of the game on the Nintendo 3DS eshop.
The prequel to the ever so great Kid Icarus: Uprising, the original Kid Icarus sees the angel Pit rescuing the goddess Palutena from the evil Medusa for the first time. To do so, Pit must gather the Three Sacred Treasures that will enable him to defeat Medusa.
Since the game is an early NES game, it is not very long. However, the challenge it poses will keep you trying again and again, which balances the brevity of the gameplay. The difficulty mostly derives from the platforming that you often have to do. If you miss the ledge even by the tiniest pixel then you will drop to your death and have to restart the level again. As you traverse each stage, you will defeat various enemies that will drop hearts. This is where the game actually gets kind of confusing. Hearts in Kid Icarus do not equate to health like in many other games, instead they are the currency. (THEY SHOULD BE HEALTH, NOT MONEY). But I digress, these hearts/MONEY are used to buy various power-ups. There is one that will actually save you if you fall at least once. That is really the most helpful of all the other items, which makes collecting hearts a tedious task rather than a beneficial one.
After each stage, there is a fortress which functions much like a dungeon does in the original Legend of Zelda. After moving around various rooms, you will find yourself facing the boss. Defeating each boss will net you a Sacred Treasure.
Kid Icarus may seem dated today, but it is still a great challenge to take on. The great level and enemy design, paired with a great soundtrack, will prove that this title is still worth playing today.