Letting its Wings Shine
Kid Icarus: Uprising had quite the reveal at Nintendo's E3 press conference 2 years ago, riding on a fan high despite the series not actually producing a new game since the Game Boy sequel 20 years ago. Pit's absence from Nintendo's catalogue for so long has given Masahiro Sakurai and his team at Sora cart blanche to create a new game in a completely different genre - and although sometimes Uprising's unwieldy controls hamper the package, its blend of shooter and action genres is nothing short of brilliant the whole way through.
Like the game itself, Uprising's story moves at a blistering pace. Plot points get thrown at you constantly whilst you play, with Pit, Palutena and the other characters almost constantly engaged in back and forth that fills you in as you go, lending a hectic pacing to everything you do - you're constantly on the move with no time to stop and reflect on anything, and it gives the game a very exciting feel. Whilst the story is relatively light and simplistic, Uprising excels in some truly delightful writing. Ranging from full on slapstic to irreverant nostalgia - Medusa is introduced by her pixel art from the original game popping up on the bottom screen - as well as some very fourth-wall-ish moments, Uprising is dripping with Nintendo's unique brand of whimsy and charm. Tied with some brilliant voice acting from the main characters (Ali Hillis particularly shines as Palutena) that borders on the right side of disney-esque saccharine, the game keeps an almost perpetual grin on your face.
Although many were apprehensive of Uprising's transformation into a shooter, on the whole the game plays very well. At the start of every level, Pit takes flight, engaging enemies in a manner akin to the last Sin and Punishment game - circle strafing around the screen and firing off shots with the left bumper. However these sections are only a short appetiser (Palutena can only keep Pit flying for 5 minutes at a time) before much lengthier ground combat sessions. Whilst the ground sections are still fun, Uprising fares much better in the air, if only because its control scheme feels less bogged down in those moments. The controls are perhaps Uprising's only mistake - the act of gripping the left hand side of your 3DS to move and shoot, and then using your other hand to control the camera with the stylus, can get a little painful after extended sessions. The game does come with the remarkably quaint 3DS stand bundled in, but resting the console in your lap whilst playing works just as well. The control scheme gets even more finicky in the ground sections of the game, with the Camera rotation mapped to flicks of the stylus, and Pit's essential dodge and dash moves mapped to flicks of the circle pad, it can definitely get a little frustrating in the more frantic parts of the game, especially on higher difficulties - and it can get even worse if your left handed, as none of the supplied control schemes are particularly helpful. All that said and done however, once you get used to the controls many of these issues subside.
Where Kid Icarus: Uprising truly excels is in the sheer amount of content it packs into its tiny cartridge. Aside from the 10 hour long story mode (which is replayable to grind hearts, the games currency that can be purchased to by new weapons for Pit), there is a Boss Rush mode unlocked after finishing the game, Smash Bros-esque trophies called Idols to collect, and even a surprisingly fun multiplayer mode. Playable over local connections as well as online, two teams of 3 engage in a deathmatch scenario that uses a collective health bar - akin to Battlefield's ticket system - that, once reduced, brings the opposing team's Angel (either Pit or Dark Pit) onto the field, who must be defeated to win the match. On top of the Team mode there is a separate Free For All deathmatch, and both allow you to gain new equipment and weapons to use in the campaign, and visa versa. Both the campaign and the multiplayer lean to shorter gameplay sessions, but there's plenty to see and do in Uprising to keep you playing for a long time.
Uprising's debut at E3 2010 was used to show what the 3DS's graphics were capable of, and even today they hold up as perhaps the best visuals on the console, especially considering the amount of action that can be on screen at times. The 3D settings are also put to good use, giving a real sense of depth to the on-rails shooting sections, but considering the speedy nature of the game as a whole, those who get a little queasy at the thought of 3D are best off keeping the slider turned all the way down. The presentation on the whole is excellent, with lush character art, and a delightfully entertaining soundtrack that's packed to the rafters with little winks to the series' past tunes. Combined with the previously mentioned great voice work, the game has a colourful vibrancy to it that just adds a genuinely feel-good vibe to the proceedings.
Only the whole, Kid Icarus: Uprising is a quintessentially Nintendo game - it's laden with charm and quirky humour that only they can really deliver, as well as frenetic, exciting gameplay. Whilst the controls definitely take some getting used to, it's safe to say Pit and his friends won't remain neglected by Nintendo after this delightful outing.
