Kid Icarus (series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kid Icarus
Logo since 2012
Genres	Platform
Developers	Nintendo R&D1 (1986–1991) Tose (1986-1991) Project Sora (2012)
Publishers	Nintendo
Platforms	Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Nintendo 3DS
First release	Kid Icarus December 19, 1986
Latest release	Kid Icarus: Uprising March 22, 2012

The Kid Icarus series is a group of exciting video games made by Nintendo. In Japan, it's known as Light Mythology: Palutena's Mirror. These games take place in a make-believe world called "Angel Land". This world is inspired by ancient Greek mythology. The games mix different styles of play, including action, adventure, and platform elements. Many people consider Kid Icarus a special "cult classic" series, and it's often seen as a partner series to the Metroid games.

The very first game, Kid Icarus, came out in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Even though it didn't sell a lot of copies, critics really liked it. Later, a second game called Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was released for the Game Boy. After a long break of 20 years, a new game, Kid Icarus: Uprising, was released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS handheld system.

Story and Characters

Meet the Main Characters

The Kid Icarus games feature a fun group of characters who show up often. The main hero is Pit. Other important characters include Palutena, Viridi, Hades, Magnus, and Dark Pit. There are also villains like Medusa and Pyrrhon.

Pit was created for the first Kid Icarus game. He is the main character and a brave angel. His gameplay style combines ideas from other famous Nintendo games. For example, he can jump like Mario and use special items to get stronger, like Link. He also shoots projectiles, like Samus Aran from Metroid.

Pit's design is inspired by Greek mythology. Some people think he's a mix of Eros (the god of love) and Icarus (who flew too close to the sun). His most famous features are his bow and his wings.

Pit's New Look

Pit's look got a big update when he appeared in the fighting game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This new design has been used ever since. The creator of Super Smash Bros. and director of Kid Icarus: Uprising, Masahiro Sakurai, chose this new 3D design. He wanted Pit to look like he would have changed over time, similar to how Link's design has changed in The Legend of Zelda series. In his updated design, Pit looks about 13 years old in angel years. His bow, which didn't have a name before, is now sometimes called the Sacred Bow of Palutena or the Palutena Bow.

How the Games Were Made

In the 1980s, Nintendo made many popular platforming games. These included Donkey Kong, Ice Climber, and Super Mario Bros.. They also made the highly praised adventure game The Legend of Zelda. Nintendo then wanted to try making a different kind of game.

They started working on an action game called Metroid. Metroid was released in Japan in August 1986. Kid Icarus was developed at the same time as Metroid. The two games share some ideas and even some of the same programmers. Kid Icarus was produced by Gunpei Yokoi, who also produced Metroid and earlier games like Donkey Kong. The music for Kid Icarus was written by Hirokazu Tanaka, who also composed for Duck Hunt.

After the handheld game Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters came out, there were no new games in the series for two decades. Fans wondered if the series would ever return.

In 2008, Pit appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl with his new design. This appearance got fans excited again. Then, at an event in 2010, Nintendo announced Kid Icarus: Uprising for the Nintendo 3DS. This was the first new game in the series since 1991! The game was released in March 2012 and received good reviews from critics. Later, Palutena and Dark Pit also appeared in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. All three characters—Pit, Palutena, and Dark Pit—returned in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

See also

In Spanish: Pit (Kid Icarus) para niños