This was the only way possible, so my dad said, “I don’t like playing video games, but it made me feel complete when he somehow hooked up this NES cartridge to a typewriter and a car battery with jumper cables. The pictures in the game were amazing, and my dad, who is still an incredible mechanic, told me all the secrets of Hot Wired until I couldn’t play the game anymore.”

I’m joining this monster game together with you, and it’s really challenging to make it past the first stages. I’ve hardly made any progress, but I’m determined to beat it. I actually never sat down and played the game, even though I love it so much. I’m happy to see Pit getting more attention now, thanks to his inclusions in the Smash Bros series. Kid Icarus has always held a special place in my heart since then.

Gameplay.

Pit, the young fighter imprisoned deep in the Underworld, was gifted a magical bow and arrows by Palutena using her last ounce of strength. Inside the Palace in the Sky, Medusa captured Palutena swiftly after overpowering her army. Palutena’s forces were defeated and Medusa launched a surprise assault on her with the assistance of the creatures from the underworld, driven by fury. Exiled to the Underworld, Medusa was transformed into a monstrous being with snakes for hair by Palutena in a fit of anger. Palutena, the benevolent Goddess of Light, adored humanity and aided them in finding happiness and tranquility, whereas Medusa, the malevolent Goddess of Darkness, despised mankind and sought to ruin their crops and turn people into statues. In the distant past, two exquisite Goddesses reigned over the realm of “Angel Land.”

Starting the game becomes incredibly challenging as a result of the scarcity of items and low health. However, in the latter portion of the game, the inclusion of an inventory, a health meter, and enhancements to your character’s stats make it an outstanding title. While the game primarily follows a platformer format, it also incorporates some elements of RPG gameplay. As Pit, currently situated in the depths of the Underworld, your objective is to journey to the Palace in the Sky, rescue the Goddess Palutena, and restore peace to the world. This is where the game commences.

Number of Deaths: 2

This game also adds a great deal of frustrating aspects, but one of the most causes is the platforming of the game. Instead of trying to travel upwards towards the Land of Angels in the sky, you’re trying to travel “right”. You’ll probably notice that it’s not your typical video game where you can just travel to the right. If you missed a single jump, it could mean starting the whole stage over, even if you were just under a platform seconds earlier. As you climb higher, any platform that falls off the bottom of the screen is instantly replaced by a pit of death, forever gone.

In this manner, the creatures have the ability and intention to move about the display. Due to the world being more reminiscent of a circular pillar rather than a flat wall, if you venture off the left side of the screen, you will automatically reappear on the right side. By saying this, I am implying that the screen continuously loops from left to right. Additionally, it is important to remain mindful of your environment, as there is another intriguing gameplay element.

Take your time and enjoy the pursuit, therefore decelerate and handle the influx of adversaries, this game offers rewards and practically necessitates you to decelerate and handle the influx of adversaries, not only will eliminating the creatures enhance your score, they will also release hearts which serve as the game’s currency, you will require a substantial amount of hearts to purchase all the necessary items, these creatures will arrive in successive groups, and unlike most platformers where you aim to hurry through, as you ascend, you will come across a diverse range of creatures such as the Shemum serpent-like beings and the Monoeye airborne eye monsters.

Enemies can be quite enjoyable actually, tough and funny in a bizarre way. The music changes to a weird, almost laughing sound as they start running and screaming, summoning tiny flying Reapettes. They turn into a hyperactive psycho character, moving menacingly slow instead of their usual calm pace. It’s so much fun to see how they react and jump off the edges, especially when you’re trying to hunt them down on whatever platform they’re moving back and forth on. Sometimes I just play to see them, and they are actually my favorite enemies in the game. However, they can also be the most annoying and fun enemies at the same time. When it comes to the subject of monsters, the Reapers definitely stand out.

Is it possible to miss a single jump? If you start the stage over, why would you jump and risk it? Perhaps the most appreciated item they sell is Angel’s Feather, which allows you to carry up to 8 bottles of Life of Water. If you invest enough, you should definitely save up in case you ever reach zero health. The barrels automatically restore your health, but it would be wise to buy Life of Water glasses to instantly restore your health. The stores can be particularly useful in offering items that save your life. Also, as you travel upwards and explore different rooms, you will come across various scattered levels.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get the credit card that allows you to buy anything you want from all the stores, but you have to pay off the purchase. However, if you break his last jar, you won’t end up with anything and the fun will be over. If you break his last jar, you’ll be highly rewarded. If you break his jar, you’ll be highly rewarded. Break as many jars as you want and you can get rewarded as much as you like. On special occasions, you may even find a treasure room.

Number of Deaths: 5

Take them out at a comfortable speed and it’s advisable to avoid excessive movement. Despite the potential danger, the rewards for defeating each monster are 10 hearts. These chambers can pose challenges and hazards, as they are inhabited by Specknose creatures, which resemble flying noses. Additionally, you will come across monster lairs.

Number of Deaths: 7

With the odds stacked against him, Pit, the poor little warrior, needs all the help he can get. When you encounter him, throwing solid iron plates at you, he believes he can help you. There’s also Zeus, the Thunder God, who occasionally shows up to help Pit on his quest. He’s not alone, though, as there’s a Sacred Bow that shoots fireball-wrapped arrows, making them stronger and able to shoot the full length of the screen. Additionally, there are small crystal orbs that Pit can collect to make the Protective Crystals, which wrap around him and make him into a mighty warrior. At least I want to believe that he’s there to help him train and show him how to defeat his enemies.

The reason some gods work in mysterious ways. He will also change Pit’s pallet color at the same time. If Pit deems his arrows stronger, he will upgrade them before reaching Zeus’ chamber. Zeus will also judge how strong of a warrior you are by throwing stuff joyfully.

With so many enemies, you’ll be glad to have an extra point of health every time. When your health increases as you progress, you’ll level up at certain checkpoints. Your total score also doubles as your experience points. It may seem impossible at first with how weak Pit starts, but that’s why you really want to kill as many enemies as possible and slow them down. Eventually, you’ll make it to the end of each stage and endure all the challenges.

Number of Deaths: 12

Don’t go swimming in the lava pools, remember that. Pit has dangers awaiting you if you cross over the lava pits. Sometimes, pressing the wrong button will send you flying into the abyss. Additionally, when you try to crouch, the normal platform allows you to drop down, but the thinner platforms also enable you to descend further. Instead of significantly changing the design of the level, the monsters in the tower only add new elements like icy platforms that threaten Pit’s slide into the abyss as you progress upwards.

Number of Deaths: 18

Are you willing to risk dying for the sake of your own hearts, especially if you occasionally get hit early on? Why bring these guys up, since they infinitely spawn enemies that make great heart harvesters? Avoiding their projectile attacks is as simple as ducking and stepping to the side. The balance between grinding to acquire enough essential items and reaching the end of the level can often be fatal, like cursed and blessed enemies such as Mcgoo. But the most dangerous enemy is truly yourself.

As mentioned before, the health of bars allows you to hold up to 8 barrels. In order to effectively increase the life of the water, you can add up to 8 bottles of Life of Water. This gave me twice as much health as the hearts farm until I had enough to buy a barrel. By the end of level 1-2, I had enough to get a second health bar. I realized that slowing down was exactly what I needed. I thought that starting over and slowing down would be the better choice, and because I had quickly progressed, I opted to start the game over. By the time I reached the end of level 1-3, I had progressed too quickly.

In order to complete it, you will need to buy a pen and flashlight from one of the markets, as well as locate the hidden map somewhere in the fortress. You must then navigate through the different rooms, battling enemies and searching for Medusa’s leader who has been given one of the three Holy Artifacts. The first fortress now takes the form of a maze, eliminating the need for a long uphill journey upon reaching level 1-4. You will immediately notice a significant change from the previous stages.

The obstacles in front of Life of Water are preventing you from filling up your inventory. The healing spas and countless enemies make it crucial to obtain the barrel before anything else. To regain your perfect condition, you can reenter the fortress where there are healing spas and enemies that respawn endlessly. The fortress is the optimal location to collect items and hearts in the game.

Unfortunately, the fortress is home to the most comical yet annoying enemy in the game, the dreaded Wizard Eggplant. If Pit can somehow climb up and down ladders and run around, he will be able to visit one of the hidden hospitals hidden somewhere in the fortress to break the curse of the eggplant. However, he cannot attack directly, so the only way he can defend himself is by throwing pairs of eggplants in high arcs. It’s a good thing that these eggplants usually show up when enemies are nearby, so Pit wasn’t in too much danger when he came into contact with one of them.

Every warrior will aid you in the upcoming battle, but this is completely optional. If you hit them with one of your mallets, you can free them from their stone prison. These are Centurians who have been turned to stone by Medusa, and they look like statues of Palutena’s warriors scattered around the fortress. There is another source of assistance waiting for you in the fortress, in addition to collecting all the items.

The laughably weak and weakly laughable hit singles in each will die, though they are. If you took the time to save them, is it? Plus, all of your Centurian buddies have helped you kill him. Because he moves very slowly and rarely attacks, you probably won’t need them. If you’re properly prepared with lots of Water of Life, especially tough bosses won’t go as far as he does. Speaking of the fortress, the first guardian is a Twinbellows, a dog with two heads breathing fire.

I possess 8 containers of Water of Life, excluding the 5 bars that have fully restored my health. This ultimately proves to be gratifying because if you dedicate the time to fully stock your inventory like I did, you will also experience a few minutes of your score being calculated. Therefore, it serves a purpose similar to that of most antiquities, although it is pleasant to possess and serves no practical function. Your endeavors are compensated by obtaining one of the 3 Sacred Treasures.

Traveling from right to left, instead of the traditional left to right, makes this game much easier because of the absence of the bottomless pit mechanic, which is easily the worst part of the game. If you haven’t already noticed, even half of the scenery doesn’t change here. Having climbed out of the Underworld Pit, the character now freely walks across the Overworld.

Honestly, the hardest part of the game is going to be getting everything in the Underworld. This game makes it much easier if you have contact with any enemies because these orbs will damage them. Anyway, these useless weapons make the game much easier again with the special magic they have. Then Zeus gave me weapons to use in the fortresses, but my energy level wasn’t high enough before. Now, before I activate my Protective Crystals, the opportunity to possibly circle around Pit is the first. But this only heals you, it doesn’t make things even better. Right at the beginning of the world, there is a healing pond that makes things even better.

If you want to get the best ending, I need to see which ending you want. Does the game have multiple endings? Can you complete the level without the game? No, is this mandatory? The fact that it’s hard to get enough points to show off actually makes this level so complicated. There is a chamber where Zeus will wait for you to upgrade your bow again. Honestly, the hardest part appears to be at the beginning of the second area.

Number of Deaths: 25

I have to admit, I was a bit hasty in calling it the hardest thing, when in fact, the most annoying thing about the overworld in Pluton is these little ogres. They are completely immortal, so you can never kill them. What’s even more annoying is that if you touch them, they instantly steal your special weapons, both the Sacred Bow and Protective Crystals. Oh, and don’t worry, you can always buy them back at one of the black markets.

I know that the Overworld is much larger than the Underworld, but walking in the park doesn’t mean that the Overworld is easy. The sheer volume of enemies has increased drastically, and it can be quite difficult at times. The composition of the overworld is as far as the level goes. The pink porcupine Minos will jump from the ground, and the rock monsters Rokman will fall from the heavens. Keron frogs will occasionally fly to torment Pit, but in the end, there will be no end to the torment.

Number of Deaths: 29

The hero’s journey to the Pit was not initially intended as a trip to the graveyard, but due to a miscalculated jump from any of the small ledges, it seems that our hero cannot swim and therefore cannot make it out of the watery grave. It is evident that there are many bottomless pits still waiting to claim another life in this cleverly integrated level. Although we have moved away from the bottomless pit, it is not truly gone.

Another fortress in your game is, apologies guys, but you’re accompanied by wandering groups of Goombas. Pit’s unfortunate eggplant curse is prepared for the return of wizards who appear to be eggplants. Pit’s unfortunate eggplant curse is prepared for the return of wizards who appear to be eggplants. Pit’s unfortunate eggplant curse is prepared for the return of wizards who appear to be eggplants. Pit’s unfortunate eggplant curse is prepared for the return of wizards who appear to be eggplants. Pit’s unfortunate eggplant curse is prepared for the return of wizards who appear to be eggplants. Pit’s unfortunate eggplant curse is prepared for the return of wizards who appear to be eggplants. Pit’s unfortunate eggplant curse is prepared for the return of wizards who appear to be eggplants. Pit’s unfortunate eggplant curse is prepared for the return of wizards who appear to be eggplants.

This time around, gathering supplies will feel much easier, despite the increased difficulty and size. In the Pit, groups of enemies can take on tougher opponents, but we already have some items left over from the last time, with increased strength and health. Every time I entered, I would gain 80 hearts, so I picked the room. Unfortunately, the training area is only 2 rooms away from the store, which itself is only 2 rooms away from the perfect healing spring, so I really can’t ask for more.

After leaving the sacred second treasure behind, eventually the key to this falls as Hewdraw. Trying to attack a small, fast-moving target by trailing his damaging tail while standing on small platforms over lava pools. The fact that only his head takes damage is what makes him. He has no kind of projectiles or attacks. He only turns when he hits a wall, bouncing up and down in a rigid movement pattern in perfect arches, leading the lava pools out. Hewdraw is actually fairly easy, although consuming time. I should have probably taken more damage than I did, but I panicked and quickly left my own inventory filled with the many Centurians that I had freed from being petrified. While I would have liked to be more vulnerable earlier, I accidentally stumbled upon Hewdraw’s guardian chamber in the fortress.

What are you guys doing in this game, wait. Even if Metroids are enemies, don’t stand a chance. They have a stock of enemies and all the upgrades for the Life of Water, with 5 health bars. This time around, it will be a bit easier in the underworld. Once again, we will return to the original vertical platformer levels of the underworld. Finally, Pit has started to accentuate his journey to Skyworld.

Number of Deaths: 34

If you require it, patience is definitely necessary to devise a plan to rescue Palutena, the Goddess, and bring her to the Palace in the sky. The bottomless pit is not only deeper than it appears, but also more menacing. The platforming in Skyworld is at its most challenging here, with an abundance of minuscule platforms to jump across. The enemies may no longer pose as much of a threat.

They will jump into their vision and fall back down from your unclear path, causing much trouble. As you rush horizontally, the Pluton flies will bolt across the screen at the same height as you. They will dart more or less, depending on your speed. These guys are invincible and will steal your weapons if they touch you. However, one thing that slowed me down was the fact that the Pluton flies were similar to enemies from the Overworld. Especially in comparison to the Underworld levels, I ended up rushing through these stages.

At the ultimate stage, you will be given a final opportunity prior to confronting Medusa in person. At this juncture, it is more accurate than ever to say that the stronghold continues to be an excellent location for replenishing supplies, much like the previous ones. Among all the fortresses, this one is the biggest and most perplexing, boasting a grand total of 64 rooms. Ultimately, we arrive at the third and last stronghold.

You will have to go back a huge distance to cure yourself, as you got hit with an eggplant here. In the fortress, there is a very small room with two wizards, and also a very small room where you have to dodge eggplants thrown at you. As you make your way towards the end of the fortress, this last assault will be the end of your torment, but not before facing the Wizards Eggplant.

If you buy anything in the game, you will only have access to a single enemy in the previous room to restock your hearts. If you have less than 999 hearts, you will be disqualified for the best ending of the game, as this is one of the criteria for the game’s ending.

You should be able to predict his pattern, and although he’s still moving slowly, you might be able to run into him. The fact is, during this time, he can’t be attacked. His only ability is his high health, making it a long battle rather than a difficult one with other attacks. There are two other floating balloons that pose a mild threat but can also be easily avoided. Pandora is simply a giant bubble drifting slowly around the room. However, the final battle with the guardian fortress of God Demon, titled “Disasters of Pandora,” brings us a much harder challenge that you should expect and avoid.

If you have not achieved a sufficiently high score yet, this level will continuously repeat because you must eliminate as many adversaries as you can. While he soars towards his ultimate objective, foes will approach Pit from every direction. The game transitions into a horizontal shooter, and thanks to the Wings of Pegasus, Pit is now able to fly flawlessly. It is now the moment to equip them and confront the malevolent Medusa with all three of the Sacred Treasures that Pit possesses.

The timing was terrible, I admit, but it’s fun to change the controls a little while playing the game. There are even groups of Harpies flying around, ready to tear you apart. Then, it changes to ancient structures full of poisonous flowers and evil Ghosts like Zuree. The stage actually feels too long. It starts out simple enough, with enemies falling from the sky along with Totem.

Tanatos, also known as the snake-haired goddess, lives with a deadly gaze that can attack and petrify you. Her eyes emit waves that show her deadly power. Although she may seem defenseless, she is like a protective wall. To protect yourself, use your Mirror Shield and shoot arrows from your Light Arrows to deflect her gaze. I didn’t expect her head to be the size of a whole wall. She is the evil goddess Medusa, and she is here.

Pit has triumphed, and you can sense the end as she collapses to the floor. Within her real form, it becomes apparent as her enormous eye is obliterated. In due time, you will vanquish her as you gradually chip away at her vitality and withstand her assaults.

All the time spent toiling away, grinding for hours, was justified by that single kiss. If you achieve the best ending, just like I did, Palutena will not only transform Pit into a mature warrior but also reward him with a kiss. By rescuing the goddess Palutena and saving the entire world, you have accomplished a great feat.

The ongoing struggle of Pit, Wait…..The End. Everything is great and Pit has received rewards, saving the world. It’s just like that.

OH REALLY!!!

Verdict.

Gameplay. – 7 / 10

A surprising turn of events transformed the game into essentially a shooter at the very end. The initial phases have the potential to discourage players, as Pit begins incredibly feeble, and the level design is noticeably more challenging in the third stage. However, I managed to swiftly navigate through Skyworld in just under an hour, although it took me approximately 3 hours to ultimately conquer the Underworld. The initial stages may seem almost insurmountable, yet this also allows for the game to progress, enabling players to grow stronger and rewarding those who engage in early level grinding. The amalgamation of various genres actually meshes exceptionally well in this game.

Graphics – 7 / 10.

I have always enjoyed the well-done sprite work in this game, especially the characters like Reapers and Wizards that make the game very enjoyable. The humor adds to the overall experience. However, I must mention that the background is simply a solid black, which is the only thing I can fault graphically. But overall, I have always been very happy with the graphics in the game.

Sound quality – 7 / 10.

The notes of some of the songs are pitched too high, which is a bit too piercing. However, there is nothing wrong with the fact that the system was more capable. They are still good songs, even though they are not particularly complex compared to other titles at the time. Unfortunately, there aren’t many songs in the soundtrack. One of the main songs is a few random ones that I’ve caught myself humming throughout my whole life. It’s a very catchy song, and I love the music in this game.

Plot – 6 / 10.

It’s a shame that this is the case. The fact that many old NES games, like this one, hardly represent the story is a problem. However, it’s actually thought out and genuinely involved as described in the manual. I apologize if it sounds nitpicky, but I really love a game with a good narrative.

Total Duration – 8 hours 29 minutes.

Overall, the game is quite enjoyable in terms of its length, and all the levels are quite lengthy. However, it lacks a sufficient number of levels. Additionally, the time it takes to cut through the fortresses and grind for items can be quite lengthy, which I didn’t particularly enjoy. I decided to restart my first attempt after spending about an hour on it. If you are a more skilled player, you could easily beat it in half the time, although in reality, it has a decent length.

Number of fatalities – 34 fatalities.

I’m actually proud of counting that. I still felt like I died a lot more than that. It would have been easier and faster to start over on the stage and die, so I’ve been trying to buy them back. I intentionally died a few times during the Overworld stage because I stole weapons from my enemies, those Pluton times. I’ve only died 12 times, so it’s really only 22 deaths.

Overall Rating – 7 / 10.

I don’t believe that more individuals would enjoy this game as much as I do, provided that they give it a fair chance and have prior knowledge of what to expect. When you eventually conquer it, you genuinely feel a sense of accomplishment, courtesy of the overall challenging nature of the game. The overall experience is enjoyable, although the boss battles could have been more captivating. They lack the need for genuine strategic thinking, which can leave you feeling somewhat unsatisfied. The music, while pleasant, can be difficult to listen to at times due to a few excessively high-pitched notes. This aspect of the game may deter those who are not willing to fully commit from the beginning, and it fails to adequately reward them in the end. The significant difference in difficulty between the beginning and end of the game is too noticeable to overlook. However, I am not oblivious to its flaws, but due to the simple nostalgia factor, this will always remain one of my favorite games.

Why, oh Lord? Why?

Next time you’ll see, and thank you for reading. If you’re feeling generous, you can help keep me going on this site by donating. Additionally, please feel free to leave your recommendations and suggestions in the comments. If you already followed me on Twitter or Facebook, I would appreciate it if you also liked my posts. I hope you enjoyed Icarus Kid.