Kid Icarus (universe)

Kid Icarus (universe)
	;
Developer(s)	Nintendo; Tose; Project Sora; Sora Ltd.
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Genre(s)	Platformer; Third-Person shooter; Rail shooter
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom Disk System)
First installment	Kid Icarus (1986)
Latest installment	Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012)
Article on Icaruspedia	Kid Icarus (universe)

The Kid Icarus universe (パルテナの鏡, Mirror of Palutena) refers to the Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from Nintendo's Kid Icarus games, which were originally a pair of cult-classic action/platformer games for NES and Game Boy. A twenty-one-year hiatus for the series ensued, and it only ended once Masahiro Sakurai developed and released a third game for the 3DS after debuting a heavy stylistic redesign for the series and its star, the young angel knight Pit, in 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Franchise description[edit]

The first Kid Icarus series logo.

After Nintendo's commercially successful releases of platforming games such as Super Mario Bros. and adventure games such as The Legend of Zelda during the "golden age" of the Famicom/NES in the late 1980s, the company was interested in entering a different genre. This resulted in the development of the action game Metroid for the Family Computer Disk System and Nintendo Entertainment System. Kid Icarus was developed alongside Metroid as its sister game, as both were co-developed by Nintendo's Research and Development 1 (R&D1) division and Intelligent Systems, and both games shared various programmers and elements. Kid Icarus was developed for the Famicom Disk System because its Disk Card format had more storage capacity than the Famicom's cartridges, allowing the developers to create a longer game with a larger setting and the ability to store players' progress. The game was also the debut of Nintendo video game designer Toru Osawa; originally the project's only staff member, Osawa wanted to make an action game with role-playing elements based on Greek mythology and drew the game's pixel art. After Metroid's development was complete, more staff members were allotted to the development of Kid Icarus, such as director Satoru Okada, producer Gunpei Yokoi, musical composer Hirokazu Tanaka, and co-designer Yoshio Sakamoto. Osawa originally wanted to make the game completely serious, but opted for something more humorous after objections from the rest of the development team. Development was stressed by time constraints, as staff had to work overtime and stay in an unheated development office at night to meet the game's projected release date, and several stages had to be dropped because of scheduling conflicts; ultimately, however, the game was finished and entered production only three days before its Famicom release date of December 19, 1986. A cartridge-based version was released on the NES in February and July 1987 in Europe and North America, respectively; among other minor changes, this version used the rare password-based system of restoring player progress. Upon release, Kid Icarus was met with mixed reception, with criticism focused on its frustratingly high difficulty and some odd design choices, but the game has nonetheless been regarded as a cult classic for the console. Various characters, including the protagonist Pit and antagonists Medusa and Eggplant Wizard, were featured in the American animated television series Captain N: The Game Master, which aired from 1989 to 1991 and featured many video game characters popularized by the NES. Meanwhile, a sequel for the Game Boy, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, was co-developed between Nintendo and Tose Co., Ltd. and released in North America in November 1991 and in Europe in May 1992. Reception for the sequel was decidedly more favorable than that of the original, as critics cited significant gameplay improvements, but the game never reached the original's level of public attention. Additionally, despite being developed in Japan, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was not released there until 2012, originally making it one of the few first-party Nintendo games not published in Japan.

Following the release of Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, the series received no new installments for twenty years and little in the way of return appearances outside of a trophy of Pit in 2001's Super Smash Bros. Melee and the first game's 2004 re-release in the Famicom Mini Disk System Selection for the Game Boy Advance and 2007 release on the Wii's Virtual Console. During this hiatus were unconfirmed, rumored projects for a third installment, including possible entries on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64. In the 2000s, a series revival developed by Factor 5 was planned for the Wii; however, both projects were ultimately canceled. In 2006, Super Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai indirectly started an ambitious series revival of the Kid Icarus franchise, first by announcing through a trailer the inclusion of Pit as a new playable fighter in his highly-anticipated fighting game Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. Sakurai, who had previously brought another obscure NES title from the same era, Ice Climber, back into the public eye through its player-characters' inclusions as playable fighters in Melee, debuted a new, anime-inspired design for Pit and a detailed reimagining of the Kid Icarus setting, inspired by changes in the art styles of games like The Legend of Zelda and based on what the franchise might have stylistically looked like by then if it had not gone dormant. Following Brawl's release in 2008, Sakurai was asked by then-Nintendo president Satoru Iwata to direct a new game for the then-unknown Nintendo 3DS to show off its capabilities, giving him the choice to revitalize a dormant property for the title. Deciding to use an existing Nintendo IP for the project, Sakurai was inspired by Brawl players' feedback that many fighters on its roster had not been featured in an original game for some time and ultimately chose Kid Icarus for this series reboot. Sakurai's choice of Kid Icarus was both due to its long absence from the gaming market, its continued Western popularity, and his own involvement with the characters and setting's reimagining in Brawl. Sakurai also decided to make this new game a third-person shooter, a genre unpopular in Japan but seemingly suited to the 3DS's 3D effects.

The modern, Uprising-era designs for Pit and Palutena are based on their appearances in Brawl, seen here in The Subspace Emissary.

Desiring a balance between story-based gameplay hindrances and the plot-required triumph of good over evil, Sakurai wrote the story and script for the game, entitled Kid Icarus: Uprising, by himself. As a result, characters' roles and personalities were shaped by their role in the game's structure, dialogue was able to be perfectly meshed with the story and music, and while the game retained influence from Greek mythology, Sakurai did not base the story on anything specific and avoided portraying a simple "good versus evil" storyline. Several outside illustrators were hired to help design characters and locations in a manga-inspired art style, and in 2009, the development studio Project Sora was established for the game's development. The first game developed for the 3DS, Uprising was intended to be distinct from the previous Kid Icarus games, being a 3D shooter divided between airborne rail shooter segments and ground-based third-person shooter segments as opposed to the previous games' side-scrolling 2D platforming gameplay, and contrasting the original game's notorious difficulty with adjustable difficulty settings and a relatively simple control scheme, including more responsive touchscreen controls than previous first-person shooter games on the DS. Music was composed by a team consisting of Japanese composers who had prominently contributed to Brawl; the team was directed by Takahiro Nishi and orchestration was handled by Yasunori Mitsuda. The game was officially announced at Nintendo's E3 2010 conference, immediately following the announcement of the Nintendo 3DS. To promote the game, Nintendo collaborated with three Japanese animation studios to produce a series of animated shorts based on the Kid Icarus characters and setting, consisting of Studio 4°C's Medusa's Revenge, Shaft's two-part Palutena's Revolting Dinner, and Production I.G's three-part Thanatos Rising, all supervised by Sakurai and streamed in Japan, Europe, and North America through the 3DS's Nintendo Video service one week before the game's respective release in each region. Kid Icarus: Uprising was released in March 2012, featuring similar character designs to the ones introduced in Brawl, a fully voiced cast, story-driven cutscenes, and a more whimsical tone to the story and dialogue. It was met with critical acclaim, as critics praised the attention to detail, mechanical flexibility, general gameplay balance, and voiced dialogue, but criticized its difficult control scheme and linear structure. The game was also a financial success, selling over 200,000 units in the first month alone and boosting the sales of the 3DS by the thousands; Nintendo even cited Uprising among other games like Fire Emblem: Awakening for suddenly increased profits. By April 2013, Uprising had sold 1.18 million units, making it the tenth best-selling 3DS title at the time.

Despite the game's critical and commercial success, Sakurai confirmed that there were no plans for a sequel. Nevertheless, many elements from Kid Icarus: Uprising were introduced into the next Super Smash Bros. game on the Wii U and 3DS in 2014 — whose development was unable to start until Sakurai was finished with Uprising — including stages, items, music, trophies, and playable fighters in the form of Pit, Palutena, and Dark Pit, all based on their appearances in Uprising. Pit, Palutena, and Dark Pit returned as playable fighters in 2018's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch, which also includes stages, music, spirits, and other elements from the Kid Icarus games. Meanwhile, the return of the Kid Icarus franchise saw the first two games being ported to modern consoles; Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was released on the 3DS Virtual Console in 2012 — including in Japan for the first time — one month before the release of Uprising, and the original Kid Icarus was released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2013 and Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) in 2019, and was included with the North American and PAL region releases of the NES Classic Edition.

The Kid Icarus games are set in a multi-plane Grecian fantasy world called Angel Land, where a plane hanging above the mortal Overworld is the light realm of Skyworld, ruled by the Goddess of Light, Palutena. In the original game, Medusa, the Goddess of Darkness banished to the hellish plane of the Underworld, conquers Angel Land and imprisons Palutena. Captured by Medusa's army, the young angel Pit — who is comedically described by the game's title as a child equivalent of the Greek myth of the winged man Icarus — escapes from the Underworld and sets out on a quest to defeat Medusa by gathering Palutena's Three Sacred Treasures. In Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Pit battles the demon Orcos, who has invaded Angel Land, to prove that he is worthy of wielding the Three Sacred Treasures. Many years later in Kid Icarus: Uprising, Pit must battle the resurrected Medusa and her minions but ends up thrust into a much stranger, multi-sided conflict involving an expanded cast of allies and enemies, several of which are drawn from other figures and monsters in Greek mythology. New characters introduced in Uprising include Magnus, a human mercenary who teams up with Pit on multiple occasions; Dark Pit, a brooding copy of Pit created from Pandora's Mirror of Truth; Hades, the true ruler of the Underworld and the main villain behind Medusa's resurrection; and Viridi, the Goddess of Nature who commands the Forces of Nature and attempts to wipe out humanity with her Reset Bombs. Pit's fights take him through human cities under siege, temples and caverns in the Underworld, Palutena's residence in the Skyworld, and even outer space.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

There are a large number of trophies in Super Smash Bros. Melee that depict classic Nintendo games from the past, and a trophy depicting a 3D rendition of the classic-style Pit is no exception. However, there is no additional representation of the Kid Icarus franchise in the game.

Trophy[edit]

Main article: List of SSBM trophies (Others)

Pit

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Kid Icarus is introduced as a primary universe in the Super Smash Bros. series in the third installment, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Fighter[edit]

Pit (Starter): A young angel knight who serves the goddess Palutena and saves the kingdom of Angel Land from the evil of the Underworld goddess Medusa. For his appearance in Brawl as a fighter, Pit has undergone a major character redesign. He uses the Sacred Bow of Palutena in combat, both to fire arrows, as it always has, and also to demonstrate its previously unseen ability to split in half and be used as a pair of swords for close-quarters combat. Like Kirby, Jigglypuff, Meta Knight, and Charizard, Pit can jump multiple times in the air. His neutral special move is the Palutena's Arrow, which Pit uses in a similar style as Link, Young Link, and Toon Link; however, Pit's arrows travel much faster, unaffected by gravity, and their trajectory can be controlled (i.e. it can be made to curve upwards or downwards) by pressing a direction right after releasing the arrow. His up special move, titled Wings of Icarus, is a unique move giving him the ability of temporary free flight around the stage. His down special move, Mirror Shield, reflects projectile attacks and protects Pit from damage on one side. His side special move is the Angel Ring, a reflector move in which Pit spins the Palutena's Bow at a blinding speed in a full 360 circle, which does damage to his opponents.

On the final character select screen (after all characters are unlocked), Pit shares the fourth column with fellow Famicom/NES-originated characters Ice Climbers, R.O.B., and Samus.

Stage[edit]

Skyworld (Starter): This stage, set in the eponymous realm of the franchise's world, features several platforms that can actually be shattered by characters attacks, but they become replaced by clouds that substitute as platforms right after, although the clouds are pass-through.

Music[edit]

Main article: List of SSBB Music (Kid Icarus series)

Original Tracks[edit]

Underworld: A small medley consisting of a remixed version of the Underworld level theme and the Grim Reaper's theme.
Skyworld: This is a redone version of the Overworld level theme from the original Kid Icarus. It is not the Skyworld level theme as the name would suggest--the track is mislabeled in Brawl.
Title (Kid Icarus): A remix of the original Kid Icarus's title screen theme. This track is also played during Pit's Classic Mode credits.

Source Track[edit]

Kid Icarus Original Medley: A medley made up of numerous parts of several tracks taken directly from the original Kid Icarus, including the title theme, the fortress theme, and the Skyworld level theme, among many others.

Victory Theme[edit]

Victory! Pit: Derived from the original Kid Icarus's title screen theme, this fanfare was not actually heard in this form in the first two Kid Icarus titles, but an orchestrated remix of it was included as the victory fanfare for the multiplayer portion of Kid Icarus Uprising.

Trophies[edit]

Main article: List of SSBB trophies (Kid Icarus series)

Stickers[edit]

Main article: List of stickers (Kid Icarus series)

Masterpiece[edit]

Main article: Masterpieces

Kid Icarus

In Super Smash Bros. 4[edit]

Between Brawl and SSB4, Smash director Masahiro Sakurai revived the long dormant Kid Icarus franchise with Kid Icarus: Uprising. This 3DS title greatly expanded the Kid Icarus universe with a wealth of new characters, storylines, enemies, and weapons. A lot of the new material from Uprising was introduced into SSB4, such as music, stages, and trophies. In addition to the return of Pit, Skyworld, and most Kid Icarus content from Brawl, two new playable characters, five items, two Assist Trophies, two new stages, and a wealth of other new content is in SSB4.

Fighters[edit]

Pit (Starter): An angel and the captain of Palutena's army, he liberated Angel Land from the Underworld goddess Medusa. He was one of the few veterans revealed along with SSB4 on June 11, 2013, and the only one amongst them who debuted in Brawl. Pit had undergone notable changes to reflect his abilities and character in Kid Icarus: Uprising. Nearly all of his special moves were changed: he now pulls out his Upperdash Arm for his side special, protects himself with Guardian Orbitars for his down special, and soars with Power of Flight for his up special. With Palutena now a playable fighter, Pit instead utilizes the Three Sacred Treasures for his Final Smash. He has a smash taunt on Palutena's Temple where Palutena provides tips and insight on his opponents. Antony Del Rio, who portrayed Pit in Uprising, replaces Lani Minella as the English voice of Pit in overseas versions.
Palutena (Starter): The Goddess of Light and the ruler of Skyworld. In the original Kid Icarus, Palutena is usurped by Medusa as the ruler of Angel Land and serves as the damsel in distress. Her presence and role were greatly expanded in Kid Icarus: Uprising as Pit's advisor and confidant. A powerful and omniscient figure, Palutena sends Pit as her attaché to rid the world of Underworld monsters, the Forces of Nature, extraterrestrials, and rival gods. Without her, Pit would not be able to fly or have access to such a wide arsenal of weapons. After months of rumors, potential leaks, and teases from Sakurai, Palutena was announced as a playable fighter during Nintendo's E3 Digital Event on June 10, 2014. She is a swift, magical character that utilizes her staff, halo, and shield in her attacks. Palutena has one of the most diverse selection of custom moves in the entire roster, all of which are derived from Powers she would grant Pit in Uprising.
Dark Pit (Unlockable): Pit's doppelgänger and rival from Kid Icarus: Uprising. He is an incomplete clone of Pit that came into being when Pit destroyed the Mirror of Truth in Chapter 5. A troubled, disgruntled angel, Dark Pit butts heads with Pit multiple times throughout the events of Uprising all the while avoiding Hades' Underworld Army. In SSB4, Dark Pit is a clone of Pit. While some weapons in his arsenal are different – such as the Silver Bow and Electroshock Arm – his animations are identical to Pit's and function similarly. The most substantial difference between Dark Pit and Pit is that they have different Final Smashes. Dark Pit shoots a powerful beam from his eponymous Dark Pit Staff, like Zelda's Light Arrow. Like fellow clones Lucina and Dr. Mario, Dark Pit was originally planned to be an alternate character skin for Pit like Alph is for Olimar, but Sakurai thought it would be out of character for him to use the Three Sacred Treasures in his Final Smash and decided to make him a separate fighter instead.

Stages[edit]

for Nintendo 3DS[edit]

Reset Bomb Forest (Starter): staged on castle ruins in a war-torn land from Kid Icarus: Uprising. It is based on the events of Chapter 11, where Hades has pitted mankind against each other so he could reap more souls. It is a transitional stage with two phases. The first phase is staged on stone ruins with multiple platforms, like Castle Siege. Humans wage war in the background. In response to the environmental destruction brought upon by war, Viridi tosses a Reset Bomb onto the soldiers. Its detonation causes the stage to transform into a dense forest with fragile platforms and a Lurchthorn at its base. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 3 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Pit and Palutena. Dark Pit is unlocked on this stage. Its Ω form is columnar. Reset Bomb Forest was one the first stages revealed for the 3DS version, appearing in the 1st Trailer at E3 2013, and is one of the few 3DS stages to represent a handheld-exclusive title.

for Wii U[edit]

Skyworld (Starter): an arena staged in the heavens of Angel Land from Kid Icarus, surrounded by clouds. A building resembling the Pantheon appears in the background. The hard, stone platforms of the stage can be destroyed, exposing the light cloud platforms that supported them. These can be phased through and enable better movement options for navigating the stage. However, breaking the stones removes the stage's grabbable ledges. It can support up to 6 players in 8-Player Smash, but the platforms are not breakable in this mode. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 1 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Dark Pit. Its Ω form is a spacious floating platform like Final Destination.
Palutena's Temple (Starter): a massive arena staged on a palace in the sky from the original Kid Icarus and Kid Icarus: Uprising. It is based on the events of Chapter 20, during which the temple was usurped from Palutena by the Chaos Kin and has fallen to ruins. This is reflected in the fragmented platforms of Palutena's Temple. The stage is multifaceted, as it includes a cave, a waterfall, springs, ladders, breakable bridges, and a building with a statue in Palutena's visage. As the largest stage in all of Smash Bros., it is large enough to accommodate 8-Player Smash. Dark Pit is unlocked on this stage. Its Ω form is columnar and is staged before Palutena's statue.

Items[edit]

Main article: Items

While there were no Kid Icarus items in Brawl, five are introduced in SSB4. Additionally, a new item called the Drill bears a strong resemblances to the Drill Arm from Kid Icarus: Uprising. However, it is considered part of the Super Smash Bros. universe in-game. Two Assist Trophies have also been added.

Daybreak (combining/shooting): a powerful, golden gun from Uprising. It releases a powerful beam similar to the Zero Laser. Like the Dragoon, it is composed of three different pieces that must be collected to unleash its power.
Ore Club (battering/shooting): a sentient weapon from Uprising forged from divine rocks. It is a slow but strong battering club. It releases a small whirlwind when swung at full charge.
X Bomb (throwing): a spherical explosive from Uprising. When tossed, it detonates in a massive x-shaped blast. This attribute derives from the puzzle game Meteos, not Uprising.
Killer Eye (throwing): a one-eyed turret from Uprising that shoots beams of energy when tossed. It fires these beams from its eyes, even when knocked on its sides.
Back Shield (status): a golden, angelic shield from Uprising that protects the user's backside from most attacks. Its face has a different design in SSB4 than it does in Uprising.

Assist Trophies[edit]

Magnus: a burly swordsman from Uprising similar to the Greek hero Heracles. He chases down the nearest opponent and strikes them with his massive sword. He can be attacked and defeated. He does not attack the summoner.
Phosphora: one of Viridi's subordinates in Uprising; a warrior who can conjure lightning in her hands. She flies and teleports around the stage throwing balls and projectile spears of electricity at opponents. She does not attack the summoner.

Smash Tour items[edit]

Ore Club (Red): a sentient weapon from Uprising forged from divine rocks. The user starts battle with an Ore Club in-hand.
X Bomb (Red): a spherical explosive from Uprising. The user starts battle with an X Bomb in-hand.
Back Shield (Red): an angelic shield from Uprising. The user starts battle with a Back Shield equipped.
Magnus (Red): a burly swordsman from Uprising. All players the user KO'd during a match are launched across the board.
Phosphora (Red): a warrior who can conjure lightning in her hands. The user can land instantly by tapping down during a match.

Enemies[edit]

Main article: Enemies

Enemies that appear in both Smash Run in the 3DS version and Smash Tour in the Wii U version.

Reaper: a cloaked, skeletal figure from the original Kid Icarus that wields a scythe. In Smash Run, it summons a swarm of Reapettes to attack opponents as it swings its long-raging scythe. In Smash Tour, it grants a Checkpoint Bonus to any players that pass it on the board with at least three fighters. Any less, and the player is launched.
Souflee: a flying, pastry-like creature from Kid Icarus: Uprising. In Smash Run, it darts around erratically, making it difficult to hit. In Smash Tour, players who catchup to it on the board are granted a Checkpoint Bonus.

Smash Run enemies[edit]

Enemies exclusive to the 3DS version. They appear in Smash Run. More Smash Run enemies come from the Kid Icarus series than any other universe, with nineteen total.

Monoeye: an octopus-like monster from Kid Icarus with one eye. It releases damage-dealing balls of energy from its eyes. It predates the similar-looking Feyesh enemy from Brawl's Subspace Emissary.
Skuttler: a skeletal cyclops from Uprising with the body of a sea star. It whacks opponents with a bone-shaped club. It carries a skull-shaped shield, but it does not protect itself with it.
Skuttler Cannoneer: a Skuttler from Uprising that carries a projectile-shooting arm cannon. The projectile's behavior depends on the cannon's color: the green cannon shoots cannonballs, the blue one shoots energy projectiles that phase through walls, and the red one fires homing missiles.
Skuttler Mage: a witch doctor-like Skuttler from Uprising that wields a wand. It strikes opponents with a stat-reducing spell.
Daphne: a floating, flower-like monster from Kid Icarus. It releases pollen-like explosives.
Zuree: a cloaked, banshee-like monster from Kid Icarus with long claws. It conceals itself in a white vapor before striking opponents with a powerful swipe.
Orne: a massive, demonic skull from Uprising shrouded in purple flames. Though slow, it is indestructible. Contact results in an instant KO.
Clubberskull: a visceral, heart-shaped cyclops from Uprising with muscular forearms and skull-like fists. It initially is sealed within its skull-like fists but is freed with just one attack. When unleashed, a Clubberskull is an incredibly powerful enemy that does not flinch.
Nutski: a flying, acorn-like cyclops from Uprising. The buzz about erratically and drop explosive seeds.
Lurchthorn: a skeletal, oarfish-like creature from Uprising with a pair of eyes on each body segment. It flies slowly and shoots projectiles from its eyes. Each segment can be damaged, but it is only defeated once its head is destroyed. It also appears on the Reset Bomb Forest stage.
Lethinium: a flower-like creature from Uprising. It fires a powerful beam from its stigma, leaving its backside vulnerable.
Boom Stomper: an enormous, sentient boulder from Uprising. Though slow-moving, it attacks opponents from afar by stomping onto the earth. The seedling sprouting from its head is its weak point.
Mahva: a white, vampire squid-like creature from Uprising. It protects itself and other enemies in a spherical barrier. The barrier can be destroyed.
Bumpety Bomb: a masked bomb on wheels from Uprising. Like a Bob-omb, it idly rolls around. When it spots an opponent, it light’s its fuse and rolls after them.
Megonta: an enormous woodlouse from Uprising. It curls into a ball and rolls into opponents with its indestructible shell. The weak point is its leggy underbelly.
Flage: a floating, gelatinous cyclops from Uprising with blade-like hands. Like Zuree, it is invisible before slicing opponents with a flurry attack.
Mimicutie: a treasure chest with legs from Uprising. It disguises itself as a chest. Opponents that approach it will be attacked by a flurry of kicks.