Kid Icarus: Uprising

Kid Icarus: Uprising is a game that is as good as the best of the best ever produced by Nintendo. Possibly the greatest handheld game ever created, and another Nintendo series boldly taking the transition into 3D triumphantly, it's fully recommended to everyone without hesitation.

77%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

grinding, optimization

87% User Score Based on 30 reviews

Critic Score 90%Based on 4 reviews

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Kid Icarus: Uprising is a single player and multiplayer hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Sora and was released on March 22, 2012. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

One of the most beloved franchises in Nintendos long history makes its glorious return in spectacular 3D! Pit of Kid Icarus fame is back in a new game designed specifically for the Nintendo 3DS system, by Masahiro Sakurai, creator of the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. franchises, and his development team at Project Sora. Kid Icarus: Uprising is a fast-paced and action-packed blend of aerial and grou…

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

story15 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Incredible graphics and diverse environments, showcasing the best visuals on the 3DS.
Deep gameplay mechanics with a vast array of weapons, customization options, and a unique difficulty scaling system that enhances replayability.
Engaging story and character interactions, with humorous dialogue that adds to the overall experience.

The control scheme is awkward and can lead to discomfort, especially during prolonged play sessions, making it challenging for some players to adapt.
The multiplayer modes are limited, with only two options available, which may feel shallow compared to other games.
Some players may find the AR card functionality and additional features to be underwhelming or not worth the effort.

story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
54%
8%
The game's story is engaging and humorous, featuring a well-written narrative that follows Pit, an angel battling Medusa's evil forces. Players appreciate the entertaining dialogue and voice acting, which enhance the gameplay experience, although some find the constant chatter distracting. Overall, the story is lengthy, filled with plot twists, and offers a satisfying blend of action and character interaction, making it enjoyable for both younger and older audiences.
- “The story is amazing, the characters are memorable, and the dialogue is very good.”
- “The story of this game is full of plot twists and will keep throwing at you unexpected twists and turns, keeping you constantly engaged in the story.”
- “The game offers a quirky and fun story that is quite lengthy, even somewhat longer than some console shooters on the market.”
- “But the game just lacks something... like a story I guess I would say.”
- “But what I mean by story is it doesn't escalate for me.”
- “Every twist in the plot was ridiculous and the chatter between the characters only added to the experience.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
19%
14%
The graphics in this game are widely praised as stunning, showcasing the best visual effects and 3D capabilities seen on the 3DS. Reviewers highlight the charming art style, smooth frame rates, and immersive environments, making the visuals a standout feature that enhances the overall gaming experience. Additionally, the combination of beautiful character artwork and effective use of stereoscopic 3D further elevates the game's aesthetic appeal.
- “The graphics are very nice, the frame rate is smooth, the environments are pretty, and the voice acting is both well-done and funny/entertaining.”
- “The graphics and music are gorgeous, and the conversations are cheesy (deliberately so) and break the 4th wall, making playing the game with sound almost a must.”
- “The graphics are the best I've seen yet on the 3DS.”
- “The graphics, in visual effects and 3D effects, are currently the best on the 3DS.”
- “The graphics... yes... nowadays most people only care about the graphics, not the gameplay, is surprisingly stunning considering it is a Nintendo handheld game!”
- “The graphic... yes... nowadays most people only care about the graphics, not the gameplay, is surprisingly stunning considering it is a Nintendo handheld game!”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
The gameplay of Kid Icarus: Uprising is praised for its finely-tuned mechanics and rich content, offering a blend of shooting, action platforming, and engaging narrative elements. Players appreciate the challenging yet fun experience, with customizable difficulty across numerous levels, though some may find the controls straining during extended play. Overall, the game delivers a captivating and addictive experience, enhanced by stunning graphics and lively character interactions.
- “This game has the same emphasis on both fine-tuned mechanics and a package stuffed to the gills with content.”
- “Kid Icarus: Uprising provides a completely addicting gameplay experience that will engulf you once given the chance.”
- “The gameplay is very fun and challenging (if you want it to be), there are many extras, and the game plays out like a mix between a shooter, action platformer, and cutesy anime with a loose Greek mythos.”
- “Some people might have difficulty adjusting, and it does strain the left hand with prolonged (more than an hour) gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is pretty consistent to the point where it gets kind of boring and dull.”
- “There is almost constant chatting between characters during gameplay.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
13%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised as one of its standout features, described as fantastic, adventurous, and among the best soundtracks in Nintendo history. Reviewers highlight its ability to enhance the gameplay experience, with memorable themes that evoke nostalgia and complement the game's vibrant graphics and engaging narrative. While some opinions vary, with a few noting the music as merely "fair," the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's immersive atmosphere.
- “The music is fantastic and is serious yet adventurous.”
- “The soundtrack is arguably some of the best ever featured in a Nintendo game.”
- “The music is great+++, many home console games can't even match Kid Icarus's.”
- “The music is classical, and together with the scenery, you could almost imagine that the makers of MDK had some hand in this game!”
- “The game provides enough eye-candy to make your eyes drool, is coupled with a soundtrack worthy of the ages, and provides a surprisingly amusing narrative presented through character dialogue during gameplay.”
- “No, I didn't grow up playing the original Kid Icarus on the NES; I didn't even own the game until I had a Wii and was in college, but the dialogue and the music just take me back to watching Saturday morning cartoons.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is consistently praised for its well-written and entertaining dialogue, enhanced by strong voice acting that adds to the comedic experience. Players appreciate the blend of funny moments with key story information, making the humor both engaging and integral to gameplay. Overall, the humor is described as "hamazing," appealing to a wide audience, including both younger players and adults who can appreciate its lightheartedness.
- “The game is also fully voiced, with constant chatter during the missions; the story is also fairly funny and well-written.”
- “The characters are memorable primarily due to many of them having unexpected and well-done personalities that cause some frankly hilarious dialogue to take place.”
- “The story is good, the humor is great; I can't think of any other word to describe it: amazing.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding mechanics in land combat to be a mix of engaging movement options like dashing and grinding rails, but the overall experience can feel tedious due to the constant need for camera adjustments and uncomfortable default control settings.
- “Sound like a lot of grinding?”
- “Other than that, the controls are fine but kind of tedious because you have to constantly move the camera, and it's hard to sit in a comfortable position with the default control settings.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game offers tailored optimization settings based on player performance, allowing users to select higher difficulty levels for increased rewards, such as better weapons, albeit with the risk of losing hearts.
- “The game recommends specific settings based on your performance, but you can opt for a higher difficulty at the risk of losing hearts, aiming for better rewards and a higher chance of acquiring superior weapons for both single and multiplayer modes.”
- “I love how the optimization system allows me to tailor my experience. It suggests settings that enhance performance while still giving me the freedom to challenge myself.”
- “The balance between risk and reward in the optimization settings is fantastic. It encourages players to push their limits for greater rewards.”
- “The game recommends specific settings based on your performance, but you can opt for a higher difficulty at the risk of losing hearts, in hopes of gaining better weapons for both single and multiplayer modes.”
- “The optimization options are confusing and don't seem to have a noticeable impact on performance.”
- “Despite adjusting the settings, the game still struggles with frame drops and lag during intense moments.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replayability, particularly for a handheld title, with additional side areas to explore that unlock on harder difficulties, enhancing the single-player experience.
- “It's good for a handheld title, but it has a ton of replayability.”
- “Additionally, with side areas to explore, some of which are available only on harder difficulties, they give the single-player mode some replayability.”

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90%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews

4h Median play time

4h Average play time

12h Main story

95h Completionist

4-4h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Kid Icarus: Uprising is a hack and slash game with fantasy theme.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is available on Nintendo 3ds.

The main story can be completed in around 12 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 95 hours to finish. On average players spend around 4 hours playing Kid Icarus: Uprising.

Kid Icarus: Uprising was released on March 22, 2012.

Kid Icarus: Uprising was developed by Sora.

Kid Icarus: Uprising has received positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Assault Android Cactus, Darksiders Genesis, Bastion, Megabyte Punch, Project Nimbus and others.

Kid Icarus: Uprising

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