Kid Icarus: Uprising

 3DS
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 643 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 556 out of 643
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 643
  3. Negative: 27 out of 643
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  1. Focksb0t
    Dec 28, 2015
    7
    Kid Icarus: Uprising is a hotpot (or hodgepodge, if you like) of good and bad, light and darkness, in keeping with its narrative themes. The most enjoyable feature by far is the pace and cinematic extravagance of the on-rail shooter sections which make up half the content. They deftly blend swelling music, sweeping vistas and quickfire dialogue as Pit the angel is blown, spun and buffetedKid Icarus: Uprising is a hotpot (or hodgepodge, if you like) of good and bad, light and darkness, in keeping with its narrative themes. The most enjoyable feature by far is the pace and cinematic extravagance of the on-rail shooter sections which make up half the content. They deftly blend swelling music, sweeping vistas and quickfire dialogue as Pit the angel is blown, spun and buffeted for miles on end, through canyons, crevices and constellations. Poseidon splits the sea for him. Massed armies fire at him from the ground. Fortresses yield their hidden apertures. And all the time, the player is busily engaged with gunning down and dodging, while Pit's employer, the goddess Palutena, alternates between teasing quips, tactical talk and exposition duties. Later in the game, other characters join in the radio banter, and it's half-rollercoaster, half-sitcom.

    The script and voice-acting are stellar by the standards of other video games, perfectly acceptable by any other standard. Since the plot is a feather-light series of fantasy cartoon tropes, the only real bar the characters have to clear is to be likeable and entertaining. With the odd exception, they achieve this. Phyrrhon the god-who-thinks-he's-a-champion-of-justice is a particular favourite of mine.

    Special mention should go to the way difficulty is managed. You can start a level at any 'intensity' from 2.0 to 9.0, paying in hearts (the in-game currency) to push the meter up. The higher you go, the harder the stage and the greater the reward. When you die, it knocks you down a difficulty but starts you at a recent checkpoint. So while dying costs you hearts and lowers the rewards you can claim, you never have to start the whole level again.

    Of middling quality are the enemies. In terms of their mechanics, they offer a decent enough challenge, with an array of different weaknesses to be exploited. But visually, they're a slapdash batch of half-baked conceits, seemingly imported from a time when platform games rained down any old **** on the player.

    Now onto the grimier stuff. The on-foot sections that make up the other half of the game rely far too heavily on enforced 'arena' battles. That is to say, the game regularly traps you in a small space with no cover while waves of enemies materialise out of thin air, only opening the gates when you've defeated them all. This would be a more tolerable feature if the controls were more agreeable, but I'll come onto them later.

    There are a handful of optional vehicle sections. All the vehicles handle poorly and are hardly any fun at all, which is very disappointing. The Exo Tank in particular steers like an oil tanker.

    The weapons system is actually perfectly decent and fairly diverting, but is far more limited than the publicity around the game leads one to believe. All the weapons behave almost identically - they fire continuous fast projectiles, can charge up for a more powerful single shot, are used for melee attacks when an enemy is nearby, and let loose a burst when used in conjunction with dashing. The difference is largely in the stats - range, power (at different ranges), speed, charge time, and so on. There are few exceptions, such as bouncing or explosive shots, but after a while they all seem to blend into one. As you earn or buy more weapons, you'll want to fuse them together to create even more powerful weapons, and it becomes mostly a numbers game, rather than having anything to do with styles of play of 'game feel'.

    I suppose the weapons system would feel slightly more tactical if you could take two or more into a level with you and switch between them, but as it is you have to opt for the same one for handling every type of enemy the game throws at you. Your sniper-rifle-like laser staff will let you down when you're trapped in a corner at close quarters, while your wolf claws will have you haring back and forth to reach each adversary.

    Dishonorable mention goes to the health system. At fixed points, you will find fruit or hot springs to revive your flagging strength, but these often turn up at the most inopportune points, when you're already close to full health, while there are long, punishing sections with not a melon or apple in sight. Oh for portable health kits!

    Finally, then, the controls. They are awful. Never mind the strain it puts on hands, back, eyes or all three by making you use your left hand to move, fire and support the whole system while your right hand hovers and swipes; the real problem is that the 3DS touch screen is used for both moving the aiming reticule *and* moving the camera. How does it know which you want to do? Well, it seems to guess. This means you cannot turn round quickly or accurately, even as enemies appear behind and to the side. Worse still, you have to *fight* the camera as it moves on its own to offer dramatic angles. Circle-strafing makes the whole thing go haywire, and getting behind an enemy to target their weak spot is ludicrously difficult.    … Expand
  2. sakurazuka90
    Feb 5, 2021
    7
    It's a pretty good game. I liked story, characters, graphics and music. There are also aspects of game I didn't try such as multi player. The thing that made me give it only 7/10 are controls. They add 3DS stand to this game for a reason. Especially if you have 3DS XL. Using stylus for both camera movement and targeting at the same time was troublesome for me all the way to the end.It's a pretty good game. I liked story, characters, graphics and music. There are also aspects of game I didn't try such as multi player. The thing that made me give it only 7/10 are controls. They add 3DS stand to this game for a reason. Especially if you have 3DS XL. Using stylus for both camera movement and targeting at the same time was troublesome for me all the way to the end. Sometimes level design required some precision to not fall down but weird momentum of Pit's movement made it quite hard. But other than that it's really pretty and fun game - if controls work for you add at least 1 point to the score.… Expand
  3. hector_bcn98
    Nov 4, 2022
    7
    Audiovisualmente explota la consola, pero no es todo lo divertido ni cómodo que debería ser.
  4. Incarta
    Feb 16, 2014
    6
    My main issue is with the controls. I never got on with them. Clumsy and fiddly and never mastered. Maybe it was me. Still, it's good looking enough and the story is ok. I hope they make another with more traditional controls
  5. koolkris200
    Apr 15, 2012
    6
    I give it a 60 rating because it is very hard but I have been playing lots of games in the past and it is so so with this game it's pretty easy because you can make it so you can have what ever intensity you want easy/standard/medium/hard this game was not worth getting. except for the stand which comes in handy so you do not have to hold it so long
  6. vickykoi
    Jul 28, 2022
    6
    The game gets repetitive. The dialogue is funny and probably the best part of the game. However every level is mostly the same formula and some of them have puzzles when you fight on the ground, but it’s not fun on a 3.5 inch screen. Maybe I would’ve liked it more on an XL console. I could only play 1-2 chapters a night. I pretty much forced myself to complete this title because i spentThe game gets repetitive. The dialogue is funny and probably the best part of the game. However every level is mostly the same formula and some of them have puzzles when you fight on the ground, but it’s not fun on a 3.5 inch screen. Maybe I would’ve liked it more on an XL console. I could only play 1-2 chapters a night. I pretty much forced myself to complete this title because i spent 35$ on it. However I have no desire to replay levels on harder intensities or grind for items.

    Your hands will cramp and this isn’t a game you can play laying down. It’s also not for left handed people as you can only aim Pitt’s shots with your right hand.    … Expand
  7. IrishChai
    Jul 18, 2012
    5
    This is one of the only games I really struggled with on the system so far. It's a great game and definitely one of the best on the system, but I eventually lost all patience with the ground control. I never got used to the horrible design of it, even though I worked out a passable method to at least give me a good chance of clearing every level. The problem was I didn't enjoy the feel ofThis is one of the only games I really struggled with on the system so far. It's a great game and definitely one of the best on the system, but I eventually lost all patience with the ground control. I never got used to the horrible design of it, even though I worked out a passable method to at least give me a good chance of clearing every level. The problem was I didn't enjoy the feel of it and still managed to die because of how frustrating it was to play those sections. If there was an option to just exclude every ground section of the game, or at least put it on rails similar to the flight sections, this could've been one of my favorite games. It's excellent in every other way, especially in replay value and loot collecting. I can only hope if they come out with a #2 that they will address the awkward ground movement or exclude it from the game entirely. If the point of the game were to overcome the terrible control design, then I know whatever category this game falls in definitely isn't for me. It's a shame because I really wanted to like all the other great features. I'm even a big fan of the original and glad I at least got the 3D classic Kid Icarus. Just try before you buy.… Expand
  8. solidandrew
    Mar 24, 2012
    4
    Okay boys, here's the real lowdown on Kid Icarus: it sucks!

    The controls are atrocious, the dialog is corny, the 3d is impressive but graphics look like dated PS2 (nowhere close to as impressive as Resident Evil: Revelations, or even Ocarina of Time), and the game is just plain shallow in terms of gameplay. Now considering I don't want to write a full review that maybe only a handful of    Okay boys, here's the real lowdown on Kid Icarus: it sucks!

    The controls are atrocious, the dialog is corny, the 3d is impressive but graphics look like dated PS2 (nowhere close to as impressive as Resident Evil: Revelations, or even Ocarina of Time), and the game is just plain shallow in terms of gameplay.

    Now considering I don't want to write a full review that maybe only a handful of people will read, but I do very much enjoy sharing my opinion, I'll just tell you why the gameplay department is lacking severely:
    Firstly, stages are very linear and consist of really stupid looking enemies that all basically require you to do the same thing: dodge and fire at the weak spot; which wouldn't be such a bad thing if the controls weren't so awkward to use.
    Secondly, animations look cheap and stages are not very interactive at all.
    And lastly, now this on is just a mater of opinion, the game just feels like one of those cheap beat'em ups that you'd randomly decide to pick up for $4.99 on the used games shelf that provides no real sense of interaction or quality; just with a lot of content.

    Sure, everyone will argue that "There's so much content",
    "There's a bunch of different weapons",
    "The air combat is too fast for circle pad pro use",
    "The controls only take getting used too."
    Well you can put all the content in the world into a game if you want to, but if you can't experience all that content in an enjoyable way that doesn't basically force you to use a stupid stand to play it comfortably, then there's not really any point for all that content, is there?
    Also, if the air portions are too fast for circle pad use, then make the air portions stylus controlled, and the land based ones with the circle pad. and give us the option of being able to use either one. This would also make the game seem much more challenging and in-depth, and really provide an overall deeper experience. I also doubt people would complain about discomfort if they only needed to use the stylus for the air portions, and didn't have any need of the stand.
    And since when is it acceptable, especially in the year 2012, for controls to take getting used to? Sure, Resident Evil may take getting used to if someone hadn't played it before, but they are easy to learn, manageable, and always on point, regardless of what area you're at in the game; and they don't force you to use two separate peripherals, either - although it does give you the option of using one that vastly improves on already good controls. Also, I must mention that for anyone reading this review wondering why this game is getting a lot of positive feedback elsewhere, the answer is: advertising.
    People have already got it in their heads that this would be a good game, and they refuse to believe otherwise, even going as far as to sluff off difficult controls and not-so-impressive visuals as an afterthought. There's a reason that so much money goes into advertising, and it's not just exposure.

    Kid Icarus is a truly terrible game. Not-so-impressive visuals, corny gameplay, terrible control choices and the inclusion of a stand instead of circle pad pro support make this a embarrassment to Sakurai's name, and leave me worrying about the next smash brothers and Nintendo as a gaming company, for letting this game be published in their name.    … Expand
  9. B-Bog
    Apr 12, 2020
    4
    Downloaded this yesterday and played it for about 30 minutes, then I had to stop because my hands were so cramped up! Who tf came up with this dumb control scheme?! I thought shoehorning in touch controls was pretty much over by the time the 3DS came out, but apparently not. Why not utilize the gyro instead? Better yet, why not give the player the option to choose between different controlDownloaded this yesterday and played it for about 30 minutes, then I had to stop because my hands were so cramped up! Who tf came up with this dumb control scheme?! I thought shoehorning in touch controls was pretty much over by the time the 3DS came out, but apparently not. Why not utilize the gyro instead? Better yet, why not give the player the option to choose between different control styles, like Starfox 64 3D? The only other option besides using the touchscreen to aim is to use the four action buttons to move the reticle, which is pretty much a non-option. The controls on the ground are even worse than in the air. Touch-based tank-controls? Seriously? In an action game that came out in 2012 on a console with an analog pad? What were they thinking?

    I guess many people are saying that you get used to the sh*tty controls after a certain time. That may be true, because you get used to everything. That doesn‘t mean that it‘s good. If there was a plumbing issue in my house and my apartment smelled like sh*t all the time, I would eventually get used to the smell as well and not notice it anymore. That doesn‘t mean that it wouldn‘t be better to call a plumber and have the issue fixed. Why should I put in the effort to get used to this BS when I could just play the aforementioned Starfox 64 3D; a port of a game that originally came out in 1997, and yet, handles way better than whatever this is supposed to be.    … Expand
  10. Shunior
    Apr 4, 2022
    4
    Un buen juego pero no para ese sistema. Los controles son todo un dolor de cabeza (y manos) sinceramente es casi impossible jugar hasta el final sin acabar como el mismissimo Sakurai en el hospital. Hubiera sido mucho mejor si ese juego saliera para la Wii y jugarlo apuntando la mira con los wiimotes de siemrpe y moviendose con el nuchuck
  11. Gameplayer03
    Mar 24, 2012
    2
    I've been a Nintendo fan for a long time and I love my 3ds. I've been eagerly awaiting Uprising since it was first revealed. I became skeptical of the game when reading early build previews for it, all of them complained about the controls. I thought that it was simply a case of critics whining over nothing and hating on Nintendo. After buying this game however, I found out that they areI've been a Nintendo fan for a long time and I love my 3ds. I've been eagerly awaiting Uprising since it was first revealed. I became skeptical of the game when reading early build previews for it, all of them complained about the controls. I thought that it was simply a case of critics whining over nothing and hating on Nintendo. After buying this game however, I found out that they are correct. The controls practically ruin this game. Which is a real shame, because it is an absolutely fantastic game. You can go read other reviews to find out about the awesome content in this game, which there is an abundance, what I'm hear to talk about is something that reviewers have been acknowledging but haven't talked about in depth: the controls. Simply put, its damn near impossible to get Pit to do what you want him to do (especially on the ground). I've been told that their is a learning curve, but I'm on chapter 9 and have put in several hours online and the controls still aren't passable for me. The two biggest problems are dashing and controlling the reticule/camera. Dashing is a hit and miss, and you have to smash the circle pad extremely hard. Expect to wear down your circle pad if you play this game, it will most likely destroy the analog input over time. I will say that you will get better at the controls over time, but the problem lies within the controls themselves rather than the adapting period. Even if you can adapt to the controls, they're still wonky at best. Now, I used to own a DS LIte and played the hell out of Metroid Prime Hunters, I assumed that this would be similar. Unfortunately, that isn't so for three reasons: third person viewing, analog input (dashing especially, the whole game hinges on being able to dash), and how the camera is moved. THIS IS NOT LIKE MPH, if it was it would have been manageble. I think the third person view is what really screws it. Instead of moving just your reticule to both aim and move the camera like in MPH, you have to use two separate types of motion in uprising. Fast slashes to move the camera and slow drags to move the reticule. You can rarely even move the camera while in the reticule moving mode, it just stays within that window. I have no idea why they made it this way, but I'm guessing its because the aiming reticule would have been too sensitive for this type of shooter if they had done it like MPH. So in short, basically avoid this game. I that that's a very dissapointing thing to hear, believe me I'm dissapointed too. But this game's controls are so aweful that it is truly hard to get any enjoyment out of it, especially on the ground portions (which is the majority of the game). Nintendo really needs to re-design the 3ds with dual analog sticks, the touch screen works best for inventory like gameplay. Not trying to use a tiny stylus on a to aim a tiny reticule on a tiny ass bottom screen. It just simply doesn't work well. This game will unfortunately flop. Hopefully Nintendo gets the message, we love new/revised franchises but only use "innovative" control schemes that work (i.e. Skyward Sword). With so many other great titles on 3ds, you'd be better off to save your money for games like Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 3d land, Mario Kart 7, Resident Evil Revelations, Mutant Mudds, Pushmo, and even Snake Eater 3d. Just don't rush into the Uprising purchase like I did. If you're seriously considering buying it, at least play it first so you know what it will be like. Because it's not like MPH and it's nothing like a proper dual analog input game. This just proves how important controls are. A fantastic game with fantastic content, game structure, graphics, sound, depth..... as a matter of fact EVERYTHING is damn near fantastic, except the controls. What an absolute waste, a great game that you can't play because IT IS BROKEN.… Expand
  12. TemplarGR
    Sep 9, 2016
    0
    This is one of the sadest 3DS games to review: It has nice production values, it is charming, and is a game i really wanted to like.

    But it is totally unplayable because of the controls. Especially if you are left handed like myself. I never understood why Nintendo never released a patch to at least give left handed people the option to invert controls. Did they never playtested this    This is one of the sadest 3DS games to review: It has nice production values, it is charming, and is a game i really wanted to like.

    But it is totally unplayable because of the controls. Especially if you are left handed like myself. I never understood why Nintendo never released a patch to at least give left handed people the option to invert controls. Did they never playtested this thing? Are all their beta testers right handed? WTF?

    I am sorry, but if you game has totally abysmal controls, and on top of that it has even worse controls for almost half the population, then no matter the graphics or cool gameplay you put in your game, your game is trash.    … Expand
  13. jj350
    Mar 24, 2012
    0
    A complete and utter disappointment. The game was very overhyped and it failed to deliver. The control scheme is broken, which is a shame consider how the actual game is quite good. Considering how game breaking the controls are, I have to rate this one low, especially considering the expectations.
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best 3DS Game of 2012
3
#3 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2012
4
#4 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 75
  3. Negative: 1 out of 75
  1. Armchair Empire
    Jun 27, 2012
    90
    No doubt in my mind, 3DS owners should have Kid Icarus: Uprising in their library of games, especially if action games are a favorite.
    Read full review
  2. Hyper Magazine
    May 14, 2012
    90
    Nintendo magic strikes again, if you can adapt to the controls. [June 2012, p.68]
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    May 11, 2012
    83
    Kid Icarus: Uprising is an underdog tale: how an action game can be thoroughly enjoyable even when it suffers from some severe control problems. [May 2012]
See all critic reviews »