Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
Encyclopedia
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters is an action
platform
video game for the Game Boy
. It was developed by Nintendo
and Tose, and is the sequel to Kid Icarus
on the Nintendo Entertainment System
. The game was released in North America in November 1991, and in Europe on May 21, 1992. The story of Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters is influenced by Greek mythology
, and follows the angel soldier Pit
on his quest for three sacred treasures. His objective is to defeat the demon Orcos, who has invaded the kingdom of Angel Land. The game features the core gameplay mechanics of its predecessor. Players explore two-dimensional
environments while collecting items and fighting monsters. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was named the 18th best Game Boy game by Nintendo Power
, and critics commended it for its gameplay, graphics and music.
platform
game. It largely retains the gameplay of its predecessor, Kid Icarus
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES). The player controls the young angel Pit
, whose main weapon is a bow with an unlimited supply of arrows. The game's two-dimensional
levels contain collectable items and obstacles such as enemies and traps. Pit's objective is to reach the end of three stages – the underworld tower, the overworld and the sky world tower – each of which is separated into three areas and a labyrinthine fortress. Upon completing one of a stage's areas, the player has the option of saving their progress, and Pit's health bar
may be expanded if he has defeated enough enemies.
Unlike in Kid Icarus, the game's levels scroll freely in all four directions, which enables the player to explore previously visited environments. As an additional control feature, Pit can flap his wings in mid-air to slow his descent. In each area, there are hidden doors that lead to eight different types of chambers. In shops and black markets, the player may buy items such as healing potions in exchange for hearts, which are left behind by destroyed monsters. Information centers provide hints, hot springs restore Pit's health, and bat chambers give the player an opportunity to earn extra hearts. Treasuries hold items that can be obtained in a game of chance
. In the sacred chamber, the god Zeus
presents Pit with additional physical strength depending on the number of enemies defeated. The sacred training center has Pit take part in a test of endurance. His success will be awarded with one of three weapons, which will become active if his health is high enough: the protective crystals shield Pit from enemies, and the fire arrows and long bow increase the vertical and horizontal range of the arrows, respectively. During the course of the game, the player must find and defeat guardian monsters in the fortresses to retrieve three sacred treasures – the Wings of Pegasus, the Silver Armor and the Light Arrows. These are special items, which grant Pit new abilities in the final stage, the sky palace.
interprets as a foreshadowing of an invasion by the demon Orcos
and his minions. The goddess summons Pit – the leader of her army – and commands him to enter a special training that will give him the power to use Angel Land's three sacred treasures. To keep these safe from Orcos while Pit is on his mission, Palutena has them protected by three fortress guardians. After Pit has finished his training and defeated the guardians, the goddess equips him with the sacred treasures. Orcos appears and turns Palutena to stone, but Pit defeats him and saves her, restoring peace to Angel Land. In the ending, Pit soars into the sky. As in the Greek myth of Icarus
, he flies too close to the sun and loses his wings.
in cooperation with the external company Tose. It was released in North America in November 1991, and in Europe on May 21, 1992. As such, it is one of the few first-party
Nintendo games that were not published in Japan. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters has been met with generally favorable reviews. A writer of the UK publication Nintendo Magazine System awarded it a score of 71 percent, and described it as a "fairly jolly adaptation of the NES platform game [that] provides the fun, but is now getting rather long in the tooth". Joystiq
s JC Fletcher thought that it "advances significantly beyond its predecessor", yet "remains unquestionably Kid Icarus, the same weird game about shooting snakes falling out of inverted clay pots". A GamePro
reviewer under the pseudonym "The Great McGillicuty" found the game's controls to be "precise and accurate", and gave its gameplay the magazine's maximum score of five points. He said that the "music sets the mood", and that the graphics were "fine in black-and-white
", owing to its "large sprites
and nice backgrounds". IGN
editor Audrey Drake called the game an "awesome sequel" that stood out to her because of its improvements over the gameplay of the original Kid Icarus. Although she found it to be "not as punishing ... and, perhaps, not as memorable" as the NES game, she thought that Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was "a solid title that has undeservedly been all-but-forgotten". GameZone
s David Sanchez believed that it "faithfully captured the magic of the first game", and demanded a digital re-release for the Nintendo 3DS
handheld console. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was included in Nintendo Power
s list of the 20 best Game Boy games, where it came in 18th place. It remained the last installment in the Kid Icarus series for 20 years, until the 2011 3D shooter Kid Icarus: Uprising
for the Nintendo 3DS.
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
. It was developed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Tose, and is the sequel to Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus, known as in Japan, is an action platform video game for the Famicom Disk System in Japan and the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe and North America. The first entry in Nintendo's Kid Icarus series, it was published in Japan in December 1986, and in Europe and North America in...
on the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. The game was released in North America in November 1991, and in Europe on May 21, 1992. The story of Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters is influenced by Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, and follows the angel soldier Pit
Pit (Kid Icarus)
is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Kid Icarus series, first appearing in Kid Icarus for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986 and later appearing in Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters for the Game Boy in 1991...
on his quest for three sacred treasures. His objective is to defeat the demon Orcos, who has invaded the kingdom of Angel Land. The game features the core gameplay mechanics of its predecessor. Players explore two-dimensional
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
environments while collecting items and fighting monsters. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was named the 18th best Game Boy game by Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
, and critics commended it for its gameplay, graphics and music.
Gameplay
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters is an actionAction game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
game. It largely retains the gameplay of its predecessor, Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus, known as in Japan, is an action platform video game for the Famicom Disk System in Japan and the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe and North America. The first entry in Nintendo's Kid Icarus series, it was published in Japan in December 1986, and in Europe and North America in...
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES). The player controls the young angel Pit
Pit (Kid Icarus)
is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Kid Icarus series, first appearing in Kid Icarus for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986 and later appearing in Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters for the Game Boy in 1991...
, whose main weapon is a bow with an unlimited supply of arrows. The game's two-dimensional
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
levels contain collectable items and obstacles such as enemies and traps. Pit's objective is to reach the end of three stages – the underworld tower, the overworld and the sky world tower – each of which is separated into three areas and a labyrinthine fortress. Upon completing one of a stage's areas, the player has the option of saving their progress, and Pit's health bar
Health (gaming)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
may be expanded if he has defeated enough enemies.
Unlike in Kid Icarus, the game's levels scroll freely in all four directions, which enables the player to explore previously visited environments. As an additional control feature, Pit can flap his wings in mid-air to slow his descent. In each area, there are hidden doors that lead to eight different types of chambers. In shops and black markets, the player may buy items such as healing potions in exchange for hearts, which are left behind by destroyed monsters. Information centers provide hints, hot springs restore Pit's health, and bat chambers give the player an opportunity to earn extra hearts. Treasuries hold items that can be obtained in a game of chance
Game of chance
A game of chance is a game whose outcome is strongly influenced by some randomizing device, and upon which contestants may or may not wager money or anything of monetary value...
. In the sacred chamber, the god Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
presents Pit with additional physical strength depending on the number of enemies defeated. The sacred training center has Pit take part in a test of endurance. His success will be awarded with one of three weapons, which will become active if his health is high enough: the protective crystals shield Pit from enemies, and the fire arrows and long bow increase the vertical and horizontal range of the arrows, respectively. During the course of the game, the player must find and defeat guardian monsters in the fortresses to retrieve three sacred treasures – the Wings of Pegasus, the Silver Armor and the Light Arrows. These are special items, which grant Pit new abilities in the final stage, the sky palace.
Plot
The game is set in the Greek mythological fantasy world Angel Land that is ruled by the goddess Palutena. Its story is detailed in the instruction booklet: Palutena has a nightmare, which a soothsayerFortune-telling
Fortune-telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. The scope of fortune-telling is in principle identical with the practice of divination...
interprets as a foreshadowing of an invasion by the demon Orcos
Orcus
Orcus was a Roman god of the underworld.Orcus can also refer to:* Orcus , a demon prince in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game*90482 Orcus, a Trans-Neptunian object* Orcus , a genus of ladybird...
and his minions. The goddess summons Pit – the leader of her army – and commands him to enter a special training that will give him the power to use Angel Land's three sacred treasures. To keep these safe from Orcos while Pit is on his mission, Palutena has them protected by three fortress guardians. After Pit has finished his training and defeated the guardians, the goddess equips him with the sacred treasures. Orcos appears and turns Palutena to stone, but Pit defeats him and saves her, restoring peace to Angel Land. In the ending, Pit soars into the sky. As in the Greek myth of Icarus
Icarus
-Space and astronomy:* Icarus , on the Moon* Icarus , a planetary science journal* 1566 Icarus, an asteroid* IKAROS, a interplanetary unmanned spacecraft...
, he flies too close to the sun and loses his wings.
Development and reception
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was designed by Masafumi Sakashita, and developed by NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
in cooperation with the external company Tose. It was released in North America in November 1991, and in Europe on May 21, 1992. As such, it is one of the few first-party
First-party developer
A video game development party can be one of two parties: a first-party or third-party developer.- First-party developer :In the video game industry, a first-party developer is a developer that is part of a company that manufactures a video game console, and develops exclusively for it...
Nintendo games that were not published in Japan. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters has been met with generally favorable reviews. A writer of the UK publication Nintendo Magazine System awarded it a score of 71 percent, and described it as a "fairly jolly adaptation of the NES platform game [that] provides the fun, but is now getting rather long in the tooth". Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
s JC Fletcher thought that it "advances significantly beyond its predecessor", yet "remains unquestionably Kid Icarus, the same weird game about shooting snakes falling out of inverted clay pots". A GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
reviewer under the pseudonym "The Great McGillicuty" found the game's controls to be "precise and accurate", and gave its gameplay the magazine's maximum score of five points. He said that the "music sets the mood", and that the graphics were "fine in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
", owing to its "large sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
and nice backgrounds". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
editor Audrey Drake called the game an "awesome sequel" that stood out to her because of its improvements over the gameplay of the original Kid Icarus. Although she found it to be "not as punishing ... and, perhaps, not as memorable" as the NES game, she thought that Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was "a solid title that has undeservedly been all-but-forgotten". GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
s David Sanchez believed that it "faithfully captured the magic of the first game", and demanded a digital re-release for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
handheld console. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was included in Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
s list of the 20 best Game Boy games, where it came in 18th place. It remained the last installment in the Kid Icarus series for 20 years, until the 2011 3D shooter Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kid Icarus: Uprising, known in Japan as , is an upcoming title for the Nintendo 3DS video game system, developed by Project Sora and to be published by Nintendo. It is the third game in the Kid Icarus series and the first since 1991's Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, a nineteen-year wait...
for the Nintendo 3DS.