Project Sora, the studio behind Kid Icarus: Uprising, has been closed. The company announced that it was dissolved as of June 30, though studio founder Masahiro Sakurai is still working on projects for Nintendo in his own capacity.
It took more than 25 years for the original NES Kid Icarus to receive a sequel. If Kid Icarus Uprising's director, Masahiro Sakurai, gets his way, it will be another 25 years to get yet another follow-up. While the decision is ultimately in Nintendo's hands, he said "for now, my thought is that perhaps we'll see someone else besides me make another Kid Icarus in another 25 years."
While Kid Icarus: Uprising was showered with critical praise upon its release, there was still one nagging complaint: the controls. The odd combination of stylus-and-analog stick gameplay was one of the reasons why Nintendo had to bundle the game with a plastic support stand for the 3DS. It would enable players a "comfortable option for playing," suggesting (rightfully) that the game would be uncomfortable without it.
So why didn't Uprising offer a seemingly more sensible solution: support for dual-analog controls (via the Circle Pad Pro)? According to director Masahiro Sakurai, that would have been "impossible."
It's hard to believe, but Pit's last starring vehicle was Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, a 1991 Game Boy title, and his legendary original adventure, Kid Icarus, was all the way back in 1987 on the NES. It's no wonder he begins Kid Icarus: Uprising with the words "Sorry I kept you waiting." Fortunately for long-time fans of the series, Pit's first modern adventure on the 3DS was worth the wait.
Are you ready to "catch 'em all" on your 3DS? No, we're not talking about Pokemon. We're talking about Kid Icarus Uprising.
Apparently, there will be "hundreds" of real life cards you can collect for the game, for use in the game's non-interactive augmented reality mode. With these AR cards, you'll be able to see animated character models come to life through your 3DS camera. Place two of these cards next to each other, and they'll battle.
Nintendo is aiming to make multiplayer a big draw in Kid Icarus: Uprising, with a multiplayer tournament leading up to its March 23 launch. Select GameStop stores will host tournaments with regional championships set for four cities. Those contenders will go on to take part in the national championships on March 22.
Nintendo detailed the Kid Icarus: Uprising multiplayer modes at today's Nintendo Direct presentation. The modes include an all-out battle royale, and a multiplayer mode more similar to VIP modes in various shooters.
Coming from Project Sora, developers of the Smash Bros. franchise, it shouldn't be too surprising that Kid Icarus: Uprising is designed with hardcore gamers in mind. The upcoming 3DS shooter allows you to adjust the game's "intensity level," letting you customize how difficult you want the game.
But the "Fiend's Cauldron" feature is more than just an adjustable difficulty scale. In addition, you'll be able to bet in-game currency to see if you can survive the challenge. "As the intensity increases, players will be able to earn more Hearts and more powerful weapon drops from defeated enemies," Nintendo notes.
Many gamers that will pick up Kid Icarus: Uprising for 3DS may never have had a chance to play the original NES game. Thankfully, Nintendo of America is offering an updated version of the 25 year old classic free with pre-orders of the game.
The enhanced 3D Classics version of Kid Icarus will be included with all pre-ordered copies of the game at select retailers. The eShop port includes new graphics and 3D visuals.
Yesterday, we reported that Japanese copies of Kid Icarus: Uprising would include a free plastic stand to hold your 3DS. By no longer requiring players to hold the system while playing, the plastic stand should appease critics that claimed the game was "not particularly comfortable" to play.
Nintendo of America has confirmed that the plastic stand will be included with US copies of the game as well. In a statement to Shacknews, a company representative confirmed: "Nintendo is including a free stand with all copies of the Kid Icarus: Uprising game for the Nintendo 3DS system."
Back at E3, I noted that Kid Icarus: Uprising was "not particularly comfortable" to play. "Given how quickly all the characters move, it felt like aiming with the stylus simply couldn't keep up with the action on hand," I noted.
In an attempt to ease playing Uprising on the 3DS, Nintendo is bundling a plastic stand with Japanese copies of the game. The stand will position the 3DS at a playable angle and will allow you to play the game without having to hold onto the system.
Kid Icarus: Uprising was one of the first games announced for the Nintendo 3DS, but it's also among the ones taking the longest to release. The game was likely delayed to have time for the recently confirmed online multiplayer, but now we've learned the game is adopting the Circle Pad Pro as well -- albeit not how you may think.
Even in this day and age, not all Nintendo games with multiplayer features will support online connectivity. Kid Icarus: Uprising is not one of those games. The not particularly thrilling multiplayer mode for the upcoming 3DS shooter will support both ad-hoc and online 3v3 play, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata confirmed in a Japanese video yesterday.
Nintendo outlined its plans for the first quarter of 2012 today, which includes release dates for some of the anticipated first-party titles. Most notable for fans of Nintendo's first-party games is a solid release date for Kid Icarus: Uprising on March 23. The Circle Pad Pro will come alongside Resident Evil Revelations on February 7, for $19.99, and exclusive to GameStop stores.
Nintendo's 3DS slate has been fairly light since launch, but heavy hitters, such as Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, should help bolster the library this holiday season. While Nintendo could release more games on the platform this year, company president Satoru Iwata says they've strategically kept some games out of 2011 to maximize their sales potential.
Read more: This year 'so dense' that additional software sales would suffer »
"Yeah, I heard on several podcasts how much people like it and I plan to buy it someday. It ..."
- Gwyndion See all 5 comments