Having escaped the Underworld, traversed the Overworld, and ascended through the Skyworld, Pit at last arrives at Palutena’s palace. And once again, the game changes formats… though this time it’s a far more radical transformation. The three treasures you’ve wrested away from the fortress bosses (the mirror shield, the wings of Pegasus, and the arrow […]

The general consensus seems to be “I like Anatomy of a Game, but Kid Icarus is dumb.” So let’s just power on through the rest of this bad boy today and tomorrow and move along to more fertile territory, shall we? Really, there’s not too much to break down about most of the second half […]

I guess I should wrap up The Anatomy of Kid Icarus and get it over and done with. I’m a little disappointed that people have lost interest in the Anatomy series, since it’s been a lot of fun to write. Is it that the games I’ve been covering are less interesting than the first few […]

With World 1-3 bested, Pit moves along to an even more advanced version of the vertically scrolling action that’s transpired over the past three stages… oh, no, wait. Actually World 1-4 bears no resemblance whatsoever to the previous three levels. Instead of a one-way ascent, this stage instead plays out as a labyrinth of single, […]

Did you miss me? Alas, I had to take a break from 2 Dimensions because I was working on a massive freaking Sega Genesis anniversary tribute. As always, the challenge with this sort of thing is in writing something about a well-worn subject that hasn’t already been said to death. Despite the fact that they’re […]

Depending on which version of Kid Icarus you play, the game’s difficulty level will either climb or drop here in the second stage. In the 3D Classics remake, World 1-2 isn’t as difficult as World 1-1; in the original NES/Famicom game, however, it’s moderately more difficult. So if you go old-school, you have to struggle […]

Like Castlevania, Kid Icarus tells a story through its environmental design. Castlevania‘s story, I think, is relayed more effectively via its visuals, but Kid Icarus‘ narrative actually fits better with the progression of its play mechanics. In brief, the gorgon Medusa has deposed the goddess of light, Palutena, imprisoning both the goddess and her subjects […]