Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012)

Sakurai really fucking knocked this one out of the park. It's crazy that this game is really this good and flew so under the radar. This absolute brainchild is an excellent combination of TPS and Rail Shooter and manages to do both mixes extraordinarily well. Featuring some excellent enemy design that never falters and solid rail levels that really push the stylus-point combat well, all wrapped up in a excellently written package due in no small part to the wonderful voice cast who perform so well here, creating a rather elegant package that is exemplified by the beautiful aesthetic and music it runs with.

It's not perfect of course, there's quite a few level parts that felt disgustingly brutal as a difficulty spike, and the system for health could've been made a lot more interesting. But even still, the completely in-your-hands difficulty setting and great replayability mitigates these issues. For something that isn't entirely 'my thing' in terms of how combat works (the arena combat doesn't really satisfy me in ways I assume will satisfy most others, and that's very much a main appeal) I can't recommend it enough. (8.5/10)

Man, i can't believe this game came out 7 years ago already. I remember being so excited to see my favourite smash bros character finally get his own game ! (I didn't know about the original kid icarus).

The AR cards... The black plastic stand thingy to hold your 3ds so you don't hurt your arm too badly... I couldn't wait to get my hands on the special edition.

The game radiates personnality and charm, yeah the combat can be a little iffy and awkward but it never really bothered me.

5 out of 5.

(Ps : Please give us a port on the switch ;v;)

If ever there was a game to truly warrant the creation of a 3DS, this would be it. As a rail-shooter, Kid Icarus goes above and beyond what anyone could imagine for the system.

Graphical prowess? Kid Icarus has gorgeous and incredibly action-packed set pieces across its 25 stages, each with very original looks that never overstay their welcome. Gameplay-wise it brings back the refreshing use of the touch screen and an aiming system that makes good use of the stylus and the Circle Pad.

The story is also quite stellar, filled with action and twists alongside plenty of humor and tongue-in-cheek references delivered by a strong voice cast. You'll be laughing and in awe at what the plot has planned next.

Mechanically, on top of making an unprecedented change for Kid Icarus, the design (from the UI to the difficulty meter) also heavily inspired the fantastic Super Smash Bros. 4, creating systems that are flexible and fun to play.

Overall, the game has an incredible amount of meat on some very sturdy bones; it's a crime if you have a 3DS and haven't played this gorgeous wonder.