Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (Virtual Console)

There's an old saying: you wait and wait for a bus to come, and then two come along at once.

Nintendo has decided to apply the same principle to its Kid Icarus franchise, with no titles in the franchise for more than 20 years and then three all at once.

The only release that's actually new is the 3DS version - the 3D Classics NES version and this Game Boy edition are simply re-releases. But if you didn't know who Kid Icarus was before, Nintendo is damn well making sure you do now.

Monster time

The game involves taking control of winged avenger Pit and setting out to find three sacred treasures and defeat a giant demon who has invaded Angel Land.

If you found the original Kid Icarus painfully tricky then Of Myths and Monsters will be a relief, with large scrolling levels spread out in all directions and fluid platforming that feels tight and well-honed.

As you make your way up each world, enemies such as snakes, bugs, flying skulls, and occasionally the Grim Reaper will attempt to stop you in your tracks. Fortunately, you have your trusty bow and a smashy hammer to deal with them.

The game's levels feel a little confusing at first, as they appear to stretch in every direction. But once you realise that they scroll horizontally it becomes a case of exploring which routes are best to take.

The ability to tackle levels from a variety of different angles gives Of Myths and Monsters a real edge, and discovering the secrets behind each door scattered around the levels makes replaying the game several times really worthwhile.

No Kidding

While Of Myths and Monsters has stood the test of time fairly well, it has definitely lost some of its oomph over the years.

The visuals are nicely detailed, but after just ten minutes or so everything starts to merge together, with graphical details repeated all over the place.

There's barely anything to distinguish levels from each other, and so the game becomes a case of jumping your way across platform after platform of familiarity, which takes a lot away from the thrill of exploring.

Still, this is a journey worth taking, especially if you haven't given it a go before and you want to see where Pit's adventures took him prior to the latest 3DS release.

Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (Virtual Console)

Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters is worth picking up if you're eager for some backstory to the 3DS release
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Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.