50 best Nintendo 3DS games right now

Best Nintendo 3DS Games – #35 Kid Icarus: Uprising

Developer: Project Sora

Release Date: March 23rd, 2012

Synopsis: Set in the same mythological world as Kid Icarus, Uprising makes use of the 3DS’s dual-screen to provide a unique handheld shooter experience alternating between airborne rail shooter segments and ground-based, third-person segments. The bottom screen displays the main character, an angel named Pit, in relation to his environment, while the top screen is used to aim and shoot his bow and arrow or use whatever other weapons he happens to have equipped at the time, with a total of nine types available. Using his angelic abilities, Pit must seek out and defeat Medusa and Hades at the behest of the light goddess Palutena, and save the world from the invasion of darkness that threatens it.

Why It’s One Of The Best Nintendo Games: Kid Icarus: Uprising is another excellent example of Nintendo’s attempts at innovation earlier in the life cycles of its platforms this gen. Granted, the controls for the dual-screen shooter didn’t go over perfectly. As we’re relearning with games like Star Fox Zero, alternating attention constantly between two screens can be frustrating and difficult for design teams to get right. And yet, Uprising was not dragged down too much by the struggles of the control scheme.

The storyline, light-hearted with just enough gravity, kept its audience hooked until the end, the six-person multiplayer inspired friends to play together in true Nintendo style, and the soundtrack is simply breathtaking, boasting multiple famous composers including Motoi Sakuraba and Yasunori Mitsuda. Overall, Kid Icarus: Uprising was a brave move for Nintendo since the 3rd person shooter genre isn’t a route they typically take for new IPs. It was one that paid off, and one we hope to see again.