Kid Icarus (NES, 1986)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-7.5 Control-6.5 Challenge-7.5 Story-6.5
Level Design-7 Frustration-8.5 Fun-7 Originality-7
Overall Score-7
+
Good variety (vertical/horizontal platforming, dungeon crawling, one auto-scrolling shooter level)
Pretty large arsenal of weapons & equipment (two weapon upgrades which activate with 3+ HP - flaming arrows (fireball orbits the tip of arrows) and sacred bow (longer range)+one arrow upgrade, spinning crystal shield that damages enemies, mallets which free AI allies from statues in dungeons (these only help you fight the bosses though which aren't that hard), harp - transform all enemies into mallets for a few seconds, auto revival item (bottle of life) - Hydlide, barrel (lets you carry up to 8 bottles of life))
Good sense of progression (start in the underworld, finale as an angel in heaven; many levels of upgrades)
Shops
Dungeon maps (have to buy it)
Credit card item (buy now, pay later)
Angel feather item saves you from a pit in the vertical levels by letting you fly temporarily to get back to a platform
Password save (at the end of each level only)
Checkpoints after each section
Five different endings (depends on how many stats were maxed out - Heart count (999 hears), Health Blocks (5 blocks), Arrow Power (5 arrows), and Enchanted Weapons (3 weapons))
New game+ (start with what you had when first finishing the game, plays the same otherwise)
+/-
Grinding (which you are supposed to do - EXP = Score in this game) makes the game much easier
Some healing springs
You can rescue angel soldiers to help with bosses but they are pretty much useless
Randomized shop inventories and you can't re-enter them unless you're in a fortress/dungeon/maze level (nor can you find one at the end of a level if you skipped buying from one)
Minor stealth element (the reapers - wait for them to turn around twice before shooting them in the back (otherwise they freak out and annoying tune plays+flying enemies attack you), a little buggy though in that sometimes they don't spot you even if looking directly at you)
Hidden intimidation mechanic (A+B in a regular shop - if you have upgraded your strength in that world if till usually make them lower their prices)
-
Pretty much reversed difficulty curve (first world is the hardest with few exceptions like the later icy segments, the trial rooms also make for big difficulty spikes early on, no health refill after beating a level, overly expensive shops early on)
Some very annoying enemies (eggplant wiz, thief)
Falling in a vertical level = death
Some control issues (small delay when turning around in mid-air - much longer if jumping while moving on an ice platform, Pit takes an extra step after landing from a jump or releasing the d-pad, can't jump when crouching or target upwards, can't even move while aiming upwards, kind of high default jump height)
Can only buy one item at a time at shops
Mostly easy bosses (final boss is pathetic if you find the safe spot which is fairly easy to do)
Trial & error (intricate and hidden ranking (Attack Strength/skill point) system - need 10k of these points before reaching each sacred chamber (which aren't differentiated from other ones from outside) to level it up, leveling up (increasing the health bar) also isn't really explained - just gain 20k/50/100k/200k points, some platforms are solid while others can be jumped down from by pressing down - meaning you can't duck in parts like the ice stages)
Makes you wait a lot - avoiding obstacles, timing enemy and trap patterns, waiting for NPCs to finish talking
Almost impossible to dodge some attacks (eggplant, swarms of spiked globes)
Climb down a screen using a ladder and you can't climb back up even though Pit is still clinging on to the ladder
Hearts can get stuck in walls
Level Design-7 Frustration-8.5 Fun-7 Originality-7
Overall Score-7
+
Good variety (vertical/horizontal platforming, dungeon crawling, one auto-scrolling shooter level)
Pretty large arsenal of weapons & equipment (two weapon upgrades which activate with 3+ HP - flaming arrows (fireball orbits the tip of arrows) and sacred bow (longer range)+one arrow upgrade, spinning crystal shield that damages enemies, mallets which free AI allies from statues in dungeons (these only help you fight the bosses though which aren't that hard), harp - transform all enemies into mallets for a few seconds, auto revival item (bottle of life) - Hydlide, barrel (lets you carry up to 8 bottles of life))
Good sense of progression (start in the underworld, finale as an angel in heaven; many levels of upgrades)
Shops
Dungeon maps (have to buy it)
Credit card item (buy now, pay later)
Angel feather item saves you from a pit in the vertical levels by letting you fly temporarily to get back to a platform
Password save (at the end of each level only)
Checkpoints after each section
Five different endings (depends on how many stats were maxed out - Heart count (999 hears), Health Blocks (5 blocks), Arrow Power (5 arrows), and Enchanted Weapons (3 weapons))
New game+ (start with what you had when first finishing the game, plays the same otherwise)
+/-
Grinding (which you are supposed to do - EXP = Score in this game) makes the game much easier
Some healing springs
You can rescue angel soldiers to help with bosses but they are pretty much useless
Randomized shop inventories and you can't re-enter them unless you're in a fortress/dungeon/maze level (nor can you find one at the end of a level if you skipped buying from one)
Minor stealth element (the reapers - wait for them to turn around twice before shooting them in the back (otherwise they freak out and annoying tune plays+flying enemies attack you), a little buggy though in that sometimes they don't spot you even if looking directly at you)
Hidden intimidation mechanic (A+B in a regular shop - if you have upgraded your strength in that world if till usually make them lower their prices)
-
Pretty much reversed difficulty curve (first world is the hardest with few exceptions like the later icy segments, the trial rooms also make for big difficulty spikes early on, no health refill after beating a level, overly expensive shops early on)
Some very annoying enemies (eggplant wiz, thief)
Falling in a vertical level = death
Some control issues (small delay when turning around in mid-air - much longer if jumping while moving on an ice platform, Pit takes an extra step after landing from a jump or releasing the d-pad, can't jump when crouching or target upwards, can't even move while aiming upwards, kind of high default jump height)
Can only buy one item at a time at shops
Mostly easy bosses (final boss is pathetic if you find the safe spot which is fairly easy to do)
Trial & error (intricate and hidden ranking (Attack Strength/skill point) system - need 10k of these points before reaching each sacred chamber (which aren't differentiated from other ones from outside) to level it up, leveling up (increasing the health bar) also isn't really explained - just gain 20k/50/100k/200k points, some platforms are solid while others can be jumped down from by pressing down - meaning you can't duck in parts like the ice stages)
Makes you wait a lot - avoiding obstacles, timing enemy and trap patterns, waiting for NPCs to finish talking
Almost impossible to dodge some attacks (eggplant, swarms of spiked globes)
Climb down a screen using a ladder and you can't climb back up even though Pit is still clinging on to the ladder
Hearts can get stuck in walls