Kid Icarus to smolder with generic rage?

by JC Fletcher { May 9th 2008 at 2:15PM }

Kombo has posted a gallery of what they say is early concept art for Factor 5's Kid Icarus game. The styles vary from fantasy cover art to Bruce Timm-style minimalism, but they all have one thing in common: Pit is a troubled young man. This fits with the proposed game pitch, in which Pit is "cursed for thousands of years and becomes a fallen angel." He bears a tattoo on his arm that details his crime. Awesome.

We hope this is fake, or not what Factor 5 (or whoever the real developer is) goes with. It's not even a matter of nostalgia: we need more weird flying platformers about eggplant wizards and fewer games about brooding antiheroes. We don't need Man Icarus.

[Via NeoGAF]

Tags: adventure, concept-art, kid-icarus, pit, remake

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

DSRPG2 @ May 9th 2008 2:19PM

Id play Man Icarus

Mr.ESC @ May 9th 2008 3:31PM

If you want to play as "Man Icarus" good news you don't have to wait,in fact the game was released a while ago.

Is hard to find it since it doesn't have Kid Icarus in the cover and it's not for the wii.

It is for the Ps2 and its under the name of God Of War.

Ghen @ May 11th 2008 8:58AM

No, you can get Warrior Within on Gamecube, but I guess if you have a PS2 or Xbox that works just as well.

Roto13 @ May 9th 2008 2:24PM

If this really is concept art, there's no way it's what they'd go with in the end. Not after Pit's design in Brawl. He's too recognizable the way he is now.

...

Young Link in Melee and Link in Wind Waker are not the same Link. Shush. :P

Ghen @ May 11th 2008 8:59AM

Its never the same link. Or is it??! silly noncontiguous plot lines.

Roto13 @ May 11th 2008 10:05AM

Sometimes it is. :P Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, for example.

TheOverlord#2 can has Mario Karts?(MK:2578-3517-9859) @ May 9th 2008 2:33PM

Anyone think it's weird that only after Matt C. 'confirms' Kid Icarus, this concept art shows up?

adolson @ May 9th 2008 2:34PM

First of all, PIT IS DEAD. The new "Kid Icarus" game should be simply called "Icarus" and it should be E-P-I-C. And it should not have Pit in it, on account of him being dead.

Kenology @ May 9th 2008 2:42PM

Pit died at the end of the original NES game?

adolson @ May 9th 2008 2:53PM

No, he died at the end of the sequel, which was on GameBoy. I finished the game, and he flies too close to the sun and his wings fall off.

Kenology @ May 9th 2008 3:52PM

lol! What terrible way to go out!

DasFoote @ May 19th 2008 11:04PM

Aw...but Icarus was still alive after he fell in God of War 2...That's just the way the story goes; Icarus flies to close to the sun which causes the wax that is holding his wings on to melt. And his father is forced to fly on and let his son die. Those Greeks had a way with stories.

Kenology @ May 9th 2008 2:39PM

Actually, that premise sounds pretty good to me. I've never played the original Icarus, so I'm not too familiar with the gameplay and aesthetic, but a lot of long time fans seem to be turned off by this news.

Sonic_13 @ May 9th 2008 3:19PM

I really like Brawl's Kid Icarus, so I would hope they would use that. (Didn't someone in Nintendo once make a comment about?)

However, I really don't like the drawing featured above. Just doesn't feel right.

Mr.ESC @ May 9th 2008 3:34PM

They should totally use Brawl Kid Icarus.

Screw the M concept I want something like the original.
No FPS bullcrap just good old fashioned 2D.5 platformer or just a regular 3D platformer but please we don't need another hero in 'roids.

Aaron @ May 9th 2008 3:19PM

Not only is this concept art lame, it's also fake.

I remember reading through some developer notes regarding Super Smash Bros Brawl. The developers mentioned that to create the Pit (Kid Icarus) model, they had to get approval from the original game creator, and the entire process took them through multiple iterations until the Brawl model was finalized.

The Brawl developer being interviewed (maybe Sakurai?) also mentioned that to change something as simple as more realistic denim on Mario's jeans required Nintendo to really stretch their character model policy, which is tighly regulated by Nintendo.

My point is that the Brawl Kid Icarus model is more than likely *THE* official Kid Icarus model. Don't expect it to change much.

samfish @ May 9th 2008 4:05PM

This was just concept art from Factor 5, though. They were showing it to Nintendo and saying, "This is how we imagine the game to be". The Kombo article, in fairness, says that the design has changed significantly.

Between IGN and Kombo, it sure sounds like there's a new Kid Icarus in the prototype stages, at the very least.

CubeGuy @ May 20th 2008 10:29AM

Hey, I know I'm a bit late to this party, but do you by chance remember where you read that? I'm going to school for work in he game field, and I'd love to browse through something detailing model policies and the like.

Mr.ESC @ May 9th 2008 3:29PM

Hey Kratos,what the hell happened to you man?

Charles @ May 9th 2008 3:41PM

I don't know what to think about this Pit. I haven't ever actually played the Kid Icarus games before, but the name "Icarus" just sounds cool. It sounds... Epic! Yeah, that's what we need! An epic game.

I know Zelda is epic and stuff, but I mean it's an adventure game. Someone here, or maybe at gonintendo stated before that Nintendo has touched on almost all genres but the Action genre and Kid Icarus was an excellent way to make an action game.

It could be sorta like Ninja Gaiden, where the Arrows are unlimited but very weak (a la the Shurikens in Ninja Gaiden) and the swords appear from the bow like in Smash bros. but this "Icarus" will be more mature, an adult, if you will, and he could have flash backs, that could or could not be play-able - up to the devs, of when he was not yet a fallen angel. Sure that sounds generic, but look at God of War.

That's generic to the highest most shameful level of generic yet it is funner than most Action games out there because of 1 factor: It is mindless Hack 'n' Slashing for no good reason and it was done correctly. If they could pull off something like this for "Icarus" (I just love that name, it sounds so right and official, good job adolson.) I think it will be an excellent way to revive the franchise and not let the "Core" (Now this name I hate!) gamers down.

This game should not be dumbed down, think Metroid Prime Corruption and how that wasn't dumbed down (Well maybe a little, but the others were far too hard in my opinion, maybe it was the controls that helped make it easier, I dunno, but you get the picture).

The controls should be as innovative as can be, making it feel very solid, and precise without going over board to an extent where rather than button mashing, you're waggle dancing, but they should be active and alive (if you know what I mean), not 1:1, but something along those lines, again, think Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, only with IR for shooting the arrows.

I could go on for decades, relating it to other games but that will get boring and take far too long. I honestly want a brainless, not too easy, not too hard Hack 'n' Slash game from Nintendo just to see what they'd do with it and simply because that is one of the few genres I don't really get bored of, if done correctly that is. I may have related to too many games, but I know Kid Icarus was "Zeld-ario meets Ice Climbers" and this could be "Generic Meets Nintendo".

Ryan P. @ May 10th 2008 3:11AM

I agree they should have switched his name to "Kid Icarus" or just
"Icarus" 'cause they never really explained why the character on the box was different than the name in the first game. I always thought that was a lost-in-translation screw up. Also there was only one game so i wouldn't have been such a big deal.

"Pit" is just the pits.

samfish @ May 9th 2008 3:54PM

I've been a huge proponent of Kid Icarus being an action game, but turning it into a God of War clone is just...not the way to go about it.

Charles @ May 9th 2008 3:56PM

Well, not so much a clone, then something similar. More like Ninja Gaiden, if you will, with a God of War theme.
I think it's a great idea, but to each his own I guess.

samfish @ May 9th 2008 4:21PM

It depends on what you mean by god of War theme, though. I don't think a Kid Icarus game should be the gritty, dark blood bath the way GoW or Ninja Gaiden are.
Part of what is great about Nintendo (to me, at least) is how they can put a unique spin on existing genres. Mario Kart and F-Zero are their answers to more realistic arcade-style racers, for example. Or Metroid compared to just about any other shooter.
So in my opinion, essentially dropping Ryu into God of War would be somewhat antithetical Nintendo's philosophy.

I do think that the game should ultimately play more like Ninja Gaiden than God of War, though. I just want it to be Nintendo's version of an action game because, at the very least, it'll be unique.

Mr.ESC @ May 9th 2008 8:50PM

More like kiddy :P

But I agree with you.If I want a GOW game I play a GOW game(Especially because I have to justify the Ps3 I'm going to buy with MGS4) also that I like Nintendo's take for example instead of abusing of the depressing gray or turd brown the game should be colorful like Super Mario Galaxy.

Charles @ May 10th 2008 6:38AM

Just because it's similar to God of War or Ninja gaiden, the graphics and such don't have to be the same. I'm talking about the gameplay and not the graphics. It doesn't even have to be a similar game. Just the mechanics of the fighting. They could put nija Gaiden and God of War style gameplay (or fighting mechanics) in a Zelda type environment (like with dungeons and stuff) with Mario 64 (or Sunshine) platforming elements. Essentially making it like the NES Kid Icarus only in 3D.

I just want a Nintendo Action game as I'm very interested in seeing what they'd do with it.

samfish @ May 10th 2008 12:48PM

"They could put nija Gaiden and God of War style gameplay (or fighting mechanics) in a Zelda type environment (like with dungeons and stuff) with Mario 64 (or Sunshine) platforming elements. Essentially making it like the NES Kid Icarus only in 3D."

Haha- well then, we're definitely on the same page, bud!

josh @ May 9th 2008 4:01PM

ok first off pit never died, he simply flew to close to the sun and fried his wings. Second the term angel relates to a heavely spirit and fallen angel just means a non heavely spirit and seeing as how angles cant die "tech speaking" they are often killed in games after they become killable after some tragic misshape say FLYING TO CLOSE TO THE SUN? I personaly think anyone who says having another antihereo on roids is a bad thing is not looking thru a clear mind. look how link grew yeah hes still young but hes gone from kid to teenager and one day im hoping he'll be a "real boy"...err man. I would love to see pit in a game played like zelda tp

samfish @ May 9th 2008 4:11PM

"I personaly think anyone who says having another antihereo on roids is a bad thing is not looking thru a clear mind. look how link grew yeah hes still young but hes gone from kid to teenager and one day im hoping he'll be a "real boy"...err man."

Link started off as a teen/twenty something and was changed to a boy for Ocarina. He was grown into a twenty-something again only for Twilight Princess.

adolson @ May 9th 2008 5:40PM

He's loosely based on Icarus of Greek mythology, right? And if you know it, which you might have learned in school, after his wings melt off, he falls into a sea and drowns.

It's widely accepted and referenced everywhere from Morrowind to song lyrics..

"Only the good die young, they're only flying too close to the sun."

"His eyes seem so glazed
As he flies on the wings of a dream
Now he knows his father betrayed
Now his wings burn to ashes to ashes his grave"

Where do you get the idea that Pit did *not* die at the end of the second game? The fact that he showed up in Brawl is not sufficient for me. He's an angel, sure, but we don't know if Nintendo is using the Biblical definition of angel... If so, what happened to Pit when he fell?

If you're right, I sure hope that the new game picks right back up from the ending of the second game, and explains what happened, because as a long-time Icarus fan, I need to know. :)

Haohmaru @ May 10th 2008 7:55AM

Flew too close to the sun? Where are you people getting this stuff? -.- Please don't confuse Pit with the Icarus of Greek/Roman mythology, and keep in mind that "Kid Icarus" is only what NOA decided to call the game outside of Japan. It's actually the more generic "Myth of Light."

Mr Khan @ May 9th 2008 4:44PM

I don't like this idea. Just because a Western developer takes the helm does not mean the very essence of the series has to be overhauled

Look at the Metroid success story. Same game, different perspective

Croove55 @ May 9th 2008 5:03PM

On a scale from 1 to 5, I rate that concept art a *headdesk*.

I liked his brawl model. It was a perfect step up from the rosy-cheeked Pit of the NES era. Keep in mind that Brawl wasn't a Kid Icarus game, it just had Pit in it. Now imagine jumping straight from NES (or Gameboy, they were very similar) Pit to this concept art. It would be too extreme of a change. Pit's design in brawl is probably the best imaginable place to continue the series from.