Reviewed On: Nintendo 3DS

Available For: Nintendo 3DS Only

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Project Sora

Genre: Action

Age: 12 (PEGI)

Click here for screenshots

We've all been waiting for a Kid Icarus sequel for so long now that it should be called Adult Icarus. The infamous games from the early nineties have been long overdue for a while, and now after plenty of delays, it's finally upon us. But is it as angelic as we'd hoped?

The Medusa has been reborn and it's up to our young (but should be old) hero Pit to kick monster butt and save humanity in the process. The only problem - he's an angel who can't fly. So with the help of Palutena, Pit manages to get some wind under his otherwise useless wings and takes to the variable skies in a bid to thwart the enemy.

During these moments of flying, the course is chosen automatically, although the player does get to move Pit around the screen to avoid enemy fire, or to gain a better vantage point. Whilst all this is happening, the player shoots enemies with the left bumper whilst aiming at targets with the stylus on the touch screen below.

But Palutena can only supply enough wind to keep our Kid Pit flying for five minutes - guess someone should have had baked beans for breakfast. But this means that after an intense flight from A to B, it's time to come in to land and experience some of the on-foot action Uprising has to offer.

Now the player has the freedom to move around at will with the analogue stick, whilst taking a swipe at the touchscreen makes the camera spin in that particular direction. Attacks, whether melee or long-range are also carried out with the left bumper There's a good variation of enemies and the boss battles are reminiscent of a Zelda game - big, bad and shed loads of epic fun.

The bosses aren't the only thing that's big - Uprising in general is huge. As well as a beautiful behemoth of a single player game, there's also an independent game for online and local multiplayer. Weapons and collectibles are usable in both, so anything earned is not wasted by switching between solo and multiplayer.

There's plenty of variation in difficulty with players having the option of just how hot they make the action. The more difficult, the more they'll be rewarded.

The control system can be cumbersome unless lying down, or at a desk with the stand that comes bundled with the game. Owners of a Circle Pad Pro peripheral can also use the two sticks if they'd rather.

With great use of 3D, awesome visuals, and non-stop action gameplay, once the initial problems of the control system have been overcome, Kid Icarus is a sensational joyride from beginning to end. It may still have 'kid' in the title, but the series has matured enough for Uprising to be one of the best games available for the 3DS.

SCORE: 9 / 10

PROS: Great graphics, gripping gameplay, plenty to get stuck into, huge bosses.

CONS:The control system is a little ham-fisted.