Star Fox is returning with a high-fidelity remake of the first game in the series, and reactions are mixed, to say the least. While the Star Fox reprisal honestly looks pretty fun, the fact that it’s just a remake after so many years of waiting for a new entry is disappointing. It’s a far cry from something like Star Fox Adventure for the GameCube, which actually made an earnest attempt to take the franchise in a new direction.
In fact, I would go as far as to say that Nintendo generally does a good job of keeping its flagship franchises fresh and exciting, historically speaking. Mario and The Legend of Zelda are arguably the most consistently high-quality series in the games industry, for instance, and even more hit-or-miss IP like Mario Party are usually guided by forward-thinking creativity. But at the same time, Nintendo is guilty of neglecting many of its legacy properties, relegating them to nostalgia and Super Smash Bros. rosters. One such property is Kid Icarus, a franchise that, despite its age, has a lot of potential to be something special if only given the chance.
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It’s About Time That Nintendo Brought Back Kid Icarus
What Is Kid Icarus, the Long-Lost Nintendo Franchise Starring Pit?
If you’ve played any Super Smash Bros. game from Brawl onward, you may recognize Pit, the cherubic warrior wielding a two-edged blade. This is the hero of the Kid Icarus series, whose first entry, released in 1986, can be roughly described as a mix between Zelda and Metroid. He reprised his role in 1991’s Kid Icarus: Of Myths in Monsters, but audiences wouldn’t see him again until more than 20 years later, when Kid Icarus Uprising launched for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible.
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Kid Icarus Uprising, while not perfect, is a good encapsulation of what a modern Kid Icarus game can and should be. It retains the liberally interpreted Greek mythology backdrop of the previous titles, but with an injection of chaotic 3D combat that often makes great use of the 3DS’s unique hardware. Levels are split into on-rails shooting setpieces and third-person combat and exploration, with the former serving as a sort of prelude to the former. The way the game balances on-rails shooting, third-person shooting, and melee combat is elegant and frenetic, and a genuinely impressive showcase of what the series is capable of under the right circumstances. Sadly, Uprising is the last Kid Icarus game that’s been released, with no word on where the IP is headed next.
Kid Icarus Uprising was directed by Masuhiro Sakurai, the creative lead for Smash Bros. and, more recently, Kirby Air Riders. His penchant for fast-paced, no holds barred gameplay shines through in Uprising just as much as in his other games.
Kid Icarus Can Fill a Gaping Hole in Nintendo’s First-Party Lineup
Not every franchise needs to be revived–many classic games have had their schtick done better by modern titles, and I’m sure everyone can think of at least one instance where a beloved retro franchise was dug up and reanimated simply to capitalize on brand recognition. Part of what makes Kid Icarus’ absence from Nintendo’s contemporary portfolio frustrating is that it’s not one of these franchises, and most definitely could be an enriching addition to the current-day games market.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Nintendo has its fingers in a lot of pies, arguably solidified as an industry leader in genres like 3D platformer, 2D platformer, open-world adventure, cart racer, and metroidvania. But a dedicated third-person action game built primarily around combat is conspicuously absent from Nintendo’s Hall of Fame. Sure, there’s Bayonetta, but that isn’t exactly a franchise that screams “Nintendo,” mostly due to the fact that it’s developed by Platinum and not an in-house Nintendo team. If Kid Icarus were to make a return, perhaps with an experience in the vein of Kid Icarus Uprising, then Nintendo could wind up with a worthwhile, unique, and on-brand melee action game in its clip.
What Could a New Kid Icarus Game Look Like?
Of course, I and many others would prefer a brand-new Kid Icarus game over a remake or remaster; again, this is why news of the Star Fox remake has been so disappointing for so many. However, a remake or even just a port of Kid Icarus uprising arguably makes a lot more sense than the 2026 Star Fox treatment. After all, you can still play the original 1993 Star Fox on the Switch via Nintendo Switch Online, whereas Kid Icarus Uprising is still locked to the Nintendo 3DS. It’s unlikely that it will ever come to the Switch in its original form, since the unique quirks of the 3DS can make emulation awkward. Thus, a remake or proper port with new controls would be necessary.
Even if Nintendo does re-release Kid Icarus Uprising for its modern platform (which it should), a new entry in the franchise should still arrive before too long. It’s not like Nintendo needs to scramble for good exclusives at the moment, but reintroducing Kid Icarus to the company’s first-party release cycle would definitely make for a more robust and diverse game catalog, at the very least.
- Released
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June 25, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op
