History YMMV / KidIcarus

!!Subjectives that apply to the series as a whole:

* BrokenBase: Was the series better before or after ''Uprising'' was released? This debate mostly started when people started accusing Creator/MasahiroSakurai of putting too much ''Kid Icarus'' content in the fourth ''Smash Bros.''.

* MyRealDaddy: While Creator/MasahiroSakurai had no involvement with the first two games, he was responsible for the series' revival and boost in popularity thanks to the introduction of Pit in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', as well as spearheading the subsequent production of a third game in the franchise. ''Uprising'' would firmly establish the quirky personalities of Pit and Palutena while greatly expanding the world and cast of characters, resulting in fans coming to associate him with the ''Kid Icarus'' franchise more than anyone else

!!Subjectives that apply to the first two games:
* AntiClimaxBoss: Medusa in the first game, who can't even hit you as long as you just stay in the right position, which is easy to figure out.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Most of the music in the first game is pretty nice:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p08wyrAYMrs The title theme]]-- so good, ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' used it twice.
** The [[BootstrappedTheme more recognized]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC0Hr9CrFRc Underworld theme]] and its [[VariableMix many variations,]] such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYOg3AmqqDs the Palace in the Sky]].
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoi9-LNtKM& The Overworld]], a peppy tune and the SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound after finally climbing out of the dreary, punishing Underworld.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLCZTXOmPyA The Skyworld]]
* CultClassic: The first two games, while not very well-known until ''Smash Bros. Brawl'', have a small but devoted following. A few fans strongly prefer the original games, and resent the direction the series went in after Sakurai revived it; fittingly, the fan-made ''VideoGame/ProjectM'' features Pit's classic looks (his cartoonish retro design with more adult-like proportions) as an alternate costume.
* DemonicSpiders:
** Eggplant Wizards in both the first two games. They are encountered in pairs, with each one taking ten arrows (or two mallets) to kill, and will fire eggplants randomly in high or low arcs. A single hit from them turns Pit into an eggplant, which disables his attacks. The ''only'' way to reverse this is to find a nurse, which might take a ton of backtracking. And then the hospital only cures the eggplant curse; since it doesn't replenish Pit's HP (including the damage taken from the curse itself), it's likely that the player will then have to backtrack even more to find a hot spring.
** If you thought the Snowman would be a GlassCannon because it's made of ice, think again. It's a surprisingly beefy enemy that takes ten arrows to kill, putting it on equal footing with the Eggplant Wizard. While it can't turn Pit into an eggplant, it does fire snowballs across the screen. Stage 2-3 loves forcing Pit to fight them while standing atop moving platforms over a lake of lava.
* EvenBetterSequel: The only thing the NES game really has that its Game Boy sequel doesn't is color. ''Of Myths and Monsters'' removes a lot of the frustrating features of the original, in particular the cheap falling deaths, improves the things that were good about the original, and adds its own mechanics. It's notable in that it was one of the earliest Game Boy games that wasn't a "light" or "budget" versions of its corresponding NES game. It showed that the green-screened portable was capable of hosting games that not only matched, but exceeded the games on its bigger siblings. Sadly, it didn't get a follow-up on the SNES.
* GoddamnedBats:
** The Reapers, who take a dozen hits to kill and summon a swarm of Reapettes if alerted.
** Many flying enemies (Monoeye, Mick, and Komayto) and jumping enemies from the bottom of the screen (Commyloose and Octos) move in patterns that are not always easy to juggle, especially not when dealing with four of them at a time in addition to whatever other enemies or hazards may be on-screen at the moment.
** Enemies that pop out of the ground (Mcgoo, Girin, and Holer) have a nasty habit of spawning next to (or worse, directly underneath) Pit if he stands too long in particular areas. They are only vulnerable when they fully emerge, but they fire a projectile the moment they do so. Fortunately, this projectile can be avoided by ducking... unfortunately, these enemies can spawn on platforms where [[DamnYouMuscleMemory ducking will instead drop Pit to his death]].
** Plutons, Pluton Flies, as well as Sticky Talons in ''Myths and Monsters'', who steal Pit's powerups and sell them to the black market. They're easily avoidable (Plutons can only move and jump to the left, Pluton Flies fly in a straight horizontal line), but if one so much as brushes Pit, say goodbye to your hard-earned weapons. If this happens, the only options to get the powerups back are dying, buying them back at the black market for an exorbitant amount of hearts, or completing the test of endurance again.
* GoddamnedBoss: Hewdraw moves in an incredibly predictable pattern and does not have any ranged attacks. However, having 200 HP means it's a long grind of shooting short-ranged arrows at him, and the small platforms over lava limits the safe space that Pit can stand on to fire these arrows.
* HarsherInHindsight: The ending of ''Of Myths and Monsters'' to those who've played ''Uprising''. Pit flying too close to a cartoony sun and having his wings fall off was both funny and [[ShownTheirWork a nod to the original Icarus legend]], until [[spoiler:''Uprising'' has Pit's wings burn up -- from going over the five-minute limit on the Power of Flight to rescue Dark Pit from falling to his death -- as a plot point, which nearly kills him and is played for both [[BodyHorror horror]] and [[TearJerker/KidIcarusUprising tragedy]].]]
* MemeticLoser: Pre-''Brawl'' Pit is mocked by some fans for being a weak protagonist in a hellishly NintendoHard game. His original look -- being a dorky-looking cherub with a tiny bow and arrows -- and appearances on ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'' were particularly frequent things to make fun of him for.
* PolishedPort: The [[UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 3DS}} 3D Classics]] version of the original, which adds some backgrounds to the levels, difficulty modes to make the game easier to newcomers while preserving the difficulty in the harder ones, and the option to switch between the old, UsefulNotes/{{NES}} controls and a new control scheme that makes things easier.
* ScrappyMechanic: Ducking on certain platforms (such as ice or clouds), even if only for the briefest moment, will cause Pit to drop down. It's useful for navigating labyrinths... but given the notorious RatchetScrolling and BottomlessPits in the main stages, this is more likely to drop Pit down to his death in all other instances. Since ducking is useful for shrinking Pit's hitbox and dodging enemy attacks, it becomes problematic when [[DamnYouMuscleMemory the player's instinct to safely duck instead leads to an unavoidable death]].
* SequelDifficultyDrop: ''Of Myths and Monsters'' is a bit easier than the first game thanks to the removal of the RatchetScrolling.
* ThatOneLevel: The Underworld in the original game is probably better known to most players than the ''rest of the game'', even though it's just the first level! This is not without good reason either, given Pit's small health bar and puny bow at the beginning of the game not to mention one wrong jump and it's back to the beginning of the stage unless you use a password to continue! The Underworld is so notorious for its difficulty that Pit and Palutena joke about how brutal the difficulty was back then in ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'' when Pit goes to the Underworld to stop Medusa.

* HarsherInHindsight: The ending of ''Of Myths and Monsters'' to those who've played ''Uprising''. Pit flying too close to a cartoony sun and having his wings fall off was both funny and [[ShownTheirWork a nod to the original Icarus legend]], until... [[spoiler:''Uprising'' has Pit's wings burn as a plot point, and it is not PlayedForLaughs this time.]]
* MemeticLoser: Pre-''Brawl'' Pit is mocked by some fans for being a weak protagonist in a hellishly NintendoHard game. His appearance -- being a dorky-looking cherub with a tiny bow -- and appearances on ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'' were particularly frequent targets for mockery.

* MemeticLoser: Pre-''Brawl'' Pit is mocked by some fans for being a weak protagonist in a hellishly NintendoHard game.

** His name is [[NonIndicativeName Pit]], after [[CupidsArrow Cupid]], not [[CharacterTitle Kid Icarus]]. (No thanks to ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'' or WebVideo/TheIrateGamer.) Incredibly, [[http://www.vooks.net/img/2014/04/2inch5_figure_assortment_L-590x442.jpg a Jakks Pacific Nintendo action figure listing]] (full of typos) also labels Pit as "Kid Icarus"... long after the release of ''Uprising'', and using a picture of his Figma based on that game.

* MyRealDaddy: While Creator/MasahiroSakurai had no involvement with the first two games, he was responsible for the series' revival in ''Smash Bros.'' and ''Uprising'' and its resulting popularity boost, as well as giving the series' classic characters their current quirky, lovable personalities. Fans tend to associate him with the ''Kid Icarus'' franchise more than anyone else.

* SequelDisplacement: The ''Kid Icarus'' series wasn't well-known before ''Brawl'', but Sakurai's revival of the franchise helped propel it into the greater consciousness. The characters' redesigns are more widely-recognized and well-liked than their original designs.

* PowerupLetdown: The Centurions are pretty much completely useless against bosses thanks to their weak attacks, poor aim, dumb AI, and the fact that they die from a single hit. Given that helping you against bosses is their only purpose, there's no real point in freeing them in the dungeons, meaning that mallets (which are used only to free Centurions) are only useful as a single-use melee weapon against stronger enemies like Eggplant Wizards.

* {{Adorkable}}:

--->'''Viridi''': Oh, look. There's Metroid.
--->'''Pit''': That's not a Metroid! That's Samus!
--->'''Palutena''': Just like Link isn't named Zelda.
--->'''Viridi''': And like Pit's name isn't Icarus!
--->'''Pit''': OK, this joke has officially run its course.

* WidgetSeries: Probably the strangest rendition of Myth/ClassicalMythology ever conceived. Then Pit's ''Brawl'' appearance gave an illusion of ''Zelda''-like semi-normalcy to the uninitiated... only to be completely shattered in ''Uprising'' where the quirkiness levels were cranked up to eleven.

* AnticlimaxBoss: Medusa in the first game, who can't even hit you as long as you just stay in the right position, which is easy to figure out.