Pit, a young angel who cannot fly on his own, climbs out of the Underworld to save the goddess Palutena from Medusa in this game from Nintendo's R&D1, the team behind Metroid. It came out on the Famicom Disk System in 1986 and on NES cartridge in 1987, where a password system replaced the disk saves. The first world scrolls upward, with the screen wrapping horizontally, and falling off the bottom is fatal.
The middle stages switch to horizontal levels and then to mazelike fortresses that must be mapped, ending in boss fights. Hearts dropped by enemies act as currency in shops and black markets, and Pit's strength and health go up based on his performance. Hidden training rooms grant special items needed for the last stage, which turns into a shooter. Eggplant Wizards, Reapers and a final score count that affects the ending give the game a lot of character.
Tips for Kid Icarus
If the Eggplant Wizard turns you into an eggplant, find a hospital room in the fortress to change back.
When a Reaper spots you, it calls small Reapettes; get out of its line of sight or deal with them quickly.
Buy a pencil and map in fortresses if you can; the layouts are confusing.
How to Play Kid Icarus
Click Play Now to launch Kid Icarus directly in your browser — no downloads or plugins needed. Z jumps, X shoots arrows, and Up aims your shots overhead. Enter pauses. You can also connect a USB or Bluetooth gamepad for a more authentic feel.
Save states let you save your progress at any point. Create a free account to sync saves across devices. Press F11 for fullscreen mode.
To play Kid Icarus, simply hit the "Play Now" button on this page. The game loads instantly in your browser using an embedded emulator — no plugins, downloads, or setup required.
Is Kid Icarus free to play?
Absolutely! Kid Icarus is 100% free on RetroVault.GG. No subscriptions, no hidden fees — just open the page and play.
What console is Kid Icarus for?
Originally a NES game, Kid Icarus can now be played directly in your browser here on RetroVault.GG with no setup needed.
What genre is Kid Icarus?
Kid Icarus is a action, adventure, platformer game. It was made for the NES.
Can I play Kid Icarus on my phone?
Kid Icarus is fully playable on mobile devices. Open this page in your phone's browser and tap Play Now — touch controls appear automatically.