In this ongoing look at significant moments in the history of video game design, we have already taken a look at Bungie’s Halo & Halo 2, Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series, Nintendo’s Metroid and several others. The goal of this series is to go beyond simple gaming magazines and iPhone Apps reviews, and take a closer look at what defines memorability and quality in game design. In this seventeenth part of the series we will examine some more of those classic moments where video game designers undoubtedly got it right and delivered a memorable, enduring and progressive gaming experience.

Kid Icarus (NES) – Released in the United States in 1987, Kid Icarus was developed alongside another classic NES title, the original Metroid. Many of the same team members did work on both games, which explains the similarities between the two titles. In Kid Icarus, players take control of Pit, as he travels through Angel Land and save the kingdom…and the woman, of course. Played mostly as a vertical scroller, the game does offer some surprising depth. Weapons and skills are upgradeable, and defensive options become available later in the game. Kid Icarus is known as a very challenging game, but this is somewhat alleviated by its save system, which provides a lengthy code players must copy down, and re-enter in order to resume. Unfortunately, this code system is notoriously buggy, as even properly entered codes are sometimes rejected by the game, resulting in the player being forced to backtrack and replay sections of the game. Despite these technical shortcomings, Kid Icarus is one of the most beloved NES titles of all time.

In examining Kid Icarus for a single standout feature, there are a few elements which immediately volunteer themselves for mention. The gameplay is tight all around, with challenging, but rarelyfrustrating, enemies and bosses throughout. The graphics actually get better as the game goes along, providing as good an example as any in regard to what the NES was capable of, graphically. However, it is the game’s incredible soundtrack that will be the subject of praise in this installment of our ongoing series.

Composed by Hirokazu ‘Hip’ Tanaka, famous for providing the soundtracks to many of Nintendo’s earlier games for the NES, the game’s title song has become one of the most well known snippets of video game music of all time. The song immediately sets the tone for what was one of the most epic adventures in all of gaming at the time of its release. Almost urging the player upward, the songs in the game are positive yet perilous and driving yet unintrusive. The music in the game is also contextual, as each sub-room and section has its own specific set of appropriate and relevant tunes.

The quality of sounds goes beyond just the music, however. One of the more memorable aspects of Kid Icarus is the sounds the enemies make when wounded by Pit’s arrows. Shrilling, painful sounds emit from injured enemies for greater immersion into the world and investment into the character of Pit. Anyone who has had the good fortune of beating the game’s final boss will likely recall the horrific sounds it spews forth as Pit empties his quiver into its vulnerable eyeballs. All video games have sounds, and most have a soundtrack to go along with it. But, few games are able to make those sounds such a crucial part of gameplay, deliver such a well rounded aural experience, make every sound have an emotional weight, and ensure that the player comes back to the game for the music just as much as the actual gameplay. It is for accomplishing all of this, that the sound production in Kid Icarus places that game among the all time best.

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Video Rating: 4 / 5