Editing Kid Icarus (section)

==Gameplay==
[[File:Kid Icarus Sky World.png|thumb|left|Pit fights the monsters of the game with a bow and arrow. The player character's health and the number of hearts is displayed in the top-left corner of the screen. Doors in levels lead to different chambers, such as treasuries or item stores.|alt=A two-dimensional video game screenshot that shows a winged angel in combat with monsters. The scene takes place amidst Grecian temples above the clouds.]]

''Kid Icarus'' is a [[Side-scrolling video game#Scrolling platformers|side-scrolling platformer]] with [[Role-playing video game|role-playing]] elements.<ref name="igntop100nes"/> The player controls the protagonist Pit through [[2D computer graphics|two-dimensional]] levels, which contain monsters, obstacles and items.<ref name="gamespotreview"/><ref name="gamespy"/> Pit's primary weapon is a bow with an unlimited supply of arrows that can be upgraded with three collectable power items: the guard crystal shields Pit from enemies, the flaming arrows hit multiple targets, and the holly bow increases the range of the arrows.<ref name="gamespy"/><ref name="manualitems">{{cite book| title=Kid Icarus Instruction Booklet|section=Items That Will Make Pit a More Powerful Angel |pages=21–30|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|date=July 1987}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_pk/vc_pk_04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112044203/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_pk/vc_pk_04.html |archive-date=January 12, 2012 |url-status=live |title=VC 光神話 パルテナの鏡 – アイテム紹介 |date=January 23, 2007 |language=ja |publisher=[[Nintendo|Nintendo Co., Ltd]] |access-date=July 4, 2011}}</ref> These upgrades will work only if Pit's health is high enough.<ref name="manualqa"/> The game keeps track of the player's score, and increases Pit's health bar at the end of a level if enough points were collected.<ref name="manualqa" /><ref>{{cite book |title=Kid Icarus Instruction Booklet|section=Basic Wisdom|pages=11–15|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|date=July 1987}}</ref>

Throughout the stages, the player may enter doors to access seven different types of chambers. Stores and black markets offer items in exchange for hearts, which are left behind by defeated monsters. Treasure chambers contain items, enemy nests give the player an opportunity to earn extra hearts, and hot springs restore Pit's health.<ref name="gamespy"/><ref name="manualitems"/><ref name="vcchambers">{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_pk/vc_pk_05.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101107123330/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_pk/vc_pk_05.html |archive-date=November 7, 2010 |url-status=live |title=VC 光神話 パルテナの鏡 – 部屋紹介 |date=January 23, 2007 |language=ja |publisher=[[Nintendo|Nintendo Co., Ltd]] |access-date=July 4, 2011}}</ref> In the god's chamber, the strength of Pit's bow and arrow may be increased depending on several factors, such as the number of enemies defeated and the amount of damage taken in battle.<ref name="manualitems"/><ref name="manualqa"/><ref name="vcchambers"/> In the training chamber, Pit will be awarded with one of the three power items if he passes a test of endurance.<ref name="gamespy"/><ref name="manualitems"/>

The game world is divided into three stages: the [[Greek underworld|Underworld]], the [[Overworld]] (Earth) and the Skyworld.<ref name="manualangelland">{{cite book |title=Kid Icarus Instruction Booklet |section=A Guide to Angel Land |pages=16–20 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |date=July 1987}}</ref> Each stage encompasses three unidirectional area levels and a fortress.<ref name="manualangelland" /><ref name="ignnesreview" /><ref name="hg101">{{cite web |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/nes/icarus.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912072230/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/nes/icarus.htm |archive-date=September 12, 2011 |url-status=live |title=Classic Review Archive – Kid Icarus |author=Kalata, Kurt |work=Hardcore Gaming 101 |access-date=July 7, 2011}}</ref> The areas of the Underworld and Skyworld stages have Pit climb to the top, while those of the surface world are side-scrolling levels. The fortresses at the end of the stages are labyrinths with non-scrolling rooms, in which the player must find and defeat a gatekeeper [[Boss (video games)|boss]].<ref name="gamespy"/> Within a fortress, Pit may buy a check sheet, pencil, and torch to guide him through the labyrinth.<ref name="manualitems"/> A single-use item, the hammer, can destroy stone statues, which frees a flying soldier called a Centurion that will aid the player in boss battles.<ref name="manualitems"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Kid Icarus Instruction Booklet|section=Introducing the Inhabitants in Angel Land|page=42|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|date=July 1987}}</ref> For each of the bosses destroyed, Pit receives one of three sacred treasures that are needed to access the fourth and final stage, the sky temple.<ref name="gamespy"/> This last portion abandons the platforming elements of the previous levels, and resembles a [[Side-scrolling video game#Side-scrolling shooters|scrolling shooter]].<ref name="gamespy" /><ref name="nindori"/>