Editing Kid Icarus (section)

==Development==
The game was designed at [[Nintendo]]'s [[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Research and Development 1]] (R&D1) division. It was developed for the [[Family Computer Disk System]] (FDS) because its [[floppy disk]], called Disk Card, has three times the storage capacity of the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Family Computer]]'s [[ROM cartridge|cartridges]] of the time. Combined with the possibility to [[Saved game|store the players' progress]], the Disk Card format enabled the developers to create a longer game with a more extensive game world. ''Kid Icarus'' was the debut of Toru Osawa (credited as Inusawa) as a video game designer, and he was the only staff member working on the game at the beginning of the project.<ref name="nindori">{{cite journal|journal=[[Nintendo Dream]] |script-title=ja:やればやるほどディスクシステムインタビュー(前編)|pages=96–103|date=August 6, 2004|issue=118 |language=ja|publisher=Mainichi Communications Inc.}}</ref> Originally he wanted to make an [[action game]] with [[Role-playing video game|role-playing]] elements, and wrote a story rooted in Greek mythology, which he had always been fond of.<ref name="nindori" /><ref name="staff">{{cite video game|title=Kid Icarus|developer=[[Nintendo|Nintendo Co., Ltd]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|date=July 1987|scene=staff credits}}</ref> He drew the [[pixel art]], and wrote the [[Specification (technical standard)#Program specification|technical specifications]], which were the basis for the playable prototype. After Nintendo's [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] ''[[Metroid (video game)|Metroid]]'' had been finished, more staff members were allotted to the development of ''Kid Icarus''.<ref name="nindori"/>

The game was directed by [[Satoru Okada]] (credited as S. Okada), and produced by the general manager of the R&D1 division, [[Gunpei Yokoi]] (credited as G. Yokoi). [[Hirokazu Tanaka]] (credited as Hip Tanaka) composed the music.<ref name="nindori"/><ref name="staff"/> [[Yoshio Sakamoto]] (credited as Shikao.S) joined the team upon return from his vacation after the completion of ''Metroid''. He streamlined the development process, and made many decisions that affected the design of ''Kid Icarus''. Several out-of-place elements were included in the game, such as credit cards, a wizard turning player character Pit into an [[eggplant]], and a large, moving nose that was meant to resemble composer Tanaka. Sakamoto attributed this unrestrained humor to the former personnel of the R&D1 division, which he referred to as "strange". Osawa said that he had originally tried to make ''Kid Icarus'' completely serious, but opted for a more humorous approach after objections from the team.<ref name="nindori"/>

To meet the projected release date of December 19, 1986, the staff members worked overtime and often stayed in the office at night. They used torn cardboard boxes as beds, and covered themselves in curtains to resist the low temperatures of the unheated development building. Eventually, ''Kid Icarus'' was finished and entered production a mere three days before the release date. Several ideas for additional stages had to be dropped because of these scheduling conflicts.<ref name="nindori"/>