Nintendo recently invited me to their San Francisco office for a two-hour hands-on session with a nearly-complete version of Kid Icarus Uprising. During those two hours, I was able to see the better part of the first eight chapters, try out a variety of weapons and powers, and even take the new 3DS stand that comes bundled with every copy of the game for a test drive (read our impressions of it here). It was a very comprehensive session and demonstrated that there’s more to Kid Icarus Uprising than meets the eye.

For you younger readers, Kid Icarus Uprising is actually a sequel to a game released on the NES 25 years ago, and in a clever nod, the game takes place the same amount of years later. Fortunately, it seems playing its predecessor isn’t a prerequisite, particularly as the gameplay barely resembles that of the side-scrolling original, and instead now takes a more action-orientated approach.

Each chapter of the game comes in two parts: a rail-shooter sequence, where Pit flies through a set course shooting down everything in sight, and an on-foot segment where Pit explores the world...shooting everything in sight. The rail-shooter segments play almost exactly like Sin & Punishment 2 on the Wii, where you directly steer Pit using the Circle Pad as he flies along a set path, while aiming your weapons independently using the touchscreen. These segments are typically 3-5 minutes long and are more focused on quick-reflexes and well-timed attacks.

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The on-foot segments play quite a bit differently, in that they afford you full 3D control, instead of leading you along a set course. You’ll find yourself taking on enemies all around you, as you explore a variety of locations, sometimes with hidden treasure off the beaten path. It’s here that the game’s unique take on control and movement really begins to take shape, as well as demonstrates its steep learning curve.

When it comes to controlling Pit himself, the game takes a cue from the Smash Bros series where a slow tilt of the Circle Pad results in a slow walk, but “smashing” it results in him dashing off in that direction. Besides just letting him get around quickly, it’s also crucial to performing “Dash Attacks” by firing your weapon at the same time. Managing Dash Attacks while aiming with the touchscreen can feel a little like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time, but it begins to click before too long. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for aiming while on-foot.

As with the flying portions, you control the reticule by dragging it around via the touchscreen when on the ground. But now you have a full 360-degrees to worry about, which is where things get a little tricky. To turn around, you need to flick the cursor so it rotates the entire screen. The faster you flick it, the more you’ll turn. While it’s an intuitive process, it’s also an annoyingly imprecise one. Even after two hours, I was still getting a hang of how far to flick it to perform a full 180, oftentimes coming up frustratingly short, or overshooting it by a good margin. It’s clear this is something that will take a lot of getting used to, but fortunately the game has an interesting way of handling the difficulty level to help ease you into it.

In a twist quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen, the difficulty-level selection is tied into the game’s reward system itself. Let me explain. Before you begin a chapter, you can set the level’s difficulty on a scale from 0.0 to 9.0 (that's 90 different  difficulty levels!). Now the higher the difficulty level, the more “hearts” (the game’s currency) you’ll wager. If you successfully make it through the level at a high difficulty without dying, vast amounts of hearts are yours for the keeping. But if you end up dying, you’ll lose a large chunk of your potential winnings, and the game will forcibly boot you to a lower difficultly setting...ouch. Of course, if your skills aren’t up to the task, staying at the lower difficulty levels may not be a bad idea, even if the rewards are lessened (though the game will suggest you bump up the difficulty if you start playing too well.)  It’s an extremely interesting setup that is perhaps the epitome of risk vs reward gameplay mechanics, by merging the difficulty with the game’s reward system. But what all can you do with those hearts? Lots and lots of goodies available for purchase.

Perhaps the most important purchase you can make is your weapon selection, as the strength and effectiveness of your attacks largely--if not entirely--depends on what weapon you have equipped. The game has dozens of weapons sorted into nine different categories, with each option having its own pros and cons. Heck, you may even encounter the same weapon, but with different stats (such as attack strength). There are a ton of options available and learning what works best for you is crucial to tackling the higher difficulties. For a full rundown of the weapons we saw (and some we didn’t!), check out our Weapons Guide right here.

Beyond just weapons, you can also purchase Powers, which are abilities that you can activate on the fly when you need help. These appear as touchable icons on the lowerleft of the touchscreen that, when activate, immediately bestows with some kind of power, such as a massive laser-beam, or health regeneration. For a complete look at what powers are available, please check our Weapons and Powers guide.

One thing that really stands out is Uprising’s emphases on in-game storytelling. Pit and his friends talk up a storm throughout the entire level, making the talkative Star Fox team look like mutes by comparison. This amount of voice acting is practically unheard of for a Nintendo game, but is a welcomed addition, as it keeps the story moving without overly relying on lengthy cutscenes. The script is fun and light-hearted, even poking fun at itself at points. And the use of NES sprites to represent some of the classic creatures when referred to is brilliant.

In fact, the game’s presentation as a whole seems very impressive. The visuals are generally bright and cheerful, except when they’re dark and dreary, such as when exploring decrepit ruins. The 3D is also used to great effect, offering a sense of depth on par with Ocarina of Time 3D.

After my 2-hours was up, I was left with a much more complete picture of Kid Icarus Uprising. There is clearly a lot more here than your typical rail-shooter, bringing with it a surprising amount of depth and customizability, both in what weapons and powers you equip, but also in the risk vs reward system of the difficulty level itself.

Look for Kid Icarus Uprising to land on the Nintendo 3DS on March 23rd in the states.

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Check out the rest of our Kid Icarus Uprising coverage...

Kid Icarus Uprising - Weapon and Powers Guide

3DS Stand Impressions!

34 New Kid Icarus Screens!

New Kid Icarus Uprising Gameplay Trailer!