More details on the 3DS’ Kid Icarus: Uprising

Longtime Kid Icarus fans who’ve — for far too long — had to rely on Super Smash Bros. titles to get your winged-hero fix? Well, your wait is almost over. Nintendo’s just sent through some new details on the upcoming Kid Icarus: Uprising, for Nintendo 3DS.

Here’s the press release:

Over 25 years after the launch of the original Kid Icarus game for NES™, Kid Icarus: Uprising brings the action and adventure of this beloved series to new heights.

• Introduction: The game’s story begins with the return of the Queen of the Underworld, Medusa, and her Underworld Army. Pit, a heroic angel, with the help of Palutena, goddess of light and guardian of the human race, must combat the forces of darkness as he battles Medusa and her minions by air and by land.
• Fiend’s Cauldron: An incredible new system that allows players to customise their play experience, the Fiend’s Cauldron lets players adjust their desired Intensity ranging from 0.0 to 9.0 for each individual Chapter. As the Intensity increases, enemies will be more aggressive, have more energy and hit harder but players will be able to earn more Hearts and more powerful weapon drops by defeating them. Hearts are also used by players to purchase new weapons. The standard Intensity is set at 2.0 but players can precisely adjust this by 0.1 increments. In order to increase the Intensity, players must bet by placing an increasing number of Hearts into the Fiend’s Cauldron. If the player is defeated during the Chapter, some Hearts will be lost and the Intensity will automatically be lowered.
• Weapons: A wide variety of collectible weapons offers an extraordinary amount of replay value. With nine different categories of weapons, ranging from Divine Bows to Shot Claws, players can learn the unique characteristics of each weapon and determine which is best suited for each battle and their style of play.
• Vehicles: Pit will have access to special vehicles during certain parts of his adventure, such as the Exo Tank. Pit can use the tank’s powerful drift ability to defeat enemies with the tank’s ramming horn.
• Stand: Kid Icarus: Uprising uses a control scheme designed to fit the game’s unique blend of flight, shooting and melee combat, and offers tremendous precision, speed and depth that rewards dedicated players. The left hand uses the Circle Pad, while the right uses a stylus, both at the same time. Every copy of the game will come with a free stand that holds the Nintendo 3DS at an angle above any flat surface, and provides players with a new kind of gaming experience.
• Circle Pad Pro: Kid Icarus: Uprising is compatible with the Circle Pad Pro accessory, offering an alternate control scheme for left-handed players. With the Circle Pad Pro, the player holds the stylus in their left hand and uses the Circle Pad with their right hand.

Be on the lookout for more news regarding Kid Icarus: Uprising closer to its 29 March release date.