Kid Icarus: Uprising weapons primer - An introductory guide to killing demons

This week the long-awaited Kid Icarus: Uprising arrives on 3DS systems worldwide. We’ve finished the game (feel free to read our Kid Icarus: Uprising review) and, despite its colorful imagery and friendly demeanor, Uprising has an astonishing depth to its combat. Much of that is due to the arsenal of weapons at Pit’s disposal, as there are literally dozens of unique armaments to choose from in the game. Before you get into the title when it comes out Friday, you should familiarize yourself the nine different weapon types Kid Icarus: Uprising has to offer. Let’s start with the most straightforward weapon…

If Kid Icarus: Uprising were Super Smash Bros, then consider blades the Mario equivalent among the weapons. Good at both long and short ranged attacks, it’s the most basic weapon and the first type of weapon they give you in the game. Later blades after the first mix up the close and ranged effectiveness, but if you like to use both types of attacks, these gun/sword mash-ups are the way to go.

Despite it being Pit’s most famous weapon, the bow isn’t his starting weapon, thanks to it being balanced more for long range attacks. Though all the bows in the game split apart into twin blades in a similar style to Pit’s weapon in Super Smash Bros Brawl, you’re better off using it at a distance. And those with poor accuracy are helped by most of the bows in the game featuring some level of homing ability.

While clubs and claws are no slouch in melee attacks, arms are the best when it comes to brawling. Arms do tons of close damage in combos and unlike clubs, they rarely slow down Pit’s movement when exploring levels. Though they have weak ranged shots that don’t go all that far, charged distance attacks can be pretty damaging.

If you’re into long range attacks but prefer quality to quantity, cannons should be your first choice. Specializing in attacks from a distance, these bad boys shoot out sizable explosions that do damage to large areas of the stage. Of course all that firepower comes with a downside: most cannons really slow Pit down.

Snikt! Fans of Wolverine will find it hard to resist the claws when choosing gear. These weapons are great on foot, making Pit move much faster than he usually does and has some of Pit's strongest up-close combos come from using the claws. The downside to the claws is that they also have the shortest range for projectiles, so they’re not for the cautious.

Pretty much the opposite of the close-up claws, staffs are the choice for players that like to operate from a distance. The equivalent of a sniper rifle, staffs work better the farther off a target is. Of course, that means that if a monster gets close then you might be screwed, as staffs are pretty weak in melee and with close shots.

Though staffs are best at long range, orbitars are no slouch either, and are preferred if you’re less than accurate with your attacks. Orbitars come in pairs and hover over Pit’s shoulder blasting a steady stream of projectiles at enemies. The shots grow more powerful the farther they travel and because they shoot out two at a time, orbitar attacks have a chance of hitting more than one monster at a time.

If you’re the type that think shooting from a distance is for pansies and you’d much rather get in close, clubs are a great option. The weapon with the most singularly powerful attacks, clubs do tons of melee damage and if you need to hit something far away the charged shot works great. But these hefty cudgels are slow to use and even slower to walk around with.

Palms are less of a weapon and more of a tattoo, as the colorful items imbue Pit’s hands with new power. Known for mid-range shots and waves of projectiles that cover larger areas than most weapons, palms are great for the more inaccurate players who prefer to get in a little closer than with the bow. Most versions of it come with homing attacks that end up hitting enemies that you’re relatively close to with the reticle.

If you want to know more about the game, be sure to read our Kid Icarus: Uprising review and if the whole Kid Icarus franchise is totally new to you, check out Kid Icarus essentials, our handy guide to the series’ history.