Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters is a Platform Game released on the Game Boy in November 1991 in North America and May 1992 in Europe. Surprisingly, Japan wouldn't receive this game until February 2012, as part of the Virtual Console of the Nintendo 3DS. It is the second installment of the Kid Icarus series, though it's unclear if it has a direct relation with the preceding installment released on the NES, since its plot points are incompatible with the ending of that game (it was ignored by Kid Icarus: Uprising, which was conceived to be a sequel to the 1986 game only).
Palutena, the Goddess of Light who is watching over Angel Land, has a violent nightmare which is interpreted by a soothsayer as the prophecy of an incoming invasion led by the demon Orcos. Fearing this, she puts her champion Pit to a special training so he can harness the power of the three Sacred Treasures. To this end, Pit has to find and conquer the fortresses where the Sacred Treasures are respectively guarded, thus gain the strength needed to prepare for the incoming confrontation against Orcos and his army.
This game provides examples of:
- The Artifact: Centurion statues. In the original, Pit had to release centurions who were turned to stone by Medusa's gaze. But here, Medusa is absent and breaking the Centurion statues with a mallet only releases items.
- Bag of Spilling: The game feels more like a prequel in this regard. Pit has no strength levels, health extension or times from the NES game and is told he is not ready to use the three sacred treasures even though he can use them for free in the first.
- Broken Angel: In the ending, Pit's wings fall/rip off in front of a overly happy-looking sun, presumably leaving Pit to plummet to his death. No wonder it's called Kid Icarus.
- Canon Discontinuity: Kid Icarus: Uprising disregards this game, as it only references the events of the original NES game. However, the jump glide power is something this game had that the original did not.
- Dem Bones: The Overworld fortress guardian.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: Palutena having a dream about her palace's destruction is what kicks off the game's plot.
- Early-Bird Boss: The Minotaur, whose main difficulty comes from having a greater range of attack than Pit without upgrades, which he is unlikely to have when you reach him. At best, you can have one that will be lost with a single hit.
- Emergency Weapon: Due to a loss in the form's mobility, Of Myths And Monsters lets Pit use hammers to defend himself if struck with the egg plant curse. This does not remove any need to get to a nurse to complete the fortress but makes the trip bearable.
- The Face of the Sun: A happy looking sun appears at the end of the game.
- Gainax Ending: After defeating Orcos and receiving congratulations, Pit flies upwards through the heavens, past one of each monster he's fought, until the sun comes into view and his wings fall right off. The End!
- Giant Foot of Stomping: The Big Toes that fall from the sky are a little smaller than most examples. Also, Orcos shows one of the usual size.
- Grimy Water: Don claims the lakes are poisoned.
- Healing Spring: Hot springs heal you, However, the game is not above sticking tower-enemies in them.
- Interchangeable Antimatter Keys: Like in the first game, every door outside of the fortress remains shut once you've entered and exited it. However, this game lets you buy one time use keys, which can reopen any door and once you've used every door in a level you can use Palutena's key to open them all back up. Even after making Palutena's key available you still have to destroy the level with hammers to reveal where it is hidden.
- Journey to the Sky: Like in the first game, Pit begins his adventure in the Underworld and, from there, he has to climb his way back to Skyworld. The context is different from last time, however: He's traveling across the three layers of the world once again to complete his training and prepare for the grand fight against Orcos.
- Large and in Charge: Orcos is a subversion due to not looking too large, but eventually goes to truly titanic size!
- Make My Monster Grow: Orcos impressively goes up to Godzilla size. See for yourself!
- Mission-Pack Sequel: Of Myths and Monsters has updated graphics but is otherwise nearly identical to the first game for the gameplay and progression. The Centurions are even sealed in stone again, for no actual reason.
- Non-Linear Sequel: Of Myths and Monsters has a confusing relationship with the original Kid Icarus. Despite being an ostensible sequel, neither the manual nor the in-game text refer to Pit's fight with Medusa, and the game is actually a training mission through which Pit is meant to become worthy to use the Three Sacred Treasures, which he was able to use with no apparent issue in the first game. Is it supposed to be a Stealth Prequel?
- Opening Scroll: The game has an opening scroll introduction, before the title screen.
- Our Minotaurs Are Different: The Underworld fortress guardian is the Minotaur. Few players got by him. Those that did tended to be annoyed to learn he was an Early-Bird Boss.
- Same Plot Sequel: Assuming it even is a sequel, the game rehashes the exact same adventure from the first game, but changes the Excuse Plot into a training mission to thwart the coming evil of Orcos rather than saving Palutena from the already arrived evil of Medusa.
- Schrödinger's Canon: The game wasn't released in Japan and therefore isn't acknowledged in Kid Icarus Uprising. That being said, it has not been officially removed from the continuity, and Uprising doesn't invalidate it. In Uprising Pit even mentions Medusa poisoning water ways, and the water is poisoned in this game despite Medusa not being in it, suggesting it could be a sequel despite everything else about "Of Myths And Monsters" suggesting it is a prequel.
- Segmented Serpent: The Fire Serpent, guardian of the Skyworld fortress. The head is different from the other parts and is the only part that can be damaged.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: Unlike its NES counterpart, the Fortress-theme does not sound very Fortress-like.
- Spikes of Doom: Usually in the form of thorns or briars, they are more liberally scattered through this game.
- Sticky Fingers: Sticky Talons steal Pit's power ups.
- Taken for Granite: Palutena is turned into stone by Orcos shortly after Pit finishes his training.
- Video Game Flight: The angel feather lets you fly freely for a brief time. The wings of Pegasus let you fly indefinitely but in the first game you are limited by a scrolling screen, the second game only limits you to what can't be broken with your hammers.
- Winged Soul Flies Off at Death: This happens to Pit whenever he dies.
- Wings Do Nothing: Played with. Wings can slow his descent and Pit is again able to obtain a powerup that allows flight. As a trade off, Pit can no longer move while crouching.
