A question about the US and JP endings for Kid Icarus

[GarrettCRW]

I just got done plowing through Hikari Shinwa: Palutena no Kagami, the Famicom Disk System version of Kid Icarus. This thing is, I used a FAQ at GameFAQs to help ensure the best ending, but I didn't get it. The FAQ states that you need to have the following stats maxed out:

1: Hearts (999)
2: Strength (all five arrows received from the god)
3: Health (all five bars, which means over 200,000 points heading into Level 4)
4: Weapons (the three weapons gained from the god's challenge room)

I had all of these maxed out when I beat down Medusa, and only got the ending that, in the US version, means you've only maxed out two stats. So, after double-checking the NES cart to verify that these are the criteria, I've got to ask-what are the FDS version's standards for victory? (I've got an idea why they changed it, and it's similar to why we never got the original SMB 2.)

[James8BitStar]

Kid Icarus had an ending?

[rbudrick]

I believe you have to beat the game two times over to getthe best ending. I think the second best ending is the best available on the first time through.

-Rob

[NE146]

mmm.. if you're reading one of the 2 Kid Icarus faq's at gamefaqs, you shoulda seen this section in one of them:


================================================== =============================
][ 16. Japanese version (Famicom) differencies ][
================================================== =============================

Kid Icarus was released in Japan on the Famicom Disk System as "Hikari Shinwa:
Palutena no Kagami", roughly "Myth of Light: The Mirror of Palutena". It has
some major differencies from the game we know as Kid Icarus on the NES.

As the game was stored on a rewritable disk, it had three save slots to record
your progress instead of passwords. It also had a highscore list. When you beat
the game and restarted on the same file, nothing carried over.

Other notable differencies include better sound effects. You also had to eject
the disk and swap sides a few times - the save menu, the final Stage and the
ending were on side A, while the rest of the game was on side B.

In the final Stage, you had to scroll the screen forward manually, just like in
Stage 2. You also had to hold the jump button to fly, making Medusa more
difficult, and you collided with the blocks and obstacles on the screen rather
than passing through them. Some enemy patterns were different in this Stage as
well.

The Famicom version was later re-released on the Gameboy Advance on a yellow
cartridge, as part of the Nintendo Classic Series. As far as I can tell, it
even includes the complete original manual. However, this release was Japanese
only. (I was fortunate enough to recieve my copy from someone visiting Japan).


~ Japanese version endings ~

It's worth noting that the endings were determined in a completely different
way in the Japanese FDS version. Here's a quick guide.

Simply add your Level together with your Strength, and you'll get a number from
3-10 (it's impossible finishing the game with a Level of 1 because of how much
experience the bosses give you). Then check the list below to see what ending
you get:

+--------+----------+----------------------------+
| | Level+ | |
| Ending | Strength | Description |
+========+==========+============================+
| Worst | 3 to 5 | Pit's upper body is turned |
| | | into a Specknose. |
+--------+----------+----------------------------+
| Poor | 6 to 7 | Pit gets a hat and a |
| | | sickle (mop?). |
+--------+----------+----------------------------+
| Medium | 8 | Pit gets a helmet and a |
| | | short stick (spear?). |
+--------+----------+----------------------------+
| Good | 9 | Pit gets a helmet with a |
| | | red tuft, and a spear. |
+--------+----------+----------------------------+
| Best | 10 | Pit becomes a big warrior. |
+--------+----------+----------------------------+

So the best NES ending does not exist, instead there's a different "worst"
ending. The irony remains that getting the worst ending requires more playing
skill than a better one.


Kid Icarus is still fascinating to me as far as how you play the game really affects the outcome.. but it's so HIDDEN as to what exactly it is and how it works. And of course the instructions were so cryptic about it. I remember the formula's in Gamefaqs, but upon a cursorly reading it was as confusing as ever LOL Cool stuff man :)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/b2stoys/icarus.jpg

One of these days I'm going to play Kid Icarus on an emulator using Savestates and really try and get the perfect game. Or I guess I could look up a tool assisted speed run on it that gets 100% and just watch that. LOL Whichever.

[ccovell]

Or else use an emulator (yeah, cheating, I know...), save a savestate before the ending, alter the RAM values for your level+strength, and take screenshots for each.

(Here (http://rabirion-web.hp.infoseek.co.jp/address/parthena-kagami.html) are the RAM values for the Japanese version (in Japanese, of course...))

[GarrettCRW]

And, for my second attempt, which again featured max-outs in the four NES categories, I got...

the second best ending. Again.

Seriously, there's something missing here.

[Blitzwing256]

your final score greatly affects the ending too, try spending a VERY long time in the fortess levels fighting the high point enemies.

also remeber every time you shoot an arrow you loose "experinece" points (invisible number you can't see) you gain a certain amount for hitting an enemy and for picking up the hearts, so be carefull with wasting shots. hitting a kobol (snake) nets you nuetral points, but picking up the heart gives you +1 (its complicated but it makes sense after awile)

good luck :-)

[NE146]

And, for my second attempt, which again featured max-outs in the four NES categories, I got...

the second best ending. Again.

Seriously, there's something missing here.

Come on dude.. do you not like to read replies to your own post? ROFL To repeat the FAQ section I posted above:

The best NES ending does not exist in the FDS version

Instead there's a different "worst" ending. The irony remains that getting the worst ending requires more playing skill than a better one.

[GarrettCRW]

Come on dude.. do you not like to read replies to your own post? ROFL To repeat the FAQ section I posted above:

The best NES ending does not exist in the FDS version

Instead there's a different "worst" ending. The irony remains that getting the worst ending requires more playing skill than a better one.

The point is, I played the FDS version twice, and passed with flying colors, and still got the second best ending. I'm not the one with reading issues.

NES version: max out weapons, strength, health, and hearts.

FDS: max out strength and health.

The point is, I did what you said the FDS version wants, and more, and IT STILL DIDN'T WORK.

[NE146]

The point is, I played the FDS version twice, and passed with flying colors, and still got the second best ending. I'm not the one with reading issues.

I guess I don't understand. Of course you got the 2nd best ending. The best ending does not exist in the FDS version. It's not there.

So what is not working? :p

Or to make it more clear.. Which ending is it you're getting exactly? are you getting the 2nd best FDS ending? Or are you getting the 2nd best NES ending?

[GarrettCRW]

I guess I don't understand. Of course you got the 2nd best ending. The best ending does not exist in the FDS version. It's not there.

So what is not working? :p

Or to make it more clear.. Which ending is it you're getting exactly? are you getting the 2nd best FDS ending? Or are you getting the 2nd best NES ending?

The same ending I got last time-Pit with the spear and the feathered helmet (which is Roman rather than Greek, come to think of it). (IOW, the second-best FDS ending.)

And yes, this is aggravating the hell out of me. :angry:

[rbudrick]

The same ending I got last time-Pit with the spear and the feathered helmet (which is Roman rather than Greek, come to think of it). (IOW, the second-best FDS ending.)

And yes, this is aggravating the hell out of me. :angry:

I thought the Romans got that from the Greeks. Spartans specifically.

So what happens if you alter the ram values to get a 1 or a 2 (impossible values)?

-Rob

[GarrettCRW]

So what happens if you alter the ram values to get a 1 or a 2 (impossible values)?

I'm sort of playing this on a real FDS (OK, so a real Twin Famicom) with a real HS disk, so I can't alter the RAM values.

Now, that I've calmed down and stopped being a douche and all that, I have a few ideas:

1) The disk is fucked.

2) The save slot is fucked.

3) I need to set a new high score to get the best ending (which means damn near 750,000 points) and max out the life and strength stats whilst doing so.