The forgotten wing that kept the flame alive.
In 1991, while Gunpei Yokoi's team was already pivoting toward a new horizon — the Virtual Boy — a quiet Game Boy cartridge slipped out in the West. No Japanese release. No fanfare. Composed by an anonymous hand inside Tose, a company that erases its own name from history. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters was, in the most literal sense, a game that didn't need to exist. The franchise had already had its moment. And yet. That cartridge kept the character of Pit breathing — just barely — in a world that had moved on. Twenty-one years later, when Masahiro Sakurai saw a small angel with wings that hadn't opened in decades, he thought: this one deserves to fly again. The wing that seemed forgotten had never really stopped beating. That is sometimes how the long games are won — not with a sequel, but with the patience of a single, quiet launch that refuses to let the light go out.
— inspired by Gunpei Yokoi
About this game
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (1991) is a Game Boy exclusive produced by Gunpei Yokoi, developed by Nintendo R&D1 and Tose five years after the original Famicom Disk System game. Pit returns to train for a new conflict against Orcos, gaining new powers and traversing four worlds. Unlike the brutal NES original, this sequel adds battery backup saves, 4-directional scrolling, mid-air wing flutter to slow descent, and eight types of hidden doors. It shares its engine with Metroid II: Return of Samus — both designed simultaneously by Masafumi Sakashita.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Of Myths and Monsters arrived five years after the NES/FDS original in a transitional moment for Nintendo R&D1. Gunpei Yokoi — inventor of the Game Boy and R&D1's chief — produced the game while his division was already pivoting toward the Virtual Boy. Development was entrusted to Tose, Nintendo's legendary 'ghost developer' that never allows its name in credits. Designer Masafumi Sakashita simultaneously led both this game and Metroid II: Return of Samus, and the two share the same engine and sprite architecture. The game was never physically released in Japan — one of very few first-party Nintendo titles to skip the home market — until it appeared on the Japanese 3DS Virtual Console on February 8, 2012, with English text intact, as the first 3DS VC reverse-import, timed to build anticipation for Kid Icarus: Uprising the following month. Pit's revival via Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) was the direct catalyst for Uprising — a 21-year gap between 1991 and 2012, the longest dormancy of any major first-party Nintendo franchise before resurrection.
Tricks & Tales
Designer Masafumi Sakashita led development of both this game and Metroid II: Return of Samus simultaneously — they share the same sprite scale, scrolling logic, and collision systems, making them technical siblings despite being completely different IPs. Tose's strict no-credit policy means the actual composer remains unknown to this day; VGMdb has an open 'composer needed' thread that has never been resolved. The Japanese 3DS Virtual Console release in 2012 was the first time the game was ever available in Japan — and the first 3DS VC title classified as a reverse-import. Pit's inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008) with a visual redesign was the direct catalyst for Kid Icarus: Uprising; Sakurai cited fan feedback about characters with no recent games as his reason for choosing the IP.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The original Game Boy is fully region-free. A cartridge manufactured for Japan, North America, or Europe will run on any DMG unit from any region with no adapters, no modifications, and no lockout chip to defeat. The game's language is determined entirely by the software on the cartridge — the console hardware applies no restriction. The only notable caveat is that cross-region link-cable multiplayer may not function correctly in all titles. If you are buying Japanese-market Game Boy software to play on a non-Japanese DMG, or vice versa, hardware compatibility is simply not a concern.
Maintenance Tips
Vertical lines on the LCD are the Game Boy's signature aging defect. The cause is delamination of the ribbon cable that connects the LCD panel to the board. The standard repair is to apply heat along the ribbon cable near the LCD edge -- a soldering iron (at low temperature) run slowly along the ribbon cable reflows the connection and usually clears the lines. This repair has a documented success rate and requires no replacement parts. The speaker can be replaced with any 8-ohm 0.5W speaker of similar dimensions; audio quality often improves noticeably with a new unit. Clean battery terminals with vinegar and a cotton swab if corrosion is present. The contrast dial uses a potentiometer that can be cleaned with contact cleaner if the image is unstable at certain positions. Use fresh alkaline AA batteries -- rechargeable NiMH cells run at lower voltage and may cause erratic behavior.
Going deeper
More on keeping a Game Boy alive, and what to check before you buy one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters copies regularly.
Was this ever released in Japan?
Not physically. The game was never sold in Japan as a cartridge. It appeared on Japanese 3DS Virtual Console on February 8, 2012 (English text only) — the first 3DS VC reverse-import. Now also available on Nintendo Switch Online (Game Boy library, November 2025).
What consoles can play this cartridge?
Original Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance all play this cartridge. GBC and GBA automatically apply a color palette.
Who actually made this — the credits say Nintendo?
Development was handled by Tose, Nintendo's 'ghost developer,' under Gunpei Yokoi's supervision. Tose's policy prohibits staff credits, which is why the composer and most developers remain unknown.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
A short checklist for buying a used Game Boy cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Good news — Game Boy is region-free
Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges are not region-locked, so a Japanese copy plays on any Game Boy worldwide.
Just confirm the hardware family — original GB, Color, or Advance — matches the cartridge.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
See what it's selling for on eBay →Unexpected Discoveries
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