| The game is Nintendo's: Famicom Tsushin called it Nintendo's action game, and the North American manual is copyright 1987 Nintendo of America Inc. | printed p. 2 (PDF p. 3), contents page | Manual |
| The player is Pit, an angel youth. In the manual's story the goddess of darkness, Medusa, has taken the Three Sacred Treasures (the Mirror Shield, the Arrow of Light, and the Wings of Pegasus) from Palutena, the goddess of light who ruled Angel Land with her, and imprisoned Palutena in the Palace in the Sky. Palutena calls on Pit, held prisoner in a dungeon in the Underworld; he escapes to rescue her, and to defeat Medusa he needs the treasures. In the Japanese manual's story the same two goddesses, Palutena of light and Medusa of darkness, rule. | printed p. 3 (PDF p. 4), The Tale of Kid Icarusprinted p. 3 (PDF p. 4), The Tale of Kid Icarusprinted p. 6 (PDF p. 7), The Tale of Kid Icarusprinted p. 6 (PDF p. 7), The Tale of Kid Icarusprinted p. 6 (PDF p. 7), The Tale of Kid Icarusprinted p. 7 (PDF p. 8), The Tale of Kid Icarusprinted p. 7 (PDF p. 8), The Tale of Kid Icarusprinted p. 8 (PDF p. 9), The Tale of Kid Icarusprinted p. 8 (PDF p. 9), The Tale of Kid Icarus | Manual |
| Angel Land is divided into four worlds. Worlds 1 to 3, the Underworld, the Overworld, and the Skyworld, each hold three areas and a fortress, and a world is cleared when Pit defeats the fortress's Gatekeeper; each Gatekeeper holds a sealed casket, and the three together hold the Three Sacred Treasures. In the fourth, the Palace in the Sky, Pit can fly, and with the treasures he is ready to fight Medusa. | printed p. 17 (PDF p. 18), A Guide to Angel Landprinted p. 17 (PDF p. 18), A Guide to Angel Landprinted p. 17 (PDF p. 18), A Guide to Angel Landprinted p. 18 (PDF p. 19), A Guide to Angel Landprinted p. 18 (PDF p. 19), A Guide to Angel Landprinted p. 15 (PDF p. 16), menu displayprinted p. 25 (PDF p. 26), Items, Sealed casketprinted p. 12 (PDF p. 13), Basic Wisdomprinted p. 26 (PDF p. 27), Items | Manual |
| Pit shoots arrows with B and raises his shield when the button is let go; he can aim upward and climb ladders, squat, drop through floors, and jump, and Start opens a menu of his data and possessions. | printed p. 12 (PDF p. 13), Basic Wisdom, Skillfully control Pit!printed p. 12 (PDF p. 13), Basic Wisdom, Skillfully control Pit!printed p. 12 (PDF p. 13), Basic Wisdom, Skillfully control Pit!printed p. 12 (PDF p. 13), Basic Wisdom, Skillfully control Pit!printed p. 12 (PDF p. 13), Basic Wisdom, Skillfully control Pit!printed p. 13 (PDF p. 14), Fully understand what Pit's personal data means! | Manual |
| Defeated enemies leave hearts, which Pit spends on items, up to 999 at a time. A shopkeeper trades goods for hearts; the black marketeer's goods are expensive, and a credit card lets Pit buy from him on credit, once until the debt is repaid. In a treasure chamber each of the eight pitchers costs 5 hearts to break, and the God of Poverty, hidden in one of them, takes away the items Pit found in treasure chambers. | printed p. 26 (PDF p. 27), Items, Special itemsprinted p. 13 (PDF p. 14), How to read the displayprinted p. 13 (PDF p. 14), How to read the displayprinted p. 22 (PDF p. 23), Enter the chambers and collect the items!printed p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Black Marketeerprinted p. 27 (PDF p. 28), Items, Credit Cardprinted p. 27 (PDF p. 28), Items, Credit Cardprinted p. 22 (PDF p. 23), Treasure Chambersprinted p. 22 (PDF p. 23), Treasure Chambersprinted p. 30 (PDF p. 31), Oh, no! Its the God of Povertyprinted p. 30 (PDF p. 31), Oh, no! Its the God of Poverty | Manual |
| Pit grows stronger as he goes: his strength meter gains sections with his score at each checkpoint, up to five; a god in a sacred chamber gives him arrows that raise his fighting power, depending on how well he has fought; and completing a training chamber earns a weapon. The manual's weapons are flaming arrows, the Sacred Bow, and the Protective Crystal, and Pit can use them only with enough strength. | printed p. 17 (PDF p. 18), A Guide to Angel Land, diagramprinted p. 13 (PDF p. 14), How to read the displayprinted p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Sacred Chamberprinted p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Sacred Chamberprinted p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Sacred Training Chamberprinted p. 24 (PDF p. 25), Types of items, Weaponsprinted p. 24 (PDF p. 25), Types of items, Weaponsprinted p. 24 (PDF p. 25), Types of items, Weaponsprinted p. 24 (PDF p. 25), Types of items, Weapons | Manual |
| Along the way Pit enters chambers: treasure chambers, enemy lairs he can't leave until the enemies are destroyed, shops that exchange goods for hearts, sacred chambers where a god gives him arrows, a training chamber that ends with a weapon, a hot spring that restores his strength, and a hospital that cures him when an Eggplant Wizard's spell has turned him into an eggplant. In a fortress a mallet frees his friend Centurian to fight the Gatekeeper beside him, and a check sheet maps its chambers. | printed p. 22 (PDF p. 23), Enter the chambers and collect the items!printed p. 22 (PDF p. 23), Enemy's Lairprinted p. 22 (PDF p. 23), Shopprinted p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Sacred Chamberprinted p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Sacred Training Chamberprinted p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Hot Springprinted p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Hospitalprinted p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Hospitalprinted p. 23 (PDF p. 24), Hospitalprinted p. 27 (PDF p. 28), Items, Malletprinted p. 20 (PDF p. 21), A Guide to Angel Landprinted p. 14 (PDF p. 15), Check sheet display | Manual |
| On the NES, play is resumed by password: at game over the game shows one, and entering it from Continue resumes from the last checkpoint passed, with Pit's strength, possessions, hearts, and points. | printed p. 9 (PDF p. 10), How to Start Playing Kid Icarusprinted p. 10 (PDF p. 11), When the Game Is Overprinted p. 10 (PDF p. 11), When the Game Is Overprinted p. 10 (PDF p. 11), When the Game Is Overprinted p. 10 (PDF p. 11), When the Game Is Over | Manual |