Kid Icarus: Uprising

Kid Icarus: Uprising was released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS, marking the long-awaited return of the Pit character. To support the launch and flesh out the game's expansive world, Nintendo commissioned three distinct animated short films. These shorts were produced by high-profile animation studios: Production I.G, Studio 4°C, and Shaft. Each studio was tasked with interpreting the game's mythological aesthetic through their own unique artistic lens, effectively serving as a high-quality promotional bridge between the original NES roots and the modern reimagining.

The Production I.G short, titled 'Thanatos Rising,' focuses on a comedic and action-oriented confrontation between Pit and the Underworld god Thanatos. The studio leveraged its reputation for fluid character movement and dynamic combat to capture the frenetic energy of the game's aerial battles. The project was received positively by fans, who appreciated the stylistic departure from standard in-game cutscenes and the opportunity to see Pit rendered in a traditional, high-fidelity anime format that emphasized the lighthearted, dialogue-heavy tone established by director Masahiro Sakurai.