Set in the fantasy world of "Angel Land", which is loosely based on Greek mythology, the gameplay combines action, adventure and platforming elements.

[10] Pit first appeared in Kid Icarus (1986), in which he escapes his prison in the Underworld and sets out to save the Goddess of Light, Palutena, from the clutches of Medusa and her forces.

[11] In Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (1991), Palutena's nightmare is interpreted by a fate teller as an imminent invasion by the demon Orcos and his minions.

The goddess summons Pit, the leader of her army, and tells him to obtain the three sacred treasures of Angel Land, which she has placed under the protection of three fortress guards to ensure their safety from Orcos.

[15] GamePro identified Pit's gameplay mechanics as taking elements from three of Nintendo's biggest franchises: Mario's jump, Link's ability-enhancing objects, and Samus Aran's projectiles.

[16] Pit takes inspiration from Greek mythology, with IGN's Lucas M. Thomas viewing him as a combination between Eros and Icarus and identifying his bow and his wings as his most iconic characteristics.

[26] 1UP.com writer Jeremy Parish called him a weird idea for an enemy, but also Pit's most challenging, comparing him to the Hammer Bros. from the Mario franchise because they often come in pairs and throw projectiles at the player character.

[22][32][33] Chris Morgan of Yardbarker named Eggplant Wizard as the true cult icon of early Nintendo and noted his charm.

Jason Cipriano of MTV Multiplayer Blog wrote that he described Eggplant Wizard as emblematic of the series' wacky design and stated that fans would be excited to see him appear in Kid Icarus: Uprising.

[36] Ishaan Sahdev of Siliconera reported on a GameStop promotion for Kid Icarus: Uprising that gave away a selection of augmented reality 3DS cards, including Eggplant Wizard.