Graphics: 9
First off, this is a side-scroller, but something about the graphics just really hit me as 'fun'. Your plane has always looked like it is smiling to me, and the enemies are always very colorful and well-drawn. Bases look good blowing up, cheerleaders are hot, and the 'special' levels (more later) are really well done.

Sound: 8
Bar none, the BEST sound on NES. :) Aside from the usual sounds of flipping and landing, the background music on every level is the same, beautiful song. LOL - okay, so the song is catchy but after a while you might tire of it. I still like it.

Gameplay: 10
THIS is the strong point of this game. This was and is so much fun to play. The swooping of your plane (up, down, fast, slow) is great, and button-jamming while falling from the sky is the best. There's a flip you can use to get behind your enemy and do tricks with, and also, this flip can trigger special animations in the game (try flipping on the sun, for instance). Timing is needed to both grab the bomb when it appears on the ground and destroy the base on each level. And the best part? Shooting your teammate. This game in 2P is SUCH a blast.

Overall: 10
Fun-factor is WAY above ten, people. Try it out, let it grow on you. And if you're still not convinced of the glory of Skykid? Try shooting the cheerleaders sometime and see what happens. :)