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Honestly heading into the game, I never expected it to turn out so great. The meat of the game is its story, well written cast of characters and the gameplay. Even if you prefer to to play the game on the big screen, it actually holds up really well and looks nice and clean thanks to its art style. The game plays beautifully on the Nintendo Switch with its gorgeously drawn sprites that are a delight to see on the Switch screen in undocked mode.
Cave story review Pc#
You also have the ability to toggle between the old PC visuals or the new enhanced art style. This ended up being the best version of the game because of how it managed to retain the original art style while offering the extra modes from the previous version of the game.Ĭave Story+ features an alternative English translation of the game in addition to a remastered soundtrack. Nicalis later released an enhanced release of the game for PC called Cave Story+. It was also remade in 3D for the Nintendo 3DS although the remake was not as well received as the original. Originally released as a self-published game on PC by developer Daisuke Amaya, the game managed to garner enough attention to receive a port for the Nintendo Wii, DS and 3DS. It's a sweet, purposely naive way to craft a game.Cave Story has a long history on PC. Whichever path you choose is the correct one, the story as it's meant to be told by you. More to the point, Cave Story doesn't judge you or punish "wrong" choices, as there's no such thing. The choices are small, like deciding whether or not to swap a weapon, and their ripple effects aren't always obvious. It doesn't have the "Press A to be Good Press B to be Evil" clumsiness of a BioShock clone. There isn't a lot of portentous pageantry, however. (I won't elaborate further for fear of spoilers.) One decision has the potential to cut the length of the game in half, and others can determine whether a major character survives the quest. There are game-changing choices scattered throughout Cave Story, a few of them with profound effects. My successes felt more genuine I defeated that evil, Mimiga-poisoning doctor not because I had to, but because I wanted to. It was so much fun not to be treated as The Last Great Hope for once. The frog of war.Īnd you know what? The lack of cheerleaders is hugely liberating. In fact, most of the other characters seem almost indifferent to your hero, the ballcap-wearing robot Quote. There's no invisible hand pushing you to just get on with it, no ticking time bomb to extinguish. Still, that freedom of movement is important, because it creates the sensation that you are in charge of Cave Story's journey. You can come and go as you please between about a dozen cavernous worlds, but you'll rarely find cause to backtrack and re-explore what you've already seen. That gives an accurate sense of the run-jump-shoot action while implying that Cave Story is a game of exploration. The game's structure, which sends you on a winding voyage through a floating island, has often been described as a "Metroidvania"-type romp. Originally released by Amaya as PC freeware in 2004, this old-school platformer's fit and finish have been polished a bit for WiiWare by indie dev Nicalis, without ruining the chunky, retro vibe of the original. In fact, nothing in this game is overstated, and that's the heart of its charm. That may sound obnoxiously adorable, but while Cave Story is indeed cute, it's not overly so. A simple, wonderful, touching story (that takes place in caves, naturally) about a race of bunny-like people called Mimigas and the boy robot who tries to save them from a horrific end. He decided to name his magnum opus Cave Story, because that's all this unassuming game is. Try this on for size: "Tunnel Assassin HD: The First Descent." It's like I'm printing money over here.īut solo developer Daisuke Amaya doesn't want my advice. At least stick a subtitle in there, and let everyone know that you're building an international franchise. What the hell kind of a name is Cave Story, anyway? Come on, sex it up a little, leverage the IP against your core demographics.