Release date: December 20, 2004
Publisher: Nicalis and Studio Pixel
Console: Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, Linux, Xbox, GP2X, Amiga, and Mac OS
Developer: Studio Pixel
Cave Story is an indie game made by Daisuke Amaya over the course of 5 years. I recommend buying the $10 versions for the game instead of the $40 3DS game.
Graphics- I have a small part in my heart for pixelated games. Retro styled games just have aura that’s different than modern games . The graphics in Cave Story are clean and really show off what you can do with just pixels. This game doesn’t have the usual 3D graphics like recent games for non-gamers, but still have a lasting effect. Experienced gamers can definitely fall in love with these graphics.
Mechanics/Theme – The way to advance in the game is defeating enemies. How do you do this? Lots of weapons. Each one has their strengths and weaknesses. Using these weapons are fun and figuring out which weapon to use and when adds to the excitement. The fulfillment of defeating a boss is amazing. This is a generally challenging game and when you total a boss using strategic moves, it’s very worthwhile and just feels plain awesome.
Controls/Camera- The controls are simple and work well. The camera isn’t an issue and runs smoothly.
Story Line- Everything pieces together as you play, and it’s fun to figure out the whole story. The basis is that you’re on a floating island with bunny people called Mimigas. An evil doctor is forcing the Mimigas to eat red flowers, turning them into mindless monsters of battle. There are many cut scenes, which can get annoying when they reply every time a boss is introduced. And each time you die, the cutscene is played again before the boss. Another aspect of the game are the endings. Yes, endings. There are around three endings, and only one is the true ending. You have to pick up or not pick certain items, or trigger different events. Trying to get the right ending is tricky, but the story ends on a good note.
Music- I don’t know how much I can express my love for the music. It’s so engaging and downright cool. There are many good covers on this game’s music too. One of the covers includes a full guitar version of the original songs from the game. You can find it on Youtube and it’s worth checking out.
Is There a Deeper Meaning? This story reflects a bit of being lost and finding who you are. The main character knows nothing about himself, and begins discover why they’re on the island and who they are. Creating a huge picture of story is one of the best things to do in Cave Story.
Video Game Review: Cave Story
by Amy Lusignan