Cave Story is excellent, with superb controls, an engrossing story, and very high replay value. Amazing to think that all this came from one man. A must play.

It features a number of innovations, which is rare for the decades-old 2D platformer genre. Weapons have a unique level-up system, wherein tokens dropped by enemies can be collected to get greater firepower. Taking damage knocks your weapon back until you can snag an enemy or two worth of tokens. It isn't an RPG-type grind though; the changes are very short term.

There are multiple paths through the story, providing gameplay for casual gamers and veterans alike. The greatest of these paths reveals a great deal more of the background and takes you through an extremely challenging final level that is automatically timed, so you can compete with others. Check out YouTube for numerous speedruns in different configurations.

Overall, this is a game with a ton to offer -- download it immediately!

Learning Curve: Takes a second

Was this review helpful?

This game has good graphics, a (fairly incoherent) but good story, a good array of weapons, strong character development, and great gameplay. Can't make that jump? Shoot down with the maximum level machine-gun. It'll push you straight up! Colossal bosses, great story, good graphics, easy to understand interface and controls, just about everything is a plus! Heck, everything is a plus! One of the best games, and by far the best platformer. A must try, and it's free!

Learning Curve: Instant!

Was this review helpful?

This is a great little platform game. The thing that is awesome about this game is the gameplay above all else. The game is pretty good looking and has a good old-school vibe to it. There are many power-ups for your weapon which upgrade your weapon as the game progresses. I also loved the fact that the game, while still a platformer,had a bit of an RPG like feel which was very welcome. The music can be repetitive at times but definitely works for this game (in the old school vibe way). In the end I would recommend this game to anybody that is a fan of old-school style gameplay (think NES).

Learning Curve: Instant!

Was this review helpful?

One of the most, if not the most, popular indie games out there right now. Lots of clones of the art style seem to be springing up lately but I sincerely doubt anybody can readily reproduce the incredibly tight gameplay. A big ol' throwback to the platformers of lore, with rad music and graphics and story and characters and cetera et cetera. 5 year development time really doesn't surprise me considering the depth, breadth, and production values of this game.

Cave Story is long, replayable, beautiful, humorous, and really just gives out that vibe that tells you that the game was a labor of love by Pixel. The quality of this game has cemented his position as a future indie grandfather for generations to come. Let's hope he can successfully follow it up.

Play it already.

Play with a gamepad though for the real experience.

Learning Curve: Takes a while

Was this review helpful?

This game is the greatest. I give it all fives for being so fun. Look what happens when you create a game to be enjoyable instead of profitable.

Learning Curve: Takes a while

Was this review helpful?

Free, fun, and exciting! When you begin this game, you might be a bit confused, but if you stick to it, you are guaranteed to be addicted. The story is excellent, the graphics are cute and the game play is sweet! But I think the sound and music used need some tweaking as they can get a bit annoying haha...

Learning Curve: Takes a while

Was this review helpful?