One Byte Cafe: Cave Story

Here in the Cafe we will sometimes re-review the games that we loved in the past (we have a hard time letting go), but the Cafe is really open to any gaming related discussion. If there is anything that you would like to see us discuss or research for you just leave us a comment below or email me directly at jphelps@levelselect.co.uk

To commemorate the upcoming release of Wii Ware’s Cave Story I want to do everything in my power to get you hyped up for this game. I have recently played through the original PC version from its flaccid start all the way up to its climactic finish and now I can’t wait to do it all over again with my Wii. *wink*.

Cave Story (Doukutsu Monogatari)

Best Place for Info: Fan Site or the Wiki

Who Made It: Studio Pixel (Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya)

Original Release Date: December 20, 2004

So why in the world should you download Cave Story on the Wii instead of on the PC? Well, I don’t know why you would give your money to Nintendo instead of just downloading the free PC version, unless you just don’t like playing games on your computer monitor. Or perhaps you are willing to purchase the Wii version merely for the convenience of it all. Now to the Wii’s defense, the newer version is said to include ‘new exclusive content and features’, widescreen support, and updated graphics and music.

There has even been reports that there will be download content to add onto the experience at some time down the road. I’ve been ravenously downloading stuff to my Wii for a long time and haven’t stopped to question why until now. I know I will probably run my Wii points card dry on this sucker. They see people like me coming a mile away. The fact still remains that you should one day play this game in one form or another and the Wii version will be very easyily accessible and ready to enjoy. Geez, I can really start to ramble sometimes. Let’s get to what is important. When you set out in your modest beginnings, you are in ‘First Cave’; you don’t know who you are or what you are doing. You simply start exploring the cave. Story line is not fed to you on a pretty little line of dialogue or in an opening cut screen; rather you uncover it through your adventures.

Eventually you will find a whole host of characters from strange little bunny people, to humanoid scientists or doctors who will add their own brushstrokes to the ambiguous big picture. Definitely a game that grows and blossoms into a mystical red flower.

“Lengthy, clever, and beautiful, this incredible Metroid-esque side scroller is not only one of the single best indie games ever made, but also one of the most important.” ~ Destructoid.com

Game play is as simple as run and gun with some platforming. The jump mechanic is a little floaty, but this actually works well once you get use to it. You get a series of weapons throughout the game and each one can be upgraded through 3 levels of distinct power and appearance. You can level up your health and the amount of ammunition you carry by finding well hidden upgrade containers. There are many little side missions that you can embark on, which I sadly admit I never did. This is very much an adventure game that has been compared to the likes of Castlevania or even the Metroid series.

“What would have otherwise been a mediocre platforming game, Cave Story manages to really convey a sense of depth and purpose by keeping players busy with all sorts of side-quests and interesting characters.” ~ Game Tunnel

I have heard the buzz about this game for a few years now and had even downloaded it at one time, but sadly never played it. The first thing that turned me off when I initially downloaded it was that it is in Japanese. There has been an English patch created, but you must apply this patch to the game so you can understand what the heck is going on. I have to admit that I wasn’t so computer savvy at the time, so that was the reason I deleted the files. Now that I have much more computer experience I finally broke down and installed it again. Needless to say I have given it a play through from start to finish. It has surprised me living up to the hype surrounding it, and I found myself enthralled with playing this.

The other side of the coin: Do you remember that one teacher/professor that told you that they don’t give out a perfect score and there is no such thing as a perfect score? Well those people also exist in gaming believe it or not. I am the forever optimist when it comes to video games and I may not always point out the downfalls of a game.

“You’ll jump over spikes, shoot dumb baddies with your various weapons, have one-sided chats with NPCs, snag power-ups, open treasure chests, and generally do all that stuff you’ve done a million times before (but possibly not for a while).” ~ Honest Gamer

You fight one of the bosses many times. He has slightly different attacks each time you meet him but it is still the same guy. Many of the other characters are also recycled many times throughout the game. Just like the recycled boss, they too just have a slightly different attack or color scheme. Besides having dated graphics and sound, this also has a dated gameplay. You are jumping from one platform to the next while collecting items. You fight little bad guys until you reach the boss of the area, then repeat the process.

“The pixel-y places you visit look amazing. Even though you’ll see the same enemy a few times, maybe even re-colored, the scenery makes it okay.” ~ Spawn Kill

In Closing: This really is a fun game that is worth the play through. If you love side scrolling platforming, then this game it right up your alley and you should play it immediately. For those of you who don’t like this style of games please do not try this game; eventhough this game is excellent it will not be the pinnacle game that will sway your opinion of the genre. Video of the upcoming Wii version: