As a classic, nothing I say will deter the millions in love since it came out in 2004. I had never played this game until 2015 when I got into the Metroidvanias.The purpose of mentioning this information is that (1) I didn't grow up with this classic, and (2) so many great games have come out, especialy within its genre, that, perhaps, my issue with the game is a problem with time. More specifically, the problem of genre saturation.

Think of games like LIMBO that were the new standard of the puzzle-platformer, then those games were done over and over, and now, going back to LIMBO, the problems with the game stand more out as it's not as special as it once was. NES-styled games (or even Metroidvania games) are not that uncommon, nor are one-man projects--for example, Dust: An Eylsian Tale, Axiom Verge, Undertale, LISA etc.--as rare today. (I'm not saying the work has become easier. The novelty of one-man projects has come and gone.)

Cave Story will continue to be an inspiration to many indie devs, and it earns its acclaim as a great game. No mistake was made there.However, some aspects, both of its gameplay and of its narrative, will stand out as time continues. And this is a review to newcomers so that you don't set too high expectations for the game.


First off, thie story is almost too serious for how stupid it sounds on paper, and with so many disturbing things that happen are quite dark when you think about what you don't see. I love how absurd this story gets at times, but it also never forgets when to keep a straight face.

The problem I have with this story is not what it is. My problem is how it is told, namely through exposition upon exposition, sometimes rather abruptly without any dramatic weight.

I'm not against having complex plots or reading in my games. I love CRPGs after all. But this game loses all its mystique it builds up after the first hour as the game's story becomes told through constant expositions. Motives are sometimes introduced before you can imagine your own conclusions, and sometimes characters are suddenly introduced with a full backstory and the impact has no meaning.

Not every exchange is telling you information for the sake of lore. The exchanges between Quote and Curly Brace feel heartwarming, and because I am invested in both characters the exposition doesn't come off as forced. There are also messages or notes hidden that share insight on characters, which is a great way to tell stories that feel like you made a discovery.

More often this idea is a roadblock. For example, you get a character that is suddenly vital to the game's story without any foreshadowing or even a early mention, and his backstory is told while pausing the game (randomly) on the most difficult level. So not only is the story pulled out of nowhere it also gets in the way of the gameplay.

It makes me wonder why not tell the exposition by other storytelling means like environmental design. The game has one or two moments like these, and on top of the notes/messages it feels like a reward for exploration. These problems are small compared to the gameplay problems.


For a Metroidvania game, the game feels a little barebones in its mechanics.

You get seven weapons with different arcs and effects as you level them up from collecting triangles (and you lose the XP by being constantly hit), but many feel worthless except for specific cases (the Fireball especially). You also get a jetpack, but not until two-thirds of the game is finished--I don't think there's a way to collect it early because, for a Metroidvania game, it's very linear. And the only items to collect are health upgrades.

The one gamplay feature that I do like is the hidden difficulty throughout most of the game. You can swap out weapons or items to make earlier sections easier, or you can bite the bullet and earn the reward later. These aren't really obvious, and you won't know you made a bad decision until much later, which some of them tie into the bonus endings of the game. (There are really only two endings with a third one being a mid-game end. You will need a guide to know how to get the final/good ending because the game asks you to do something illogical).

I really do like this feature because it ties so well into the heroic story where you influence the ones you can save and the people you simply cannot. These choices mean something.

The overall difficulty is not a fair game. Save spots are frequent through most of the game, which you will want to save often because cutscenes will be replayed upon death without a skip option. Only the boss-rush at the end, and the final level with five bosses have one save spot.

There are no E-tank substitutes--only a one-time full-health drink--but, like Megaman, you can kill smaller enemies in the boss-fights for health, weapon XP and missles. It takes real effort to regain your health in boss-fights, which I think is fine for when you have scattered save places. I would like that to be a player option rather than mandatory with the end-game's sudden difficulty spike.

And then you have the the last level. Symbolizing only one thing: Hell. (You will need a guide to trigger this outcome--no joke.)

Either you will break your controller or you will develop a sixth sense of a bullet-hell mess for the level. Then you have to fight five boss-forms in ONE life, and if you fail you have to start all the way from the bullet-hell level. It feels like an excuse for NES difficulty rather than an actual challenge (and it reminds me too much of Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight).

And then you have extra challenge modes and a hard mode for enthusiasts. I might do a Curley Brace mode playthrough just for dialogue changes and for the normal ending. So, thankfully, for a short game (4 to 5 hours on a normal playthrough) there is lots of replay value for sadists.


Please don't let my nitpicks convince you that this game is not worth the effort. Despite the steep difficulty curve, the game is very enjoyable and I can easily recommend it.

All I want to say is just know what to expect: Don't let nostalgia keep the faults unseen because without knowing where we err we cannot know where we need to grow.

As a classic, nothing I say will deter the millions in love since it came out in 2004. I had never played this game until 2015 when I got into the Metroidvanias.The purpose of mentioning this information is that (1) I didn't grow up with this classic, and (2) so many great games have come out, especialy within its genre, that, perhaps, my issue with the game is a problem with time. More specifically, the problem of genre saturation. Think of games like LIMBO that were the new standard of the puzzle-platformer, then those games were done over and over, and now, going back to LIMBO, the problems with the game stand more out as it's not as special as it once was. NES-styled games (or even Metroidvania games) are not that uncommon, nor are one-man projects--for example, Dust: An Eylsian Tale, Axiom Verge, Undertale, LISA etc.--as rare today. (I'm not saying the work has become easier. The novelty of one-man projects has come and gone.) Cave Story will continue to be an inspiration to many indie devs, and it earns its acclaim as a great game. No mistake was made there.However, some aspects, both of its gameplay and of its narrative, will stand out as time continues. And this is a review to newcomers so that you don't set too high expectations for the game. [h1]Exploring the Story[/h1] First off, thie story is almost too serious for how stupid it sounds on paper, and with so many disturbing things that happen are quite dark when you think about what you don't see. I love how absurd this story gets at times, but it also never forgets when to keep a straight face. The problem I have with this story is not what it is. My problem is how it is told, namely through exposition upon exposition, sometimes rather abruptly without any dramatic weight. I'm not against having complex plots or reading in my games. I love CRPGs after all. But this game loses all its mystique it builds up after the first hour as the game's story becomes told through constant expositions. Motives are sometimes introduced before you can imagine your own conclusions, and sometimes characters are suddenly introduced with a full backstory and the impact has no meaning. Not every exchange is telling you information for the sake of lore. The exchanges between Quote and Curly Brace feel heartwarming, and because I am invested in both characters the exposition doesn't come off as forced. There are also messages or notes hidden that share insight on characters, which is a great way to tell stories that feel like you made a discovery. More often this idea is a roadblock. For example, you get a character that is suddenly vital to the game's story without any foreshadowing or even a early mention, and his backstory is told while pausing the game (randomly) on the most difficult level. So not only is the story pulled out of nowhere it also gets in the way of the gameplay. It makes me wonder why not tell the exposition by other storytelling means like environmental design. The game has one or two moments like these, and on top of the notes/messages it feels like a reward for exploration. These problems are small compared to the gameplay problems. [h1]Exploring the Cave[/h1] For a Metroidvania game, the game feels a little barebones in its mechanics. You get seven weapons with different arcs and effects as you level them up from collecting triangles (and you lose the XP by being constantly hit), but many feel worthless except for specific cases (the Fireball especially). You also get a jetpack, but not until two-thirds of the game is finished--I don't think there's a way to collect it early because, for a Metroidvania game, it's very linear. And the only items to collect are health upgrades. The one gamplay feature that I do like is the hidden difficulty throughout most of the game. You can swap out weapons or items to make earlier sections easier, or you can bite the bullet and earn the reward later. These aren't really obvious, and you won't know you made a bad decision until much later, which some of them tie into the bonus endings of the game. (There are really only two endings with a third one being a mid-game end. You will need a guide to know how to get the final/good ending because the game asks you to do something illogical). I really do like this feature because it ties so well into the heroic story where you influence the ones you can save and the people you simply cannot. These choices mean something. The overall difficulty is not a fair game. Save spots are frequent through most of the game, which you will want to save often because cutscenes will be replayed upon death without a skip option. Only the boss-rush at the end, and the final level with five bosses have one save spot. There are no E-tank substitutes--only a one-time full-health drink--but, like Megaman, you can kill smaller enemies in the boss-fights for health, weapon XP and missles. It takes real effort to regain your health in boss-fights, which I think is fine for when you have scattered save places. I would like that to be a player option rather than mandatory with the end-game's sudden difficulty spike. And then you have the the last level. Symbolizing only one thing: Hell. (You will need a guide to trigger this outcome--no joke.) Either you will break your controller or you will develop a sixth sense of a bullet-hell mess for the level. Then you have to fight five boss-forms in ONE life, and if you fail you have to start all the way from the bullet-hell level. It feels like an excuse for NES difficulty rather than an actual challenge (and it reminds me too much of Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight). And then you have extra challenge modes and a hard mode for enthusiasts. I might do a Curley Brace mode playthrough just for dialogue changes and for the normal ending. So, thankfully, for a short game (4 to 5 hours on a normal playthrough) there is lots of replay value for sadists. [h1]There's Still A Great Game To Be Found[/h1] Please don't let my nitpicks convince you that this game is not worth the effort. Despite the steep difficulty curve, the game is very enjoyable and I can easily recommend it. All I want to say is just know what to expect: Don't let nostalgia keep the faults unseen because without knowing where we err we cannot know where we need to grow.