Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/200900/
Source: Youtube Channel marcosoutsider
Developer: Nicalis, Studio Pixel
Publisher: Nicalis
Platforms: PC
Release Date: November 22, 2011
Genre: Action-Adventure Platformer
Pros:
-They didn't simply just change the graphics and audio, the original graphics and audio can be still used
-The game is still really fun even though I've played it before
-Additional content such as new modes, levels, weapons, and boss fights
-More content on its way in the future (better not be DLC we have to pay for)
Cons:
-The "improved HD" graphics and "Remastered" music seems to take away from the original game
-...I've got nothin' else
NOTE: Please disregard what I say about "Remastered" music as it seems to be newly added just about 1-2 days ago. There's 3 versions now: Original, New, and Remastered. When I say "Remastered" music in the review, I meant to say the "New" version. The "Remastered" version is actually kind of interesting.
I finished playing Cave Story 3 years ago and first heard about it in a Nintendo Magazine that it was going to be "recreated" on the Wii and that the original was distributed as a freeware and that fans have translated to English. After experiencing the masterpiece that was "Cave Story", I have come to know the name Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya and have a lot of respect for his work. It took him 5 years of his free time to create Cave Story and in the past 3 years it has been ported and recreated on Wii, DSi Ware, 3DS, and supposedly the PSP. With Cave Story+ released on PC for $10, it makes you wonder whether it's worth it to make the purchase when the original is still free. I got it with the Humble Indie Bundle 4 and so I didn't think too much about the price. Although the "new" graphics and audio might sound like the highlight of the remake, it's not. The "new" graphics take away the charm of the retro look while the "remastered" music seems to deviate from the atmosphere that the original chiptune captured so well. The good thing is that you can choose to play with the original graphics and/or audio and mix and match them. The real treat is that there's new modes, new levels, 4 additional weapons from the original 6 (10 in total), and new content that will be updated to the game in the future. So is it worth getting? It's Cave Story! Of course you should get it, especially if you haven't played it yet. And if you really can't hock that $10 out, go get the original and play it because it's really that good!
Aesthetics
The most notable difference in Cave Story+ to all fans is the new graphics and remaster music. The graphics and audio can be interchanged between the new and the original at anytime in the game from the main menu. I would recommend playing with the original content first and then play it a 2nd time with the new graphics if one has not played Cave Story yet. The new graphics are alright for the most part, but I have a problem with Quote's (the main character) face. It's dopey looking with the nose, mouth and hair. It's a very small factor in the change in graphics, but it's also the one thing you'll see most often and it bugs me. Everything else is alright. The music bothers me a lot though. What was so incredible about the experience in playing the original was how well the music complimented the gameplay and the mood. The music would be solemn in the dark areas, upbeat when it's exciting, and easy-going when you're in a safe area. But the "remastered" version of the music were all "remixed" to sound different and suddenly the solemn areas were jumpy, easy-going areas were upbeat, but at least the upbeat is still upbeat. The original compositions were intentionally played in a chiptune style to have that nostalgic feeling of retro games, but it also matched the situations really well. The new music seems to play in the level just for the heck of background music. There's no meaning to it because of it. This is what I was afraid of when I heard about "recreations" of Cave Story (granted, I played the original game for the first time after hearing about a remake for the Wii). But it's okay, because all the original graphics and audio is still an option so it doesn't force the new art style and music if the player doesn't want them. Playing the game again with the original art and music still reminds me of what an incredible game Cave Story was and still is. Aesthetics: 10/10
Buttons
Anyone growing up playing Action-Platformers and Adventure games such as Metroid or Megaman can agree how tight and well designed the controls for Cave Story are. The controls are simple with mainly the "jump" and "attack" key being the most used (other than the movement keys) along with 4 other keys to switch weapons, look at the map, and open up the inventory menu. The key bindings can be changed to any way the player desires and is also compatible with any USB controllers that's plugged in. With the player in complete control of the character, there is little room for Shenanigans to happen such as delayed jumps or "realistic" stopping of movements. The weapon switching is pretty much like Megaman games where the shoulder buttons can be used to switch weapons (A and S by default on keyboard) or bringing up the inventory menu to switch between them. This way, the player can switch to weapons appropriate for the situation on the fly. The core game revolves around great level designs which makes the most out of the two keys "jump and shoot" (sounds like Megaman and Metroid, right?). No fumbling around the keys, no long tutorials to figure out how everything works, just plain easy to understand controls with immediate response time. Nothing changed with the controls from the original and this new version (thankfully). Buttons: 10/10
Concept & Content
The story for Cave Story was always a bit ambiguous, but it never goes into a long dialogue of what the place you're in is (gonna try not to spoil anything good) or who you are or reason with the player of what mimigas are. The story is told little by little and the setting is easily created just by the level designs and their colorful backgrounds. The levels are designed to challenge the player in combat, puzzle solving, and platforming with traps, enemies, items, platforms, etc. Not a single level felt rushed or lacked creative thought. Every level had some purpose or challenge for the player to overcome to progress the game. There are new challenge modes, boss rush and others added to the game, so the player can get more out of Cave Story than the original with this remake. Everything about Cave Story had careful thought into creating it. The graphics were retro looking so it captured a nostalgic experience and also made creating art assets a bit more bearable for Amaya (he himself said he wasn't that great with art, kind of reminds me of ZUN). To go along with the art style, the music was purposely done in a 8-bit style and was composed to have catchy melodies to have a memorable connection to events and parts of the game. The concept of the run and gun mechanic was kept simple so as the levels became more creative, so did the player. I do have to admit that some parts can be confusing with little to no help at all and some parts can be difficult (at first, you learn from mistakes just like in old retro games). There are also some secrets in the game that can't be found unless you look it up online, already know about it, or playthrough the game multiple times and happen to find it. The game has 4 endings, and so it encourages players to play the game more than once. The core concept didn't change, and the additional content is a good add-on for the game. I'm looking forward to some new content. Concept and Content: 9/10
Duration
Cave Story's puzzles did bug me a little in some parts of the game. Objectives were never really clear, a lot of running around was involved (be you lost or not), and getting stuck on one of those puzzles can really break the flow of the game. But for the most part, the game is pretty fast-paced and pushes the story along as long as the player was skillful enough to do so. The game is surprisingly longer than I thought. For one guy that created this game, it lasted quite a while for me. But I never felt like it was dragged out too much. The puzzles and difficulty boss battles is what probably made it seem longer than I thought, but there is seriously a decent amount of levels, bosses, enemies, weapons, everything that made it move along and not slow down (or at least it tries). The replay value is really up to the player. The game has 4 endings, a bunch of hidden secrets, and now it has extra modes. When I finished the original 3 years ago, I felt content and didn't play it again; however, I left it on my hard drive just in case. Sure enough, I started over this past summer with a new file and then saw the release of Cave Story+ on Steam just last month. I couldn't help it and got it (luckily with the Humble Indie Bundle 4) and decided to give the new graphics and music a try. As much as I don't like the new music (graphics is sorta okay, can't stand quote's face though), I am prepared to play through the game again and try a different ending. As I've said before, the replay value really depends on the player. Even though I've beaten Metroid before, I'd still play it again because I love the action, the music, and the nostalgia. It is very much like that in the case of Cave Story for me. Duration: 10/10
Fun
Starting up the game, I already had a groan-worthy reaction to the title screen music. It's all bubbly and poppy, but then I went to the options menu and realize you can play with the original assets. It's only been 3 years since I've played Cave Story, yet I still had a sense of nostalgia from playing the beginning cave. The music threw me off a little, but the game was still really fun. I think it might even be more fun playing it again since I'm already used to the controls and remember most of the puzzles. Perhaps I should have chose a more difficult setting. I forgot to mention that there's 3 difficulty levels now. There's an easy mode which is easier than the original, then the normal mode which is essentially the original game's setting, and now there's a hard mode. One of the new additions that I'm excited about is the new weapons. The new modes have difficult level challenges, boss battles and such waiting to test the hardened players. In the end, I think I really like Cave Story+. The original game was already incredible and having extra content doesn't hurt (unless they constantly keep charging a lot, man I hate DLCs). I'm also happy that I can contribute a little back to Daisuke Amaya, even if it's a small piece. Cave Story+ is definitely worth the playthrough again if you've already played it before and should be necessary for any gamer who hasn't played it to get it now. Fun: 10/10
Overall
It can be difficult to accept buying the game for $10 when you can still get the original since the remake is essentially extra content (DLC if you will) unless you really want the new graphics and audio (not sure why, but to each their own). Steam often has sales to discount it (33% off right now during winter sales and is part of the "Super Indie Pack"; humble indie bundle 4 still has 5 days left) so you can get Cave Story+ as low as $5. The game is easy to learn, filled with tons of memorable characters and events, is challenging and engrossing, and simply a masterpiece that shouldn't be missed by any gamer. Overall: 9.8/10
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