Originally created by Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya, Cave Story has gone from PC freeware to paid Nintendo 3DS ware.

Cave Story is a 2D side-scroller with controls best compared to those of Metroid , in which players have an assortment of weapons to use to take out monsters to reach the game’s goal. However, the controls are the only similarities the games share.

Cave Story opens with the main character in a cave with a transmission. The main character has no weapons, items, or memory – just a save point nearby and a door to exit through. The transmission is vague and there is little information to go on. But with just that, players go through the game, slowly fitting together the pieces of the plot’s puzzle and going through the twists and turns of what the game has to offer. And rest assured, Cave Story has more than enough to offer, as characters and plots intertwine and clunk against one another before fitting at the end.

Old players will be pleased to know the game has not been tampered with. The minimal adjustments made on Cave Story include improved graphics and, of course, an added 3D effect. The improved graphics are particularly noteworthy, as they add a new depth to the story and really puts the player in the game. But for dedicated fans, there is a Classic Mode that brings players right back to the original. The minimal changes to the game are as much a benefit as a drawback. Although many old players prefer the game to be left in the glory of its original condition, the result is that Cave Story doesn’t have a large amount of new content. The one exception to this is the unlockable Time Attack mode, in which players can go through the game multiple times for speed runs.

But why would anyone want to go through the game again? Simple. The replay value for Cave Story is exceptionally high. Selecting certain responses to certain questions or offers can change the outcome of the entire game, and often times, the player won’t even realize how much of an effect one answer can have until the result has come to fruition.

In regards to the nuts and bolts of Cave Story , the graphics and music work together brilliantly: they are charming when they mean to be yet dark and dank when intended. The 3D feature is excellent and the gameplay itself is challenging enough without being impossible.

Hands down, Cave Story is one of those games that should be played through at least once in a gamer’s lifetime, even if the gamer in question is not one for 2D side-scrollers. If anything, do it for the story. Do it for the characters. It is very unlikely for Cave Story to disappoint.

• Pros: Incredible plot. Good amount of mystery without being frustrating. Difficulty level is reasonable. 3D, graphics, and music work very well together. Good replay value. Classic mode saves the game for old players.
• Cons: Not much new content. No multiplayer.

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