Cave Story

[Stoo]

Huzzah! I don't know if many of you have played Cave Story, but if you haven't you need to. I'm not even kidding. Seriously.
Cave story is a freeware, 2d side-scrolling shooter created by Studio pixel that sees you play the part of an un-named protagonist who wakes in a mysterious cave, and sets out to escape, but soon stumbles across a cruel and violent plot to to take over the world. I don't want to spoil the plot (which is fantastic) for those of you who haven't played it yet, because it truly is fantastic and you should discover it for yourself, so I won't say more that.
Simply put, this is a masterpiece of game design. Everything is perfect, the plot, the physics, the music (outer wall music <3), the weapons, the difficulty, the characters...this is exactly the kind of thing that makes you remember why you play games.

It can be downloaded here: http://www.cavestory.org/downloads_1.php

The game has recently been announced for wiiware, and several other versions are in development, including a psp version, and homebrew DS and Xbox bersions. I guess pixel will soon be a very rich man x__x

Hopefully we can get a discussion going, because I absolutely love this game.

 

[Hipmonlee]

I dont normally play or enjoy a lot of video games, but I loved cave story.

I dont really have too much more to say on it though..

Who here has finished hell? (not me)

Have a nice day.

 

[False [old]]

I played and enjoyed it, and beat Hell. It certainly shows that he spent five years on it.

 

[Stoo]

I left curly to die and coulnt get into hell ;/

I'll probably go back and play through it 100% at some point

 

[Steelicks]

what a coincidence, i downloaded this yesterday!

im loving it a lot at the moment =) half way through Grasstown. the game has a very unique style, and already the story has really grabbed me

 

[Kira]

Downloaded it today. It seems like a really good game so far. I will edit this post with my thoughts when I am able to play more.

Recently traded in my Pulsar for a shiny new machine gun.

I also got the bubbler weapon which once it gets to level 3 is incredibly powerful. The bubbles float around you and then you can release them all at once as a shower of lighting bolt type things.

The story is getting really good. I am in the process of finding out more from the old lady by rescuing her dogs.

 

[CyzirVisheen]

Cave Story is an awesome game, made even more awesome due to the fact that it was a one-man project. I just beat the game again recently (cleared Hell in 9 minutes. I suck), and I'm really looking foward to the Wiiware port, which is a Day 1 purchase for sure. The blog updated recently with a side-by-side comparison of Pixel's spritework for the Wiiware version and the original sprite. Toroko's new sprite looks pretty good, and the Wiiware version of Moon Song on the main website sounds nice, so I don't have any fears of the port being mangled beyond recognition. Even if it is though, there's always the option of playing it with the original sprites and/or music. Personally I hope the WiiWare version has multiple save slots, and maybe a Boss Rush mode.
EDIT: Did another Hell run, 6 minutes 40 seconds. A personal best ^_^
EDIT2: 5 minutes 20 seconds. Doing better!
EDIT3: HAH! 4 minutes 40 seconds. That's probably the best I can do with a keyboard...
EDIT4: OK, maybe not. 4 minutes 27 seconds. That's probably the absolute best I can do...

 

[tape]

Wow, this is a really good game!I expected it to be overrated by some kind of old-school posers and stuff, but this game really, really is great!

I love the music, it can sound like Kirby in some moments, like Metroid in others, but that's just me.Really awesome.

 

[Stoo]

Just wait till you get to the Outer Wall!

Also I downloaded a zip file with all the music in yesterday, and it's much more usable than the brawl soundtrack (for example) because the songs are only 1-2 minutes at most rather than the same tune replayed about 5 times.
Also I saw a video of a guy clear hell and ballos in 2 minutes 30 yesterday x__x

currently im doing my better run with the spur and curly, got to grasstown in about an hour (i think), the game is quite easy and fun to speed run.
Wiiware version looks interesting, I didn't realize there was a blog for it, though i'll definitely be checking up on it, and downloading the port asap, because it is quite fiddly on a keyboard to do some manuevers (stuff like jumping a tiny bit to the side and firing underneath you, then landing back on the platform you jumped from)

edit: just picked up the spur and booster 2.0 :D
edittt: Im at hell :D:D

 

[Kira]

I have to say that I am now almost angry at the game. It was an amazing game, however I got to the part with the Sky Dragon that finally hatched. I decided to go fly away with it at first, and saw the ending. I didn't like it.

Anyway I decided to redo it and hit no. Now I have to find the core of the Earth. The game basically just sent me off without any direction. Wandering around like that is only fun for so long.

Meanwhile I now get the feeling that the game has been giving me minimum direction throughout. I have no idea if my current state in the game was affected by previous decisions.

I am also confused *spoilers*
The robot girl gave me her air bubble. Later I exited the level through the water level with the killer fish. Someone above mentioned how they did not "save" the robot girl their first run through and could not get into hell. How on Earth can you save the girl. The opportunity to save her was not made clear by the game.

So yeah. Due to that I feel that the game kind of sets you up to be lost and hopeless, or at the very least have a very unsatisfying ending. I followed the path set by the game. I never saw a chance to take a less obvious path. So... any help?

 

[Tangerine]

You need the Tow Cable to save Curly - it's an item you get at the Labyrinth literally just before the boss.'

Also for the hard ending you can't take the booster the first time you can get it (you have to jump over and keep going) to get the upgraded version of the Booster later.

 

[Kira]

Fuck. I never found the Tow Cable. I guess I just have to start a new game.

Thanks for the help.

Also do you really need the upgraded booster? I have been able to emulate the booster by using the level 3 machine gun. Point down at the ground and fire. With Turbocharge it will never run out of ammo as long as you press the button rather than holding it. You get less control than the booster but it still works very well for covering height/distance.

 

[Tangerine]

To get the secret level, yes you need the upgraded booster, which lets you boost in any direction you want.

 

[Stoo]

yeah kira I know what you mean, but to be honest (without spoiling), the mediocre ending (which most people get first time and that you probably will get) is still very conclusive, and isnt like the bad ending where there's no resolution at all

also you said you wandered around for ages x)
hint: go up

edit: ive still not beaten hell, furthest ive got is heavy press but he crushed me when he died x______x

also it hadnt occured to me before but seeing asit's a pc game there are plenty of mods aswell :3 im currently playing through one called jenkas nightmare

 

[Kira]

Beat Cave Story. Now that I look over everything the game truly is awesome. I can't wait to go back and get to the Hell level on day. Should be a lot of fun.

Thank you for the help Tangerine/Stoo.

 

[Hipmonlee]

The one part about saving curly that wasnt clear for me was if I should leave her in the hut or take her with me (you have to take her with you).

Have a nice day.

 

[Stoo]

uhrghhh I FINALLY reached ballos but died in less than 60 seconds ;(
should have saved my life jar :( the "final" bosses seem so easy compared to this...

 

[Doomsday]

this game is hella fun. I'm at the labyrinth!

 

[Hipmonlee]

I still cant get past heavy press..

Also has anyone got any advice for the falling rocks section? I generally lose pretty much all my health there.. It'd be nice to be able to save my life jar for later..

[edit] - I made it up to ballos, I died when he flew up in the air and started shooting lightning at me, but he didnt seem so hard..

Have a nice day.

 

[Darkflagrance]

I just downloaded this game, but the translation patch screws up the text...

Do you think it could have something to do with Vista?

Other than that, I spent the first five minutes jerking around, pressing buttons randomly, until it occurred to me to check the config.
The characters are so cute, but it'd be nice to know what they're saying.

EDIT: The deluxe version fails to solve the problem. I will just have to decipher what the characters say slowly, at the cost of my vision...

 

[Kira]

Darkflagrance just download the deluxe version since the translations are built in. I use Vista. The Deluxe version works fine.

 

[Seven Deadly Sins]

Hip, what weapon did you get for the Polar Star? And did you get the Nemesis?

Ballos has four forms. That first form is easily the tamest. The lightning isn't that bad, just go into full passive mode and do nothing but dodge the lightning.

 

[Hipmonlee]

I have the machine gun and the rubber duck gun if that's the nemesis.

I've been using the rubber ducks against Ballos, and the machine gun up till that point, it is working alright.

The lightning isnt so bad, but that was the first time and I didnt know what to expect..

Have a nice day.

 

[Steelicks]

with the rubber duck gun, you are meant to try and keep it at level one, at its strongest... its a backwards weapon that is stronger at level 1, then gets weaker till you're shooting ducks

 

[Hipmonlee]

Yeah I know, I just call it that so you'll know what im talking about..

Have a nice day.