1. jcdoll

   10

   Absolutely awesome. One of the best games I played this year. If you like 2d platformers or grew up playing SNES (e.g. Mega Man, Metroid, Castlevania) you'll love this.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
2. tech-noir

   8

   Cave Story+ is a famous Japanese independent game that was originally released as freeware with a fan translation. This re-release offers a choice of playing with the original graphics and music, or the remastered graphics and music. Whatever your choice may be, the game is a well done fanfare reminiscent of the classic platform games on the NES and SNES. The keyboard controls takes some getting used to even though they are simple to learn, but you do have the option of rebinding the keys and using a gamepad. The plot is comparable the well established lore of yesteryear by being invited to save people and rid a world of evil. The enemies are stereotypically Japanese in design, as well as the overall game mechanics and boss battles. Some of the dialog can be slightly amusing and sometimes charming, but this once again, does not steer too much away from what we have grown accustomed to enjoy from the 80s and 90s console eras. The difficulty settings can be adjusted to your liking, and they each provide an adequate challenge depending on what option you have decided to go for. The power-up system rewards the players who go out of their way to collect dropped items from downed foes. Switching between each weapon rapidly can be tricky, but this does not hinder the player from enjoying the changes, as adapting comes somewhat quickly through your progress. The different weapons acquired throughout the game are all quite useful and play very different from each other. As you change between them, there is much satisfaction shooting down your enemies and conquering bosses. While the storyline is reminiscent of past decades, it is surprisingly unique, in addition to flowing and developing well. This appealing plot provides the player with plenty of entertainment for many hours as you progress through the story. After tougher areas or tougher boss battles, your weapons' levels go down quite a bit as you take damage, and gathering the necessary drops in order to get them back to full power can be a chore. Cave Story+ is full of retro charm, from its game play style to its artistic inventions. There is very little to complain about, as I cannot think of any serious flaws. The resolution settings do not allow for true full screen, as black borders will be placed at the sides. The platforming elements in conjunction with the shooting can sometimes take some skill and getting used to, especially in high action sections. Some portions of the game (namely some bosses) become quite frustrating, no matter what difficulty setting you are playing on. This forces the player to redo a part of the game again in order to face the same boss (or bosses). Each repetition is about five minutes or longer, which constitutes of a problem to me, as dying with certain bosses occurs often. It is a game that may not be for everyone if the genre is not to their liking, but overall, it is quite the accomplishment, especially if you keep in mind that it was designed entirely by one single person, and achieves such positive results. The music is nothing short of superb. It embodies all that was great from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras and makes it exceptional and complementing to the game's presentation and plot. There is also a considerable amount of replay ability, as there are unlockable game modes and four different endings. If you love platform games with shooter elements, this is a must play. If you are unsure about the genre, you owe it to yourself to give this indie classic a try. It took me about 7 hours to complete.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
3. Accelerator-kun

   7

   Cave Story is one of the best indie games I ever played. Then, why only a score of 7? It's simple. The original game is a FREEWARE, and this doesn't add enough contents to recommend it at full price (like new challenges), and the new graphic/sound is not worth the price, since the original was better (and free) . Seriously, the price is too high. But if you find it on a discount, buy it! It's very funny and challenging, and it also has multiple endings and achievements. Highly recommended while on a discount.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
4. orugari

   1

   Definitively not. Because + is an expensive DLC of the original free which is just destroy the spirit of free game made by retro lovers. Play that kind of game without set up gamepad configuration is shame. Doing the game on normal, this is just too easy... Play on hard, there is nothing more than just wasting time to get one shot and go back to the last save point which is almost every 10 seconds... So difference between Normal and Hard is just time to beat the game.
   Graphics are just perfect for a free game, but the "new" style is very ugly.
   Story really poor, can't skip text, can't bind keys... Well, Cave Story+ doesn't deserve that success.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 8 users said Yes.

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