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Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 78 Ratings

  • Summary: [WiiWare] Cave Story takes you into a rare world where a curious race of innocent, rabbit-like creatures called Mimiga run free. You wake up in a dark cave with no memory of who you are, where you came from or why you're in such a place. Uncovering Mimiga Village, you discover that the once-carefree Mimiga are in danger at the hands of a maniacal scientist. Their only hope rests squarely on the shoulders of a quiet, amnesiac boy who can't remember his own name. Take control, learn the origins of this world's power, stop the delusional villain and save the Mimiga. Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. 100
    Cave Story feels like the most amazing console game from the year 1990; that it's only now coming to console 20 years later shouldn't be held against it.
  2. Up there with the very best that WiiWare has to offer. Essential playing. [May 2010, p.72]
  3. Nicalis did a fantastic job of turning one of the best indie games of all time into something Wii owners could be proud to download.
  4. Dec 28, 2010
    86
    Cave Story is fun, satisfying, well designed and, in its best moments, amazingly exciting. It has some flaws, but in general it reminds us how an action game should be done, and this one for Wiiware is surely the best version published.

See all 25 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 1 out of 20
  1. TimH
    10
    I don't usually give out lenient scores like this but I enjoyed Cave Story so much that I almost feel obligated to give it a 10. First off, the graphics are what drew me in. yes, they are in the old NES style, however the way they used the colors and designs really are interesting. Second, the musical score is absolutely fantastic. I've found myself humming the tunes to myself many times. Another positive is that unlike in most games today the difficulty is up there. If you make it through the normal ending (There are 3 BTW, bad, normal, secret) you might say to yourself "hmm... that wasn't THAT bad", I said the same thing. Afterward though, I found out that there was an even better ending. lemme tell ya, not easy. First you have to go through the game making certain requirements that make things a bit harder. It's the final secret level that takes the cake though. Several enemies and obstacles, and a few boss fights with NO HEALING BLOCKS OR SAVES. yeah... I died a lot XD. Through all this I thought that I would get really frustrated, and I did, to an extent. It could just be me, or it could be some sort of effect from the game but I actually started to get more determined than frustrated. Another quality is the story. Believe it or not, it is actually kinda good. You wouldn't think it would be all that great, being made in reference to the retro days, but it is a lot more involving than most of the classics, not to mention quiet a bit darker. I also found myself caring about the characters. I felt a bit remorseful if something bad happened and very happy when things worked out well for them. Oh yeah, before I forget, One of my new favorite Video game characters is Curly Brace (She's so cute!). The game play is very fun as well. The weapons, the upgrades, and just exploring the world and fighting the enemies are all very satisfying. There are some pretty epic boss fights too. I really like how they used the leveling system with the weapons.You can gain levels by collecting these gold triangles that enemies drop, however if you get hurt not only do you lose health, but weapon experience as well. The game has a good collection of extras as well. You can go through a boss rush mode, where you try to beat all the bosses as fast as possible, a mode where you can try to speed run through the final secret level, and a mode where you can play through the story as Curly Brace (who is still cute btw). I beleive these extra modes are unlocked once you've beat the game (any ending) once but I could be wrong. Curly Brace mode is a bit disappointing, as the only difference between it and the normal story mode is that your character looks different and there's a few changes to the dialog and some extra dialog. I had fun with it anyway, as it's a game that should be revisited a few times if not more. I'd say it will probably take around 5-10 hours your first time through. It may sound expensive at 1200 Wii points ($12) but considering all the content in it it is well worth it. Some may say, "why buy it if I can lay the freeware version for free". well the reason is that the graphics, sound, and translation have all been revamped with some nice added on features (And for all you purists out there, You can switch between the new and original art styles and audio). Also the fact that one guy did most of the work and that it's evident that he put a lot of love into making the game helps too. Overall It's a fantastic game that, if you give it the chance, you will most likely fall in love with it. BTW sorry if this is a bit long. Expand
  2. Simplemente el mejor juego indie que haya sido creado hasta ahora. La trama tan interesante, los mundos tan hermosos abitados por personajes con brillo propio, la BSO pegajosa y el gameplay exacto hacen que este sea uno de esos juegos que se deben jugar si o si. Expand
  3. AlexT
    7
    Definitely a great game, but it's the same great game I've been playing for six years. Hard to reccomend that people pay for a port of a free game, especially when that port doesn't add much. Graphics, sound, music, controls, level design etc, this game's got it all, but it's available for free on PC. The additions are superficial, and not really beneficial to the game's experience, and the price point is a little high. Expand
  4. DeigoR.
    3
    Man... I love Cave Story. In fact, I'd say it's one of the greatest video games ever made. But the PC version just pisses on the Wiiware release. The Wii edition is so bad, that it's almost an insult. The new music doesn't even have drum tracks, or work properly for that matter. Instruments come in late... audio glitches galore. Also, I honestly can't see that much difference between the older vs the newer graphics either. In fact I'd even go so far as to say the old graphics are much easier on the eyes. Also music doesn't even loop properly! In short, this is an inferior version. I'd avoid it like the plague until they fix the glaring issues, and get the PC version instead. Expand

See all 20 User Reviews