Doukutsu Monogatari
Encyclopedia
is a freeware
platform-adventure video game released in 2004 for the PC
. It was developed, designed
, and programmed
over five years entirely by Daisuke Amaya, art-name
Pixel
, in his free time. The game features classic 2D
platform mechanics and is intended as an homage to the classic games
that Pixel played in his youth, such as Metroid and Castlevania
.
The game focuses on an amnesiac silent protagonist who awakens in a cave. Through his explorations, he discovers a plot by the Doctor, a megalomania
c who intends to force the inhabitants of the cave to fight for him in his bid to conquer the world. The protagonist is thrust into the position of savior as he endeavours to defeat the Doctor.
After its initial release on the Internet, Cave Story slowly gained popularity as an indie game
. It received near universal acclaim for its compelling story and gameplay. As a result, Nicalis, an independent video game company, worked with Pixel to bring the game to Nintendo
's WiiWare
service in 2010. The WiiWare version features more detailed artwork and additional gameplay modes, and has been nominated for 2010 Nintendo Power
Awards WiiWare Game of the Year.
Game publisher Nippon Ichi Software released a picture of a Prinny
wearing the same signature hat, scarf, and polar star of Cave Storys protagonist to promote their Nintendo 3DS
remake of the game.
The player progresses by jumping and navigating platform game
puzzles and shooting enemies with the equipped weapon. The player collects multiple weapons over the course of the game and can quickly switch between them in combat. Defeating enemies sometimes yields bouncing yellow triangular objects that increase the weapon energy
of the currently equipped weapon. Weapons can be improved up to three levels, but taking damage causes weapons to lose energy and level down. Health and missile capacity upgrades are scattered throughout the game world.
. The island is populated by Mimigas, a race of sentient, rabbit-like humanoids. A particular species of red flower that grows in the island causes the normally peaceful Mimigas to go into a vicious frenzy. The island also conceals an artifact called the Demon Crown, which has vast magical powers. A previous expedition to the floating island sought to harness the power of the red flowers and Demon Crown to use as a weapon for wars on the surface world.
, a robot, awakens in a cave with no memory of how he came to be there. He finds a village of Mimigas, who are being persecuted by the "Doctor". Two of the Doctor's servants, Misery and Balrog, are looking for Sue Sakamoto, a girl who had been transformed into a Mimiga, but mistakenly abduct Toroko, another Mimiga, instead. The player finds Sue in the Egg Corridor, where she discovers the eggs of a Sky Dragon, which could allow her to escape the floating island if hatched. Sue attempts to rescue her brother Kazuma, but King, the leader of Mimiga Village, captures her and holds her responsible for Toroko's kidnapping. Sue tasks the player with retrieving Kazuma from Grasstown. After freeing him, they meet Professor Booster, who reveals that the Doctor plans to use the red flowers on Mimigas to create an army to take over the surface world. Booster sends the player to the Sand Zone to destroy the red flowers before the Doctor can find them. While there, the player meets Curly Brace, a female robot who also has no memories of her past, and Jenka, an old witch who is Misery's mother. Jenka calls the player character a "soldier from the surface", one of many robots who were sent to the island to slaughter the Mimigas. Balrog steals the key to the storehouse where the red flowers are kept from Jenka. The Doctor forces Toroko to eat a red flower as a test, but King arrives to try to stop him and is killed in the process. The player is forced to kill Toroko, who has gone into a murderous rage as a result of the flowers.
Misery transports the player to the Labyrinth deep inside the island as punishment for interfering with the Doctor's plans. Curly Brace has also been thrown into the Labyrinth and they cooperate to escape. Balrog helps them to move the boulder blocking the exit, revealing his kind nature. The pair find and defeat the Core, a magical creature whose power keeps the island afloat. However, the Doctor steps in to save it before the island collapses. Depending on certain conditions, the player may rescue Curly Brace, who had sacrificed her air tank to save the player character. When he returns to Mimiga Village, he finds that the Doctor has captured the Mimigas. In the Egg Corridor, Kazuma offers the player a choice to escape the island with him using a Sky Dragon, leading to an alternate ending
in which the Doctor conquers the surface world while Kazuma and the player quietly live out the rest of their days alone in the mountains. The player may instead choose to confront the Doctor and destroy the island's Core, which would return the Mimigas to normal. The player scales the outer wall of the island to reach the Plantation where the Doctor is using the Mimigas as slave laborers to grow red flowers. The Doctor's servants capture him and place him in a jail cell with Sue. She is taken away before the player wakes up, but her letter reveals that the Doctor was a member of the research expedition that included Sue's family and Professor Booster, but he betrayed them once he found the Demon Crown. Sue directs the player to find her mother who may have a plan to stop the Doctor.
If the player saved Curly Brace earlier, the player may find an item to restore her memories. She remembers that the player character's name is Quote, and that they were not killer robots who slaughtered Mimigas in the past. They were different than the other robots sent to retrieve the crown, slaughtering mimigas who got in the way. They were instead sent to destroy the Demon Crown to prevent its power from falling into the wrong hands. Quote finds Sue's mother, Momorin, who is building a rocket which will allow access to the top of the island where the Doctor resides. After helping her complete the rocket, Quote confronts Misery and the Doctor. The Doctor has purified the essence of the red flowers into a crystal, which allows him to survive even after Quote destroys his body. The Doctor's spirit possesses the Core of the island, but Quote succeeds in destroying that as well, causing the island to begin falling to Earth. Under certain conditions, the player may proceed into a bonus stage
called the Sanctuary where the creator of the Demon Crown, Ballos, is imprisoned. Ballos, Jenka's brother, was a powerful wizard who went insane after being tortured. Misery forced Ballos to create the Demon Crown, but she and Balrog became cursed to serve whoever possessed it. With the help of Curly Brace, Quote defeats Ballos and stops the source of the negative energy that was causing the island to fall, saving its inhabitants. Balrog saves the two before they are crushed by Ballos' collapsing prison—he had been sent by Misery as thanks for breaking her curse. Quote, Curly Brace, and Balrog leave the island to live out their days in peace.
. He is a robot. Quote's name is only revealed through special actions of the player. In early versions of the game, he was named Curly Brace.
is a "female" robot who protects a family of Mimigas. She ends up becoming Quote's friend and partner.
, the daughter of Momorin Sakamoto, never wanted to come to the island. She was turned into a Mimiga by Misery.
is the current master of the Demon Crown. He takes Mimigas from various places to feed them red flowers, which turn them into killer monsters, and unleashes them on the Surface.
is Misery's "punching bag" and a minion of The Doctor. Because of the Demon Crown's curse, he is forced to fight for the Doctor, but helps the player on an occasion, after asking Quote and Curly "not to tell a soul" about it.
He uses the interjection Huzzah
at each appearance. In early versions of the game, he was a basic common enemy.
is a witch, minion of the Doctor and the daughter of Jenka. Because of her role in creating the Demon Crown, she has been forever cursed to follow the orders of whomever bears it.
is an old witch who has lived on the island for a long time. She resides in the Sand Zone and raises puppies. She is Ballos's sister and Misery's mother.
is Jenka's brother, Misery's uncle, an extremely powerful sorcerer, and serves as the final boss of the game. He was tortured into insanity and corruption and abused his magical powers, and thus was sealed inside the island by Jenka. In the Wii version, it was also revealed that he also abused his powers earlier out of selfishness.
The Core is a living entity who holds the island aloft. If the core is destroyed, it is said that the floating island will fall to the ground.
is Sue's brother and a specialist in Sky Dragons.
is the leader of the Mimiga Village since the death of Arthur. He feels he is responsible for anything that happens to Toroko. King dislikes Sue because she is an outsider and her appearance coincides with the Doctor's attacks on the village. He dies trying to save Toroko, but gives his sword to Quote, requesting that the robot avenge him.
is the village's second-in-command. He wears goggles and an ushanka hat
with a wing emblem on it.
is a Mimiga who accepted Sue and made friends with her. She is mistaken by Misery and Balrog for Sue and abducted. Balrog forces her to eat red flowers, transforming her into a frenzied version to fight Quote, but she loses and dies. She was the sister of Arthur.
is a rocket scientist and the mother of Kazuma and Sue. She did not want to bring them to the island, but could not leave them on their own.
is the head of the research team and a specialist in jetpacks.
is an engineer who specializes in control systems. He was turned into a Mimiga by Misery. He eventually helps Momorin Sakamoto to finish a rocket for Quote to fly up to face the final enemies.
, the legendary hero of the Mimigas, fought against the evils of the island, driving them back, but was eventually killed by the Doctor and his servants prior to the beginning of the game. He was Toroko's brother.
, Linux
, and Mac OS X
operating systems, PlayStation Portable
, Xbox
, GP2X
, GP2X Wiz
and TI
graphing calculator
. A Nintendo DS
homebrew
version was in development, however, it was canceled at the request from Pixel himself, fearing that it would go against his recent contract with Nintendo and Nicalis for porting Cave Story to the Wii. Nicalis, an independent video game company, ported Cave Story to WiiWare
in 2010. In addition to the original version, Nicalis worked with Pixel to create updated character designs, a new English localization, and enhanced graphics and music (arranged by Yann van der Cruyssen and others). It also contains several exclusive gameplay modes, including Boss Rush, a Sanctuary time attack
mode, and the ability to play through the game as Curly Brace. Due to a bug in the code, the arranged music suffered from occasional playback issues. An update for this version was later released in October 2010 which fixes many of the glitches of the original release. As a result of the popularity of the WiiWare version, Nicalis is considering DSiWare ports of Ikachan
and Guxt, two other freeware games created by Pixel. Nicalis worked on a Nintendo DS
version of Cave Story that was released via DSiWare. It includes a jukebox mode where the player may listen to music from the game as they "hear" it throughout the game. If the player plays either the WiiWare
or DSiWare versions on Christmas Eve
, Christmas Day, or Halloween
the player character will be changed to a dark-skinned Quote wearing a Santa Hat, or light skinned with black clothes, regardless of whether the player plays in Curly Mode. A 3DS remake was announced and was released by NIS America. This remake features new content, new character designs, and takes advantage of the 3DS's 3D capabilities. This remake also lets you unlock and play as the NIS mascot, a Prinny
, upon beating the game once.
Cave Story on the Mac App Store Cave Story was released on the Mac App Store
on September 7, 2011. Although the version features updated graphics and music from the original game, there is an option to set them back to the older style. A PC port was released on November 22, 2011 for Steam.
A new level designed by Pixel, "Wind Fortress" unlocks after the player completes the main story.
This level uses a scrapped beta song for a level Pixel planned to make for the original game.
Wind Fortress has a difficulty level similar to Sacred Grounds.
described it as "so massive that it rivals modern GBA Castlevania and Metroid games in terms of scope and play time". Inside Mac Games ascribed the game's popularity to its "polished feel, engaging storyline, and compelling artwork". In July 2006, Cave Story earned 1st place in Super PLAY
s list of the 50 best freeware games of all time. EGM
stated that "the burgeoning Western indie game scene owes a tremendous debt to Japanese pioneers like Studio Pixel, whose freeware hit Cave Story proved that with sufficient vision, skill, and passion, a single developer can still craft a deep, compelling action game".
The WiiWare version has received mostly positive reviews, with the central criticism being the 1200 Wii Point price tag (US$
12, £
10), after years of free play. Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com commended the graphical update which "sacrifices none of [the game's] classic-influenced charm". He also remarked that the Classic Controller
and Wii Remote
are superior to the keyboard input of the PC original. On the issue of price, he explained that "the prospect of Amaya finally earning a little something for the hard work he invested in this masterpiece strikes me as satisfyingly poetic" and "absolutely worth your money". John Teti of Eurogamer had similar sentiments, but also noted the technical issues with the remixed music, recommending the original soundtrack. Matt Miller of Game Informer observed that Cave Story combines elements of Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man
, The Legend of Zelda
, and Castlevania
into an "engrossing, challenging, and quite lengthy" whole. Daemon Hatfield of IGN felt that Cave Story "belongs on a Nintendo system" and noted gameplay similarities to Blaster Master
, in which damage reduces the power of weapons as well. Jonathan Holmes of Destructoid called Cave Story an "important game", citing its influence on artistic indie games like Braid
, as well as the continued relevance of 2D game design (cf. Capcom
's Mega Man 9
). He also compares the game design to that of Shigeru Miyamoto
in its ability to teach without tutorials, like at the beginning of Super Mario Bros.
Cave Story was nominated for Game of the Year at the 2010 Nintendo Power
Awards, as well as WiiWare Game of the Year.
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
platform-adventure video game released in 2004 for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. It was developed, designed
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
, and programmed
Game programming
Game programming, a subset of game development, is the programming of computer, console or arcade games. Though often engaged in by professional game programmers, many novices may program games as a hobby...
over five years entirely by Daisuke Amaya, art-name
Art-name
An art-name is a pseudonym, or penname, used by an East Asian artist, which they sometimes change. The word and the idea to use a pseudonym originated from China, then became popular in other East Asian countries ....
Pixel
Pixel (game developer)
Pixel is the art-name of video game developer . He is best known for , a freeware PC platform game released in 2004 that was created entirely by himself over the period of five years. The game received widespread praise from critics and in July 2006 appeared at the top of Super PLAY's list of the...
, in his free time. The game features classic 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
platform mechanics and is intended as an homage to the classic games
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
that Pixel played in his youth, such as Metroid and Castlevania
Castlevania
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
.
The game focuses on an amnesiac silent protagonist who awakens in a cave. Through his explorations, he discovers a plot by the Doctor, a megalomania
Megalomania
Megalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'...
c who intends to force the inhabitants of the cave to fight for him in his bid to conquer the world. The protagonist is thrust into the position of savior as he endeavours to defeat the Doctor.
After its initial release on the Internet, Cave Story slowly gained popularity as an indie game
Independent video game development
Independent video game development is the process of creating video games without the financial support of a video game publisher. While large firms can create independent games, they are usually designed by an individual or a small team of as many as ten people, depending on the complexity of the...
. It received near universal acclaim for its compelling story and gameplay. As a result, Nicalis, an independent video game company, worked with Pixel to bring the game to Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
service in 2010. The WiiWare version features more detailed artwork and additional gameplay modes, and has been nominated for 2010 Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
Awards WiiWare Game of the Year.
Game publisher Nippon Ichi Software released a picture of a Prinny
Prinny
are a fictional race of creatures in Nippon Ichi's video games. First appearing in Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, they have appeared in all later titles by the company, as well as on various merchandise such as hats and plush toys...
wearing the same signature hat, scarf, and polar star of Cave Storys protagonist to promote their Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
remake of the game.
Gameplay
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
puzzles and shooting enemies with the equipped weapon. The player collects multiple weapons over the course of the game and can quickly switch between them in combat. Defeating enemies sometimes yields bouncing yellow triangular objects that increase the weapon energy
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
of the currently equipped weapon. Weapons can be improved up to three levels, but taking damage causes weapons to lose energy and level down. Health and missile capacity upgrades are scattered throughout the game world.
Setting
Cave Story takes place within the cavernous interior of a floating islandFloating island (fiction)
A floating island is a fictitious or possibly real landmass that either floats in a body of water or floats in the sky...
. The island is populated by Mimigas, a race of sentient, rabbit-like humanoids. A particular species of red flower that grows in the island causes the normally peaceful Mimigas to go into a vicious frenzy. The island also conceals an artifact called the Demon Crown, which has vast magical powers. A previous expedition to the floating island sought to harness the power of the red flowers and Demon Crown to use as a weapon for wars on the surface world.
Story
The player characterPlayer character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
, a robot, awakens in a cave with no memory of how he came to be there. He finds a village of Mimigas, who are being persecuted by the "Doctor". Two of the Doctor's servants, Misery and Balrog, are looking for Sue Sakamoto, a girl who had been transformed into a Mimiga, but mistakenly abduct Toroko, another Mimiga, instead. The player finds Sue in the Egg Corridor, where she discovers the eggs of a Sky Dragon, which could allow her to escape the floating island if hatched. Sue attempts to rescue her brother Kazuma, but King, the leader of Mimiga Village, captures her and holds her responsible for Toroko's kidnapping. Sue tasks the player with retrieving Kazuma from Grasstown. After freeing him, they meet Professor Booster, who reveals that the Doctor plans to use the red flowers on Mimigas to create an army to take over the surface world. Booster sends the player to the Sand Zone to destroy the red flowers before the Doctor can find them. While there, the player meets Curly Brace, a female robot who also has no memories of her past, and Jenka, an old witch who is Misery's mother. Jenka calls the player character a "soldier from the surface", one of many robots who were sent to the island to slaughter the Mimigas. Balrog steals the key to the storehouse where the red flowers are kept from Jenka. The Doctor forces Toroko to eat a red flower as a test, but King arrives to try to stop him and is killed in the process. The player is forced to kill Toroko, who has gone into a murderous rage as a result of the flowers.
Misery transports the player to the Labyrinth deep inside the island as punishment for interfering with the Doctor's plans. Curly Brace has also been thrown into the Labyrinth and they cooperate to escape. Balrog helps them to move the boulder blocking the exit, revealing his kind nature. The pair find and defeat the Core, a magical creature whose power keeps the island afloat. However, the Doctor steps in to save it before the island collapses. Depending on certain conditions, the player may rescue Curly Brace, who had sacrificed her air tank to save the player character. When he returns to Mimiga Village, he finds that the Doctor has captured the Mimigas. In the Egg Corridor, Kazuma offers the player a choice to escape the island with him using a Sky Dragon, leading to an alternate ending
Alternate ending
Alternate ending is a term used to describe the ending of a story that was planned or debated but ultimately unused in favor of the actual ending. Generally, alternate endings are considered to have no bearing on the canonical narrative...
in which the Doctor conquers the surface world while Kazuma and the player quietly live out the rest of their days alone in the mountains. The player may instead choose to confront the Doctor and destroy the island's Core, which would return the Mimigas to normal. The player scales the outer wall of the island to reach the Plantation where the Doctor is using the Mimigas as slave laborers to grow red flowers. The Doctor's servants capture him and place him in a jail cell with Sue. She is taken away before the player wakes up, but her letter reveals that the Doctor was a member of the research expedition that included Sue's family and Professor Booster, but he betrayed them once he found the Demon Crown. Sue directs the player to find her mother who may have a plan to stop the Doctor.
If the player saved Curly Brace earlier, the player may find an item to restore her memories. She remembers that the player character's name is Quote, and that they were not killer robots who slaughtered Mimigas in the past. They were different than the other robots sent to retrieve the crown, slaughtering mimigas who got in the way. They were instead sent to destroy the Demon Crown to prevent its power from falling into the wrong hands. Quote finds Sue's mother, Momorin, who is building a rocket which will allow access to the top of the island where the Doctor resides. After helping her complete the rocket, Quote confronts Misery and the Doctor. The Doctor has purified the essence of the red flowers into a crystal, which allows him to survive even after Quote destroys his body. The Doctor's spirit possesses the Core of the island, but Quote succeeds in destroying that as well, causing the island to begin falling to Earth. Under certain conditions, the player may proceed into a bonus stage
Bonus stage
A bonus stage is a special level within a video game designed to reward the player or players, and typically allows the player to collect extra points or power-ups. Often a bonus stage will have no enemies or hazards, or may contain them but the player character is invulnerable to attack from them...
called the Sanctuary where the creator of the Demon Crown, Ballos, is imprisoned. Ballos, Jenka's brother, was a powerful wizard who went insane after being tortured. Misery forced Ballos to create the Demon Crown, but she and Balrog became cursed to serve whoever possessed it. With the help of Curly Brace, Quote defeats Ballos and stops the source of the negative energy that was causing the island to fall, saving its inhabitants. Balrog saves the two before they are crushed by Ballos' collapsing prison—he had been sent by Misery as thanks for breaking her curse. Quote, Curly Brace, and Balrog leave the island to live out their days in peace.
Characters
is the player character of the game and a largely silent protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. He is a robot. Quote's name is only revealed through special actions of the player. In early versions of the game, he was named Curly Brace.
is a "female" robot who protects a family of Mimigas. She ends up becoming Quote's friend and partner.
, the daughter of Momorin Sakamoto, never wanted to come to the island. She was turned into a Mimiga by Misery.
is the current master of the Demon Crown. He takes Mimigas from various places to feed them red flowers, which turn them into killer monsters, and unleashes them on the Surface.
is Misery's "punching bag" and a minion of The Doctor. Because of the Demon Crown's curse, he is forced to fight for the Doctor, but helps the player on an occasion, after asking Quote and Curly "not to tell a soul" about it.
He uses the interjection Huzzah
Huzzah
Huzzah is an archaic English interjection of joy or approbation. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it is "apparently a mere exclamation". The dictionary does not mention any specific derivation...
at each appearance. In early versions of the game, he was a basic common enemy.
is a witch, minion of the Doctor and the daughter of Jenka. Because of her role in creating the Demon Crown, she has been forever cursed to follow the orders of whomever bears it.
is an old witch who has lived on the island for a long time. She resides in the Sand Zone and raises puppies. She is Ballos's sister and Misery's mother.
is Jenka's brother, Misery's uncle, an extremely powerful sorcerer, and serves as the final boss of the game. He was tortured into insanity and corruption and abused his magical powers, and thus was sealed inside the island by Jenka. In the Wii version, it was also revealed that he also abused his powers earlier out of selfishness.
The Core is a living entity who holds the island aloft. If the core is destroyed, it is said that the floating island will fall to the ground.
is Sue's brother and a specialist in Sky Dragons.
is the leader of the Mimiga Village since the death of Arthur. He feels he is responsible for anything that happens to Toroko. King dislikes Sue because she is an outsider and her appearance coincides with the Doctor's attacks on the village. He dies trying to save Toroko, but gives his sword to Quote, requesting that the robot avenge him.
is the village's second-in-command. He wears goggles and an ushanka hat
Ushanka
An ushanka , also known as a trooper, is a Russian fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or tied at the chin to protect the ears, jaw and lower chin from the cold. The thick dense fur also offers some protection against blunt impacts to the head...
with a wing emblem on it.
is a Mimiga who accepted Sue and made friends with her. She is mistaken by Misery and Balrog for Sue and abducted. Balrog forces her to eat red flowers, transforming her into a frenzied version to fight Quote, but she loses and dies. She was the sister of Arthur.
is a rocket scientist and the mother of Kazuma and Sue. She did not want to bring them to the island, but could not leave them on their own.
is the head of the research team and a specialist in jetpacks.
is an engineer who specializes in control systems. He was turned into a Mimiga by Misery. He eventually helps Momorin Sakamoto to finish a rocket for Quote to fly up to face the final enemies.
, the legendary hero of the Mimigas, fought against the evils of the island, driving them back, but was eventually killed by the Doctor and his servants prior to the beginning of the game. He was Toroko's brother.
Development
Pixel developed Cave Story in his free time over the course of five years. He began the project when he was in college and continued working on it after getting a job as a software developer. He started by writing the title screen music and programming rudimentary character movements. In an interview, Pixel admitted his lack of planning caused "problems down the line" because he lacked dedicated map editing and data management tools. Pixel describes the game as having an "old-fashioned feel", reminiscent of the games he played as a child. In early versions of the game, the main character, Quote, was named Curly Brace and Balrog was a common enemy. Pixel also admitted that he based Balrog on a bar of soap.Versions and ports
Cave Story has been ported to the AmigaOS 4AmigaOS 4
AmigaOS 4, , is a line of Amiga operating systems which runs on PowerPC microprocessors. It is mainly based on AmigaOS 3.1 source code, and partially on version 3.9 developed by Haage & Partner...
, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
operating systems, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, GP2X
GP2X
The GP2X is an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and portable media player developed by South Korean company GamePark Holdings. It was released on November 10, 2005, in South Korea only....
, GP2X Wiz
GP2X Wiz
The GP2X Wiz is an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and portable media player developed by South Korean company GamePark Holdings. It was released on May 12, 2009, and was also the first console from both Game Park and Game Park Holdings to be also released outside South Korea...
and TI
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
graphing calculator
Graphing calculator
A graphing calculator typically refers to a class of handheld calculators that are capable of plotting graphs, solving simultaneous equations, and performing numerous other tasks with variables...
. A Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
homebrew
Nintendo DS homebrew
Nintendo DS homebrew software is unofficial software written for the Nintendo DS by hobbyist programmers, as opposed to software written by a game production company or corporation . The DS homebrew software is typically used on the DS via third-party rewritable game cartridges, or SD cards...
version was in development, however, it was canceled at the request from Pixel himself, fearing that it would go against his recent contract with Nintendo and Nicalis for porting Cave Story to the Wii. Nicalis, an independent video game company, ported Cave Story to WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
in 2010. In addition to the original version, Nicalis worked with Pixel to create updated character designs, a new English localization, and enhanced graphics and music (arranged by Yann van der Cruyssen and others). It also contains several exclusive gameplay modes, including Boss Rush, a Sanctuary time attack
Time attack
A time attack is another term for time trial. The term is commonly used in Japan for individual time trial events for motor vehicles that involves a vehicle running around the circuit in lieu of a qualifying lap and the term is widely adopted outside the country for tuner event and...
mode, and the ability to play through the game as Curly Brace. Due to a bug in the code, the arranged music suffered from occasional playback issues. An update for this version was later released in October 2010 which fixes many of the glitches of the original release. As a result of the popularity of the WiiWare version, Nicalis is considering DSiWare ports of Ikachan
Ikachan
is a freeware computer game created by Daisuke Amaya, art-name Pixel, and the predecessor to Cave Story. In the game, the player plays a squid named Ikachan, who swims through an underground cave, meeting and helping other creatures.-Plot:...
and Guxt, two other freeware games created by Pixel. Nicalis worked on a Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version of Cave Story that was released via DSiWare. It includes a jukebox mode where the player may listen to music from the game as they "hear" it throughout the game. If the player plays either the WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
or DSiWare versions on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, Christmas Day, or Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
the player character will be changed to a dark-skinned Quote wearing a Santa Hat, or light skinned with black clothes, regardless of whether the player plays in Curly Mode. A 3DS remake was announced and was released by NIS America. This remake features new content, new character designs, and takes advantage of the 3DS's 3D capabilities. This remake also lets you unlock and play as the NIS mascot, a Prinny
Prinny
are a fictional race of creatures in Nippon Ichi's video games. First appearing in Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, they have appeared in all later titles by the company, as well as on various merchandise such as hats and plush toys...
, upon beating the game once.
DSiWare version
Although this version does not contain some of the content from the WiiWare version, like Boss Rush and Curly Story, it is much more mobile, easier to control, and has a time attack for Sacred Grounds, although you play it in Normal mode. Also, it has all three modes, Easy, Normal and Hard, already unlocked.WiiWare demo
On November 29, 2010, a free demo of the WiiWare port was released on the Wii Shop Channel. It features the beginning of the game and ends after the defeat of Igor.Cave Story 3D
Cave Story 3D is a remake of the original game with 3D graphics. The game was released as a full retail game on November 8, 2011 in North America and November 11, 2011 in Europe. Screenshots have shown Quote & Balrog as clay-like models floating around in a 3D environment. The game design has been completely overhauled to match the 3D capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS, though gameplay remains the same. Currently, the game features Paper Mode, which lets you play the game using the original Cave Storys character sprites.Cave Story on the Mac App Store Cave Story was released on the Mac App Store
Mac App Store
The Mac App Store is a digital distribution platform for Mac OS X applications developed by Apple Inc.. The platform was announced on October 20, 2010 at Apple's "Back to the Mac" event. Apple began accepting app submissions from registered developers on November 3, 2010 in preparation for its launch...
on September 7, 2011. Although the version features updated graphics and music from the original game, there is an option to set them back to the older style. A PC port was released on November 22, 2011 for Steam.
A new level designed by Pixel, "Wind Fortress" unlocks after the player completes the main story.
This level uses a scrapped beta song for a level Pixel planned to make for the original game.
Wind Fortress has a difficulty level similar to Sacred Grounds.
Reception
Cave Story has been very well-received by critics. 1UP.com1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
described it as "so massive that it rivals modern GBA Castlevania and Metroid games in terms of scope and play time". Inside Mac Games ascribed the game's popularity to its "polished feel, engaging storyline, and compelling artwork". In July 2006, Cave Story earned 1st place in Super PLAY
Super PLAY
Super PLAY was a Swedish video game magazine. Started in March 1993 with the name Super Power, it was the first independent video game magazine in Sweden. Despite its independence, it initially only covered Nintendo games, but the coverage was extended to all major consoles in 1995...
s list of the 50 best freeware games of all time. EGM
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
stated that "the burgeoning Western indie game scene owes a tremendous debt to Japanese pioneers like Studio Pixel, whose freeware hit Cave Story proved that with sufficient vision, skill, and passion, a single developer can still craft a deep, compelling action game".
The WiiWare version has received mostly positive reviews, with the central criticism being the 1200 Wii Point price tag (US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
12, £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
10), after years of free play. Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com commended the graphical update which "sacrifices none of [the game's] classic-influenced charm". He also remarked that the Classic Controller
Classic Controller
The is a video game controller produced by Nintendo. It is used to play games on the Nintendo Wii video game console.-Classic Controller:The Classic Controller is plugged into the Wii Remote in order to be used. It features two analog sticks, a D-pad, face buttons labeled "a", "b", "x" and "y",...
and Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
are superior to the keyboard input of the PC original. On the issue of price, he explained that "the prospect of Amaya finally earning a little something for the hard work he invested in this masterpiece strikes me as satisfyingly poetic" and "absolutely worth your money". John Teti of Eurogamer had similar sentiments, but also noted the technical issues with the remixed music, recommending the original soundtrack. Matt Miller of Game Informer observed that Cave Story combines elements of Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
, The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
, and Castlevania
Castlevania
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
into an "engrossing, challenging, and quite lengthy" whole. Daemon Hatfield of IGN felt that Cave Story "belongs on a Nintendo system" and noted gameplay similarities to Blaster Master
Blaster Master
Blaster Master is a platforming and run and gun video game released by Sunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a localized version of a Japanese Famicom game titled , which was released on . The game was released in North America in November 1988 and in Europe on...
, in which damage reduces the power of weapons as well. Jonathan Holmes of Destructoid called Cave Story an "important game", citing its influence on artistic indie games like Braid
Braid (video game)
Braid is a platform and puzzle video game developed by independent software developer Jonathan Blow. The game was released on August 6, 2008 for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. A Microsoft Windows version was released on April 10, 2009. Hothead Games ported and released the game to Mac OS...
, as well as the continued relevance of 2D game design (cf. Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series. Mega Man 9 is the first, new home console game in the original Mega Man series since Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass, which were released at least one...
). He also compares the game design to that of Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
in its ability to teach without tutorials, like at the beginning of Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
Cave Story was nominated for Game of the Year at the 2010 Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
Awards, as well as WiiWare Game of the Year.