Some people love it, and other people loathe it, but almost everyone concurs: Cave Story is an important game.
Does that sound dumb to you? Well, it probably should. The word “important” as it relates to videogames has been worn out to the point of near-worthlessness. People state that Modern Warfare 2 is important because it has a scene where you’re a celebration to the deaths of innocent people, or that Heavy Rain is important because it brings “choose your own adventure” gaming into the HD generation, but neither of those games have yet proven their impact on the future of videogames.
Cave Story is different. It’s proven to be important. When it was first released on PC in 2004, it showed us things about videogames that some of us had forgotten, and others never knew in the first place. It showed us that the techniques and tropes of NES-era game design can still be relevant in the post-cartridge era, something that Capcom and Nintendo have since capitalized on in a large way. It showed us that indie games could be “artistic” and be inviting, and not just one or the other — something that the developers of Braid and the Bit.Trip series have definitely taken to heart. Perhaps most importantly, though, Cave Story showed us that one man can make a videogame all by himself, and end up with something that’s just as compelling a game made by a development team of hundreds. Though we are yet to see the true impact that this will have on the game industry, it’s already become clear that many aspiring game developers see Cave Story as proof that anyone with enough passion and determination can become a game developer.
These are just a few of the reasons the game has developed an ever-growing, ever more ravenous fan base. Thanks in no small part to that fan base, the game has been re-released on WiiWare, but not without a few changes. Most notably, Cave Story isn’t free anymore. So now that more than five years have gone by since its release on the Personal computer, is Cave Story still important? More importantly to your wallet, now that Cave Story costs $12, is it worth paying for?
Hit the jump to find out.
Cave Story (WiiWare)
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A pretty decent haul for Nintendo fans this week, with WarioWare DIY promising to be a relatively decent WiiWare title. You basically make and share your own WarioWare Microgames. Sounds like it’ll be a laugh for five minutes, at any rate.
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Yesterday, Nintendo of America set up a hype page for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. The page listed a bunch of features, including online leaderboards and a widescreen format. The most interesting thing was the fact that Sonic 4 was boasting a “full HD resolution,” despite the fact that the Wii doesn’t output in HD.
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I remember the first time I played La-Mulana. Drawn in by its MSX-style graphics and the longing for another good action-adventure-y platformer, there was no way I wasn’t going to dig this free game. Seeing this trailer for the upcoming WiiWare remake makes me realize, damn, I didn’t get very far at all.
For you see, the game is pretty hard. When I haven’t invested money in difficult games, I don’t feel obligated to complete them; easy as that. The good news is, I love how a bunch of really solid independent games are getting Wiiware re-releases, like Cave Story.
That means I’ll reaffirm my support for this trend with my wallet when La-Mulana releases. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll then have reason enough to make it further into the game and get my ass kicked by these awesome-looking bosses.
Archaeology Lecture [La-Mulana Blog via GoNintendo]
source Destructoid
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It’s ironic that the PS3 is the one pushing 3D gaming forward on consoles, but it’s actually the Xbox 360 and Wii that’ll be home to the “first” 3D shooter with Majesco’s Attack of the Movies 3D!
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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 finally got some official screenshots today, after all the leaks and magazine scans. Some of them have been seen before, but a number of them are new, especially those that give us a good glimpse of the Badniks. You’ll recognize the bees and lizards from Sonic 2. They look pretty great.
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Who says good games can’t sell on the Wii? Nicalis has just confirmed that Cave Story is doing very well following its WiiWare launch this past Monday. So well, in fact, that it has climbed to number one in the on the internet store’s top twenty. Well, that’s just super!
“Cave Story hit number 1 on the Wii Shop Store Top 20,” boasts Nicalis. “It’s all thanks to everyone.”
Great news and a nice slice of evidence that games like this can do well on WiiWare if someone gives them a chance. I had feared that the game would go up and fail to get very far, but it seems that the hype and anticipation has paid off. Congratulations to Nicalis are in order.
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Iconic game designer and happy-go-lucky scamp Shigeru Miyamoto doesn’t care much about online gaming, despite the fact that Sony and Microsoft fall over themselves to conquer the World wide web. For the Nintendo vassal, the focus is on entertainment first, whether it’s on the web or off.
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We’ve seen Sonic the Hedgehog 4 on Xbox 360, and it looks damn good. How does it fare on Wii? According to these new screenshots, revealed by Nintendo of America, it’s not too shabby at all. According to Nintendo, the game will feature full HD resolution, so there’s a reason it looks so nice!
The WiiWare version of Sonic 4 will feature everything that the more powerful consoles provide, including online leaderboards. Widescreen format was also hyped as a feature, which is kind of sad that a Wii game would have to pimp that as a bonus, but there you are.
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Mistwalker has revealed some fresh details about its exciting upcoming Wii RPG, The Last Story. According to the Lost Odyssey developer, Last Story’s tale will feature a class divide, revolving around the lives of a group of mercenaries who want to become knights.
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