For all my years of studying literature, I do not really see the difference between the literary cannon and the multicultural cannon. What I should probably say is that I do not get how people can decide what pieces of literature are more influential than others. From my perspective, each piece of literature is important. So who are we — or even a group of highly opinionated old men — to decide which author is more important than another? What would Britain be without Shakespeare or Blake? Or the United States without Flannery O’Connor or Poe? And yet, if we take a quick look at today’s society, we see the divide between what is considered “popular” and “unpopular.” Mainstream versus bohemian. In gaming terms, this is essentially console-based games versus the indie gaming scene. And while it would probably be worthwhile to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both ends of the gaming spectrum, this is not what this article is about. It is about an indie game that deserves a lot of popularity not because one person(!) created it, but because it is so perfectly polished. If you’re seriously into the indie gaming scene, you are probably already familiar with this game: Cave Story. Cave Story proves that good games transcend time, and graphics can be the medium to accomplish the task.
Cave Story is about a silent protagonist who has amnesia; he wakes up in a cavernous room and is completely defenseless. Thankfully, you’ll find your first weapon — a weak gun — and escape from the small cavern. But once he escapes, he lands in the Mimiga Village, a community of rabbit-like people. And they’re being kidnapped by an evil professor searching for a specific mimiga named Sue. Along the way, you will meet an interesting cast of characters, such as Balrog and Misery and King, as you attempt to save the world. Yes, the plot is somewhat cliché. Yet, it is so well-told that it won’t really matter to anyone because it uses real characters. At least, it shouldn’t because the core game is perfectly crafted.
Anyway, I digress. Graphically the game is inspired by old 8-bit Nintendo games. Thus, Cave Story was doing the whole pixilation thing well before Mega Man 9. But do not dismiss it because of its old-school looks; it is wonderfully polished. Crystal gems (a little more on them later) shine as they move around the screen. Lines illustrate wind, and the wind holds the hero in the air. Clouds move in the background in one area. While each area may feel similar — a curse of 8-bit graphics — each area has its own theme. For example, there is one long corridor full of eggs. And another area is nothing more than water pipes. Another is a desert. Who would have believed that this all exists on a floating island?
Yet as good as this sounds, it would not work if the controls were horrid. And thankfully, they are not. Everything is incredibly tight. Make a quick jump and quickly release the button, and the hero will jump as high as it is pressed (to a limit, of course). If you let go of an arrow key while jumping, he’ll coast for awhile as well. It takes a bit of time to get used to the control scheme, though it can be modified — especially if you play with a game pad. What initially drove me nuts is the fact that the default setting has the attack button on the X key and the Z key is for jumping. Those two keys can thankfully be reversed.
But the question you’re probably wondering is what sets this game apart from other games. First of all, there’re the weapons. You have about seven weapons overall to play with. There’s the original gun that fires weak shots, the machine gun, a laser-like gun that fires through everything, a sword, a missile launcher, a gun that fires fireballs on the ground, and a potent gun that is only gained late in the game. Secondly, there’s the action bliss of destroying everything that moves. In a way, it is more closely related to Mega Man and the Ratchet and Clank series. Nearly everything has the potential to drop hearts, which restore health, missile replacements and gems. As previously mentioned, those gems power the weapons — up to three times. Thirdly, there’s the challenge, which is at times hard, while at other times easy. It never truly becomes overly frustrating; some patience and skill is required — just like the games of yore. What was initially difficult can become easier as you not only master the controls, but the game as well. For example, a few boss fights, such as fighting Balrog, caused me to retry them a few times. Now, it’s much easier because I know the patterns and the best method(s) of attack.
Sound wise, everything is rather solid. Amazingly the programmer, a Japanese man known as Pixel, crafted it. From what I have heard, he fiddled with a synthesizer program and just threw notes together. Thus, he kept what he liked. And somehow ... someway ... it works. There’s the peppy travel music. Or the wonderfully intense battle music. Or the solid shots and explosions from the missiles. And whenever you collect a missile expansion pack or a life extender, you’ll hear a little musical melody reminiscent of Metroid.
This brings us to an important point: Most of the reviews I have read believe that the game is a cross between modern Castlevania games and Metroid. In all honesty, I do not really see it. Instead, I see it as a cross between the older, more linear Castlevania games and Metroid II: Return of Samus. Both games are rather linear, leading you on a set path. Yet, there’s an emotional quality to it — the blackness of the cave and the hordes of monsters that search to destroy your character. And the ending is as emotional as the ending of the previously mentioned Metroid II. Furthermore, there are little secrets all over the place from some of the hiding save points to life extensions to a hidden weapon and a hidden level. So yeah, it’s a neat little way to keep a person interested.
This leads me to the aforementioned reference to Plato’s cave. For those who are not familiar or have forgotten the story, here’s a quick refresher: There are some people trapped in a cave. All they have to illuminate the space is a fire, and they see shadows moving along the wall. It also is the only thing they have known. Finally, one of the captives becomes free from his (or her) bonds and ventures out to find the cause of the shadows. And the truth was far different than what he or his friends had known. That’s what Cave Story is like. I could be here all day ranting and raving and describing every solitary inch of the game right down to the tiniest pixel. But it would all be for naught because it is nothing like the actual experience.
That is why I highly recommend this game to everyone. It is like everything you’ve ever played, and at the same time, it is like nothing else. And it sucked me into its world, refusing to let go until the ride was complete. If you like action games, check out this title regardless of skill level. It is the high degree of polish that makes it so accessible. And there’s no excuse NOT to check out this title, especially for the price: It’s free! So really folks, check it out. Windows owners and Mac owners can download it; Wii owners can find this arriving on a WiiWare channel in the near future. So, ultimately, don’t let the shadows on the wall fool you about this wonderful game. And don’t miss the chance to find out what thousands of indie gamers have known for years.
