Cave Story got popular by itself. There was almost no marketing. Indie developers spend lots of time today trying to get as much people as possible to know about their game using social networks. But Pixel didn’t do it. He just quietly released his game and it was later discovered by lots of gamers getting its popularity because of its greatness. Cave Story was released in 2005. Just imagine! There was no Twitter, YouTube, Twitch these days. Facebook was just starting. It was very hard to get people to know your game. And it makes Cave Story’s achievement even more impressive.
The original Cave Storyearned widespread critical acclaim.1UP.com described it as "so massive that it rivals modern [Game Boy Advance] Castlevania and Metroid games in terms of scope and play time".Matt Miller of Game Informer observed thatCave Story combines elements ofMetroid,Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man,The Legend of Zelda, and Castlevania into an "engrossing, challenging, and quite lengthy" whole. Inside Mac Games ascribed the game's popularity to its "polished feel, engaging storyline, and compelling artwork". Electronic Gaming Monthly 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". Jonathan Holmes of Destructoid called Cave Storyan "important game", observing 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. In July 2006, Cave Story earned 1st place in Super PLAY's list of the 50 best freeware games of all time.
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 meas satisfyingly poetic" and "absolutely worth your money". John Teti of Euro gamer had similar sentiments, but also noted the technical issues with the remixed music, recommending the original soundtrack. Edge compared the remake to The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, satisfying both modern tastes with its graphical overhaul and old school fans with the option to switch to the original graphics. 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. Cave Story was nominated for Game of the Year at the 2010 Nintendo Power Awards, as well as WiiWare Game of the Year.
Criticism of Cave Story 3D echoed that of the WiiWare version. Many reviewers cautioned that the graphical update does not justify the $40 initial price point, especially with cheaper or free versions of the game available through download services. Parish defended the release, deriving satisfaction from the game's availability as a physical cartridge. Holmes praised the dynamic camera system and new graphics, comparing them to classic Disney films. He considers this release to be the "best version of the game, [but] not necessarily the definitive version". Jane Douglas of GameSpot felt that the 3DS Circle Pad was a comfortable fit for the game's control scheme. Audrey Drake of IGN noted that the 3D effect made it difficult to distinguish certain platforms between background and foreground, a complaint shared by Douglas. Simon Parkin of the UK Official Nintendo Magazinewas more critical, citing lack of detail in the 3D models and a too-dark color palette.
Japanese magazine Famitsu Weekly's four reviewers scored it 7, 7, 8, and 8 points out of 10 to a total of 30 out of 40 points, indicating average reviews.This version was nominated for Best Adventure Game at the 2011 Nintendo PowerAwards.
Source-
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_Story
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