Cave Story+ Review (Nintendo Switch): A Timeless Adventure Revisited

It feels a bit strange, writing a review for Cave Story in 2017. The game has been around for well over a decade, and development on the original Cave Story began before the turn of the millennium. This incredible game was developed over years of time by one talented man named Daisuke Amaya (AKA Pixel), and his creation has aged remarkably well. By now it seems like every true gamer has made his or her way through the game already. Still, the unprecedented success and convenience of Nintendo's new portable console proved to be irresistibly appealing, and Nicalis has done us all the enormous kindness of bringing Cave Story+, the definitive version of this timeless classic, to the Switch.

If you're the type of person who demands the full story in a Facebook headline or the type of person who skims through reviews to get straight to the final score, let me go ahead and spoil the ending for you right here. You need to buy Cave Story+ and play it as soon as you can. And stick around if you'd like, because I'm going to try to offer you a review which emphasizes brevity. I do this because, honestly, I'm only going to say what Cave Story players have already been saying for twelve years now. Let's dive in.

Cave Story+ tells the tale of a robot with amnesia who wakes up in a cave, and eventually finds his way to a village inhabited by Mimigas. Mimigas are an adorable race of small rabbit-like creatures who value peace and community above all things. Some time in the uncomfortably recent past, an army of robot soldiers very much like yourself were sent down to wipe the Mimigas out. They would have succeeded if not for a peculiar red flower which, when eaten, transforms the Mimigas into enormous and ferocious beasts capable of wreaking untold havoc and destruction. As you progress you'll uncover the secrets of your past and the shape the future of the Mimigas.

I hope you can tell already that while the story does lean on some oft-recycled cliches, it does so in a refreshing and wholly original way. The characters you meet throughout your journey are all incredibly charming and have these believable little personalities all their own. You'll even learn to love a few of the recurring enemies you'll encounter throughout your adventure. You'll marvel at the thought of such a diverse and lovable cast springing from the imagination of one man.

Now would be a good time to point out that, while so much of Cave Story+ is charming and cute, this is also a brutally difficult game at times. You'll notice that retro games of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras influenced Cave Story greatly, and the tough-as-nails platforming can at times evoke the feeling we had as kids, squeezing our controllers in rage as we attempted certain sequences or boss fights over and over again.

This would be frustrating if the gameplay wasn't so airtight. Cave Story has a weight and rhythm which is unique. At first it comes off a little floaty, but once you get used to it you'll be calculating leaps and scaling platforms like a pro. Of course this is much more than a simple platformer, you'll also be blasting through a huge variety of enemies with an arsenal of weaponry which flourishes as you progress through the campaign.

Here's where Cave Story gets fun. As you defeat enemies, they'll drop small showers of golden triangles. As you pick these up, a progression bar for whatever weapon you have equipped will begin to fill up. Each weapon has multiple levels of power, and each level improves your weapons in significant ways. Fire rate, damage, the number of projectiles fired with each shot... all of these things will be enhanced in unique ways as you upgrade each weapon, and eventually, you'll find some weapons at higher levels will enhance your mobility in really fun ways. Finding new weapons and seeing what they do once you level them up is one of Cave Story's many delights, and I won't spoil all of that here.

Take caution, though! As you take damage, not only will your life bar deplete, but your weapon experience will begin to drain as well. As you take significant damage your equipped weapon can and will degrade into previous states of power and functionality. It's a brilliant mechanic. For being recklessly aggressive your weapons can become less powerful, but to restore them to their former glory, you'll have to to become bravely reckless and take on more enemies for experience.

Basically, Cave Story forces you to play well, and in today's "trophy-for-trying" culture this is rather refreshing.

Now let me say something about the music in Cave Story+. If you're the type of person who skims right down to the review score, then just know that I saved the music for last because of people like you. Cave Story's entire soundtrack was composed and performed by Daisuke Amaya, and it's one of the best parts of the game. Cave Story+ gives you four different variations of this incredible soundtrack to choose from but, as always, the "Remastered" version is always the best. There are drifting, dreamy melodies that will get stuck in your head for days at a time, and funky rhythms that will have you tapping your foot, nodding your head, or swinging your toes as you lay in bed with your Switch. If Cave Story's soundtrack hasn't already won multiple awards, it deserves to.

What else can I say? I guess the review wasn't so brief after all, but I hope you get the picture. Cave Story+ on the Nintendo Switch is simply the best way to experience what has, for so many years, been one of the best retro-inspired games ever developed. It's original, it's challenging, and it's fun. If you don't believe me, go read a thousand Steam reviews and see if you're not persuaded. You're late to the party, folks. Pick this one up now.

WWG's Score: 4.5 / 5