Cave Story+ Review

Developer: Studio Pixel and Nicalis

Publisher: Nicalis

Release date: June 20, 2017

Available on: Nintendo Switch (other versions available on PC, Nintendo Wii, DSi, and 3DS)

Strut With Confidence

Cave Story+ has one of the most deliciously cowardice alternate endings I’ve ever seen in a video game. In and of itself, this ridiculous faux-conclusion doesn’t materially impact my opinion of the game, its indicative of the confidence Studio Pixel exudes with this excellent Nintendo Switch game (previously available on other Nintendo platforms).

Don’t be fooled as I was. The small sprites and somewhat-floaty controls don’t give a great first impression. Previous versions of Cave Story have reviewed well in the past but the Nintendo Switch version is my first contact with 13 year-old game, so my expectations for greatness were challenged immediately. It actively pushed me away in the beginning but Cave Story+ ultimately won me over with its fundamentally basic-but-deep gameplay and catchy score.

There’s a common realization in these types of games, isn’t there? When exploration is tied to power-ups and first-this-then-that progression, it’s only natural for players to drown in doubt. In the early stages, I found myself asking “Am I back-tracking too far?” or “Is that where I need to go now or later?” As the hours passed by, I learned how to push the game along. Once I realized what actions triggered the next objective, Cave Story+ began to feel more natural. There’s nothing as obtuse as the puzzles you might find in a classic point-and-click adventure game but in some instances, I frustratingly exclaimed “THAT’S what I needed to do?!?” A quick word of advice, talk to everyone, often. Even if you think you just spoke to a particular character, you may have done something since then to trigger a new response.

The most interesting mechanic is baked into the weapon level system. Starting with a basic pistol, you pew-pew a few enemies and collect shiny tortilla chips (they never told me they WEREN’T tortilla chips) the pistol begins leveling up, becoming more powerful and visually impressive. Maxing at Level 3, I thought, well that was quick! But the weapon’s damage capacity quickly decreases when taking damage. The vicious cycle is interesting because as you take damage, your weapon becomes less effective, which makes the enemies more threatening. The tide turns quickly, however, if you manage to defeat just one enemy, you can chase after a few chips to regain dominance.

Maintaining maximum power in your armaments is particularly important when facing the challenging bosses. Each has an attack pattern and weak point, and some repeat throughout the game, but defeating each boss feels better than the last. The other key to success with the more challenging encounters is exploring the environment to find heart capsules to expand maximum health capacity.

New to the Cave Story+ is the ability to “invert” controls. The Options Menu doesn’t define exactly what this means and because Cave Story is a 2D side-scroller, I ignored it. Don’t. This option changes the jump and fire buttons and I highly recommend inverting the controls so Jump is B and Fire is Y. Sadly, this option is locked to the Main Menu and you cannot change it mid-game. This, coupled with a Save Point design (you can’t just leave without potentially losing significant progress), means you may be stuck in an unsavory control scheme until you’re able to escape to the Title Screen.

This frustration extends to the music as well because my goodness, the music is beyond excellent. Studio Pixel loads this package with a variety of ways to experience the soundtrack. The music options (Famitracks, Organya, Cave Story+, and Remastered Soundtracks) each carry the melodies with a unique charm and identity. Personally, I found it difficult to decide which to choose. Plus, as you progress through the story and discover new areas, you unlock the corresponding song in the Jukebox. Sadly it’s a good-news-bad-news situation because these wonderful features are also locked to the Options Menu from the Title Screen. So I didn’t get to experience the variety as much or as easily as I would have liked to.

Luckily, Cave Story+ makes the transition from Handheld or Tabletop mode to TV mode beautifully. Surely, the game was designed to trigger some nostalgia and while all the pieces are in place on the tablet, I wholeheartedly encourage playing with a Pro Controller, on the TV with a decent  sound setup. Swapping between Original or Remastered Graphics (no 3DS-style 3D models here) provides a satisfying variety in the experience.

Final Verdict

Cave Story is a familiar experience to gamers who have supported this indie darling since its initial release back in late 2004 on the Wii. At $30 and more than 10 years old, Cave Story+ sells at the fringe of overly-priced. We The Nerdy received a digital code for review but I encourage you to check out to retail version for the best value. The fan service-centric bundle includes a 32-page instruction book, a keychain, a carrying pouch, and a soundtrack CD.

This is my first experience with Cave Story and I was pleasantly surprised. Admittedly, I pre-judged the game based on it’s small sprites and somewhat-floaty controls. But not-too-far into my time with it, my prejudice gave way to the excellent gameplay, quirky setting and characters, and rewarding challenge presented by Studio Pixel’s charming classic.

Studio Pixel promises Local Co-Op will arrive later this summer from a free update. This mode is not included in today’s review but I look forward to revisiting Cave Story+ with my wife.