The H. P. Lovecraft references in Cave Story

I was gonna put this in the "Logic behind the names of guns" thread, but it's locked now...

Anyway, I had a revelation this morning.

The Polaris weapon is most likely a reference to H. P. Lovecraft's story "Polaris", just as the mysterious character Cthulhu is a blatant reference to Lovecraft's story "Call of Cthulhu".

Of course, I'm not entirely sure... Were these names in the Japanese original, or did the fan-translation do some easter-eggish fudging? I'd be interested to see if anyone else has spotted Lovecraft references in CS.

 

No.

I mean of course the Cthulhus are a reference to Lovecraft. But the Polar Star is just a reference to the actual Polar Star (you know, the one in the sky, that is also called Polaris btw).

So no, there isn't any reference to Lovecraft or any polar bodies in the name of that gun.

 

Well, the Lovecraft story was ABOUT the 'Pole Star', if I remember correctly. It just seemed a bit convenient to be accident.

Hmm... Just dug up a link.

http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/polaris.htm

 

I know that. I'm just saying that just because Lovecraft's book and the hermit's gun are both referencing Polaris doesn't mean that one of them is actually referencing the other.

 

I know that. I'm just saying that just because Lovecraft's book and the hermit's gun are both referencing Polaris doesn't mean that one of them is actually referencing the other.

That is a fair point. I'm just curious whether CS has Lovecraft refences buried in it besides the blatant one.

 

Forgive me for any lack of knowledge of Cave Story or Eldritch horrors if this is completely obvious, but why exactly are the guys called Cthulhu anyway? The closest thing I can think of is their hoods making me think of cult members but that's it.

 

Well, Cthulhu itself was a hideous monster with tentacles in Lovecraft's story. Wherever it's idol went, a cult rose up. But in CS, it/he is a humanoid figure in a green hood who knows a suspicious amount about Quote and Curly and the Island.

One thing which has always puzzled me is whether CS's Cthulhu is a race or an individual. Could it be possible you're talking to the same person as you travel around?

 

Well I know all that. I was just wondering why the guy/race in CS is named Cthulhu

 

I'd guess for the same reasons that the final boss of the game is a giant sexy almond filled with the soul of a man
because pixel has a beautiful mind

 

Well I know all that. I was just wondering why the guy/race in CS is named Cthulhu

Wherever it's idol went, a cult rose up.

Their naming implies that there is indeed more than one Cthulhu.

 

Here's an interesting theory. Maybe the monster Arthur fought was Cthulhu. The profile kinda fits, except it is 'a red monster'... and you kill it, the "Red Demon". Well, it has existed 'for ages'.

However... Note that Cthulhu's Abode is singular, not plural. I wonder if the small map is a leftover: perhaps Cthulhu had role in the game.

 

Huh, I never realized that.

 

Okay cool, did you have to bump a month-old thread to tell us?