I registered an account just to tell you how much your mod meant to me, Hayden.
It would have been one thing for you to have made a passable mod that gave you a way to save King and Toroko. That would have been pretty satisfying in and of itself. But... just, the love, the effort, the TALENT that went into the creation of this mod simply defies all words. To have gone the extra mile and think "How would that one single event affect all of the subsequent parts of the story?" To write the new dialogue in the voice of the characters and the original translation. Seeing characters interact with one another that we haven't seen do so before! The simple details like the Blade de-leveling into a normal sword when you use it, because it does not contain Kings spirit in this version...
I could really go on and on about how much this mod means to me. I really could. Unless the unlikely event happens and Pixel creates a true sequel to Cave Story, I would seriously like to consider the mod canon. After all, Pixel himself once said in an interview that his one regret was not allowing a way to save King and Toroko. To me, I feel as though this is following closely in line with that.
I have to admit, I'm not fully supportive of the year-long prank you pulled with this mod (this is coming from someone that found out about it AFTER you explained it was a prank, so it's just an observation as an outsider), but I can see that you're a bit of a prankster at heart, and I suppose I can respect that.
If there is any way I can offer help on future endeavors, even if it's just encouragement, I would be more than happy to do so.
I feel like your mod did something very important. I feel like it COMPLETED Cave Story. Nevermind Wind Fortress or Curly's Story from the Nicalis releases. THIS is what completes the story. Given the original genius behind the work, that is high praise. I hope he one day sees this mod and it makes him smile.