Kero Blaster v. Cave Story v. Ikachan?

I prefer Cave Story best, even though I can see how some (more mainstream) gamers would like Kero Blaster more. Please explain you choices below.

The reason I like Cave Story best is that it i less linear than most game nowadays. It has a great story and a nice weapons upgrade system. It is also on the brink of impossible.

 

You do realise that everyone is going to pick Cave Story do you not? Kero Blaster vs Ikachan might have produced a more interesting result.

 

I thought Kero Blaster was better than Cave Story, but it might be because I've played Cave Story too many times.

 

Ikachan was a tech demo for Pixel trying things out for the first time as a ""major"" release. It's understandable why none/few would vote for this because it wasn't anything that serious to begin with. I'd give it a vote though because the mechanics are unique and don't feel like the game is ripping off retroclichés.

Cave Story is a semi-open/semi-metroidvania type game, with a fragmented but mostly clear-cut story. I'd give it a vote because I like its story structure better than Kero, and the music somewhat better.

Kero Blaster is a more linear game like the age of MegaMan and other level-by-level games, with a more surreal and questions-remaining storyline. I'd give it a vote because even though it's not as long as CS, it has a lot more detail concentrated into it. You don't just slab on some tiles designs and keep things static like you do with CS.

Also you forgot Guxt (which also has good voting qualities in and of itself).

I'm not saying any of this to argue with others or the OP, but just to increase internal thought. I'm voting Ika however because TBH I wouldn't mind a larger game of its quirky mechanics (((and to be different from everyone else likely voting the other two))).

 

Voting Kero Blaster because I know everyone is going to vote Cave Story.

 

though I can see how some (more mainstream) gamers would like Kero Blaster more.

Lets be honest, mainstream gamers generally have no idea that any of these games even exist.

 

imo Kero Blaster is what Cave Story would be if you stripped the unnecessary bullshit out, like:
- backtracking
- puppy grinding
- missile jewing

it has some faults, like still giving us a single high-deeps weapon for the endgame (why use anything other than the laser once you get it??) and a lack of attainable "hidden items" like life capsules, but overall I feel like it's generally an improvement on the formula.

 

Yeah, I would go with Cave Story.

One reason is that Kero Blaster is a Level-oriented game and I love non-linear games better.
Also, because Cave Story has a better plot.

Although, Cave Story could have been even better with Kero Blaster's Upgrade Weapon System. (In my opinion)

 

you guys realize cave story is like, pretty much completely linear right
I mean apart from backtracking there's really no reason to visit any of the areas out of order?

 

like still giving us a single high-deeps weapon for the endgame (why use anything other than the laser once you get it??)

Because the fan weapon has a wider range and can take out hidden enemies? Because the fire weapon causes greater damage to certain enemy types, hugs uphill slopes, and destroys certain blocks? Because the bubble weapon allows you to shoot around corners and rain fire from above? All of the weapons are well balanced. Try leveling up the other weapons to see what I mean.

and a lack of attainable "hidden items" like life capsules, but overall I feel like it's generally an improvement on the formula.

Well there's the Kuro Blaster in NG+.

 

you guys realize cave story is like, pretty much completely linear right
I mean apart from backtracking there's really no reason to visit any of the areas out of order?

The key difference is in player perception though. Kero Blaster gives many distinct and explicit visual cues to let you know you are going from "level to level", whereas Cave Story often has you going back through Mimiga village, which is sort of a centralized hub for the entire game. But the player feels more like they are exploring since they are in control of the area transitions, I would argue.

I'm not actually sure which I would like more objectively. I think I might be just a bit more fond of Cave Story since it's longer and feels like a more fleshed out experience because of it, and has more replayability. Once you've gone through Kero twice there isn't much else to do other than repeatedly play boss rush to try and get a better time on it.

Well there's the Kuro Blaster in NG+.

You can get that in your first playthrough if you know what you're doing.

 

Because the fan weapon has a wider range and can take out hidden enemies? Because the fire weapon causes greater damage to certain enemy types, hugs uphill slopes, and destroys certain blocks? Because the bubble weapon allows you to shoot around corners and rain fire from above? All of the weapons are well balanced. Try leveling up the other weapons to see what I mean.

I maxed them all, but still relied a lot on the beam. The fan really wasn't much use at all imo. The fire and bubble each have special use cases (the fire being a bit forced at times being the only weapon capable of breaking ice) but they are too outclassed in raw damage to use as a primary weapon.
overall I felt that the weapons were more suited to specific situations than specific playstyles.

 

I maxed them all, but still relied a lot on the beam. The fan really wasn't much use at all imo. The fire and bubble each have special use cases (the fire being a bit forced at times being the only weapon capable of breaking ice) but they are too outclassed in raw damage to use as a primary weapon.
overall I felt that the weapons were more suited to specific situations than specific playstyles.

Well I honestly found the fan more suited to my tastes than the laser. The laser is actually my least used weapon of the lot.

The key difference is in player perception though. Kero Blaster gives many distinct and explicit visual cues to let you know you are going from "level to level", whereas Cave Story often has you going back through Mimiga village, which is sort of a centralized hub for the entire game. But the player feels more like they are exploring since they are in control of the area transitions, I would argue.

It's more than that. The game rewards you for breaking out of that linear path and for exploration.

You can get that in your first playthrough if you know what you're doing.

Yeah. In exchange for not being able to upgrade the fire weapon, ever.

 

Yeah. In exchange for not being able to upgrade the fire weapon, ever.

You can also get it after getting the flame thrower, but then you only have it at level 1 for the rest of the game.

 

I maxed them all, but still relied a lot on the beam. The fan really wasn't much use at all imo. The fire and bubble each have special use cases (the fire being a bit forced at times being the only weapon capable of breaking ice) but they are too outclassed in raw damage to use as a primary weapon.
overall I felt that the weapons were more suited to specific situations than specific playstyles.

You need the bubble on the train station boss, but thats pretty much the only time that i didnt use he beam.

 

You need the bubble on the train station boss, but thats pretty much the only time that i didnt use he beam.

When he went into runner mode was one of the few times I actually used the laser because of its long reach.

 

Lol, great question to ask on the Cave Story forums