What's your favorite and least favorite aspects of Cave Story?

Skipping the booster 0.8 seems like something someone would have tried as a challenge, and someone rescuing Curly on the same run doesn't seem impossible either. It's really just a reward for trying to challenge yourself, just like the snake and spur, or even coming back to the labyrinth with the spur to get the whimsical star, which is something I found without ever knowing it existed beforehand. Pixel was probably content thinking there where parts of his game most people would never see and it makes those things a lot more interesting.

 

Yeah I guess that's true seeing that Pixel planed ahead of time with certain parts of the game.

 

My favorite parts about Cave Story are how emotional it is with things like Professor Booster's death and Curly sacrificing to save you. It shows that even in a pixelated game, you can have a truly deep and riveting storyline that makes you feel for the characters. I also really appreciate the incredibly silky gameplay and physics, that makes the gameplay very enjoyable and speedrunner-friendly.

If I were to name my least favorite part about Cave Story, I'd have to say it's the incredibly disappointing third ending. Ever-so suddenly abandoning the Sakamotos and going off to live with someone who killed one of your friends just doesn't jive with me. Sure, he's good now, but you've barely known him since his transition, and I don't buy Curly's foreshadowing in the Boulder Chamber of Balrog being "not such a bad guy." The "good" ending just seemed very rushed and like it went in the completely wrong direction. Even though things technically work for the better in the long run in the good ending, I really prefer the normal ending, because it is more climactic, and leaves you much more satisfied.

Honestly, if it weren't for the disappointing third ending, any criticism I could offer would be just nit-pickery.

I really agree with you about this completely. The emotional aspect was just so deep. And the whole game was overall very well designed.

 

I always love how the game sends you into a pickle with choices; To either try and survive without the Booster v0.8, or let booster give you the 0.8 and die.

 

Waterway is annoying without Booster or Machine Gun lv3...

 

Well I'm going to be a slowpoke here and contribute to this conversation.

My favourite aspect of Cave Story isn't as much the game as it is what it's done and how it's affected me. It was through Cave Story that I discovered that programs such as ORG Maker and PxTone existed, allowing me to try making some decent music without the static noise or random shouts from siblings received through a recorder.

Gamewise, I love the hints of backstory Cave Story gives, along with the current plot that unravels. The atmosphere evoked from the artwork, music and dialogue is also a plus for me. I somehow feel nostalgic whenever I start a new game, even though I've only known its existence for a little over a year.

I guess the thing I'm bothered by (my least favourite aspect?) Cave Story is the fact that there's only so much a good game can give that when I've exhausted it, there isn't really anything left. Thankfully I haven't gotten to this point yet, but it has happened with other games I've played in the past, where with each playthrough, you get less and less out of it. Of course the game itself is never to blame for this, and what Cave Story already provides is enough to spawn mods, theories, etc. Maybe that point doesn't make much sense, but I can't recall any other points about Cave Story that I flat out don't like.

(Though I must admit, the second ending seemed pretty unlikely. Quote just happened to be caught by Kazuma as the Sky Dragon is falling? Oh well.)

 

One of my favorite scenes was in the second ending, when it shows places from all over the Island. Places you've been to, and you might never go to again. Places which hold memories for you, both good and bad, and it's just so sentimental and nostalgic and sad when you see all those levels and you think back to all the feelings you had experienced there, but it's all ending...

 

When I saw the second ending for the first time it made me feel sad that all the places I been too will now perish from existence, and all the friends and people you've met along the way die with the rest of the island. Its the main reason why I always go for the third ending.

 

One of my least favorite aspects of this game is how picking up the hearts to heal you isn't percentage based... I believe it heals 2 health.
Now, I know this is a pretty small thing, and I know that the healing stations do make up for it by refilling health AND missiles, but... Well, I guess that might just be me.

Now, my absolute favorite aspect of Cave Story is the constant feeling of action- The kind of feeling where you don't want to put down your controller.
The game is constantly keeping you on your toes, and from my perspective, there is never a dull moment.
One example is when, in the Sand Zone, after you beat that monstrosity of Omega, there's a new path for you to go on... Then you meet Jenka and there's another quest for you. In my opinion, Cave Story is made a great game because of this aspect.
Now don't get me wrong, the story, the characters, the atmosphere of it all it just incredible...

Just my ~OPINION~, though.

 

My favorite aspect of CS is definetly the gameplay. It's very fast paced and hectic, has a lot of variety in enviroments and boss battles to keep things as fresh and diverse as possible. It has some really great controls too, the floaty jumping mechanics which still allow you to steer midair makes it feel very responsive and it only gets even more fun when you get the bootster. Jetpacks in videogames are always welcome.
This game also has a very good difficulty curve, not staying too easy nor too hard. Plus, this game doesn't hand you health potions like other games, meaning you don't have to bore yourself grinding for them and then steamroll trough the boss without cheesing trough it, and even if you tried that the leveling mechanic will make short work of your firepower. The game also has a bit of random elements to it, like which pickups enemies drop which give it a welcome feel of surprise to it.

The one thing i never cared for is the story. I think it's just there, it's not really bad but nowhere near good either. Curly is basically there just to give Quote a girlfriend, literally they just meet and shoot at eachother and then suddenly she sacrifices her life to Quote. It's also utterly stupid on how to get the good ending, somehow guilt-tripping you that you let her die and allmost everyone else despite the fact that it's nigh impossible to get the good ending on your first try because it's so damn obtuse. You can't count on me feeling guilty over that when i had no control over the situation to begin with, because talking to injured doctors causes ropes to dissolve. Go figure.
I was more interested into the history of the Mimiga wars and the robots, but the game doesn't elaborate on that much(Then again, haven't played the game that much in a while so my mind might be foggy about that). King and Toroko were more interesting than the main characters in general imho

 

The one thing i never cared for is the story. I think it's just there, it's not really bad but nowhere near good either. Curly is basically there just to give Quote a girlfriend, literally they just meet and shoot at eachother and then suddenly she sacrifices her life to Quote. It's also utterly stupid on how to get the good ending, somehow guilt-tripping you that you let her die and allmost everyone else despite the fact that it's nigh impossible to get the good ending on your first try because it's so damn obtuse. You can't count on me feeling guilty over that when i had no control over the situation to begin with, because talking to injured doctors causes ropes to dissolve. Go figure.
I was more interested into the history of the Mimiga wars and the robots, but the game doesn't elaborate on that much(Then again, haven't played the game that much in a while so my mind might be foggy about that). King and Toroko were more interesting than the main characters in general imho

Honestly I like the story, at least over time Quote realizes that he must end this war. At least there's no liar reveal plot twist (I always hated that in movies, and games), in fact quite the contrary; Balrog starts to become your friend even BEFORE he's free of his curse. Plus the Doctor was such a strange person when I first saw him playing the game for the first time, he's some devious betrayer that betrayed his team from the start, he even abuses his own minions; For example Balrog: "The Doctor had a HUGE fit.Smacked Misery around pretty hard.Poor girl, don't you think?" It shows he will do anything for global domination. That's why I love the story a lot, and when mixed with the other gaming elements, it makes this game the greatest (in my opinion).

 

plot twists can hurt your mod/game but if they're used well they can be pretty powerful as well

 

The music is great, the sand zone not so much.

 

Well... The aspect that I love of Cave Story is, the Story xD
I dont know, its the most epic story evah.
Also I like Quote design and Curly personality.
And obviusly Quote X Curly. My signature says it.

 

Also I like Quote design and Curly personality.
And obviusly Quote X Curly. My signature says it.

High five bro. My avatar says it as well.

 

My least favorite part of cave story was when the nemesis leveled up. At all. THAT GUN IS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE!(okay maybe not but you get my point)
My favorite part was the blade. It is awesome at close range. No, it is AMAZING at close range.

 

But if used correctly the Nemesis can be the most useful gun on the same rank or maybe even higher then the spur.

 

I have bad nothittingwhatyoursupposedtonothit skills. The nemesis makes this an even bigger problem. Plus, I'm really bad with switching weapons, so I have to dodge the exp. and the blade doesn't need exp to be good, but is great at max. And l2 at close range. Most damage per second.

 

True; If I had to chose it would be the Blade by a long shot.

 

My favorite aspect of Cave Story is the weapon leveling.
Once you get enough orange orbs, your weapon will level up.
However once you get one or more hit, then your weapon level goes down.