Info about Cave Story+:

Official game description:
Arguably the most well-known indie game of all time, Cave Story features a completely original storyline wrapped with personality, mystery and hours of fast-paced fun. Cave Story is an action-adventure game from the critically acclaimed independent designer, Daisuke Amaya--or Pixel to his fans. Overflowing with unmatched charm and character, Cave Story takes you into a rare world where a curious race of innocent rabbit-like creatures, called Mimigas, run free.  
You wake up in a dark cave with no memory of who you are, where you came from or why you're in such a place. Uncovering Mimiga Village you discover that the once-carefree Mimigas are in danger at the hands of a maniacal scientist. The Mimigas’ only hope rest squarely on the shoulders of a quiet, amnesiac boy who can't remember his own name.  
Run, jump, shoot, fly and explore your way through a massive action-adventure reminiscent of classic 8- and 16-bit games. Take control and learn the origins of this world’s power, stop the delusional villain and save the Mimiga!  
Key Features:
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*   Original (320x240) graphics and upgraded “HD” graphics  
*   Remastered music as well as the original soundtrack  
*   Mix-and-match new/old artwork and music!  
*   Six new play modes (including Wind Fortress, Boss Rush and more!)  
*   Over 20 epic boss battles through Mimiga Island  
*   15 levels to explore in the vast world  
*   10 unique weapons to find and upgrade  
*   USB controller compatibility  
*   Four unique endings  
*   Future content updates

Release date: Nov 22, 2011

Categories: Action Platformer, Metroidvania, 2D Platformer, Side-scrolling Shooter, Boss Rush, Exploration, Multiple Endings, Weapon Customization


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging and deep storytelling (weight 0.98): The game features a highly praised narrative with unique, touching, and complex storylines, multiple endings, and well-developed characters. Players consistently highlight its emotional depth and immersive storytelling.
- Highly enjoyable and polished gameplay (weight 0.87): The gameplay is frequently described as engaging, well-crafted, and balanced, with a strong focus on combat, platforming, and exploration. Players appreciate its tight mechanics and variety of scenarios.
- High replayability with multiple endings (weight 0.78): The game offers significant replay value through multiple endings, hidden secrets, challenge modes, and diverse weapon choices. Players are encouraged to explore different playstyles and outcomes.
- Nostalgic and timeless appeal (weight 0.62): The game evokes strong nostalgia for classic platformers and retro-style games, with many players noting its enduring quality and emotional connection, even decades after release.
- Influential indie masterpiece (weight 0.31): The game is recognized as a pioneer in the indie game scene, with many players and critics considering it a classic or masterpiece that set standards for the genre.
- Well-executed remaster and visuals (weight 0.27): The remastered version is praised for its improved graphics, redrawn visuals, and enhanced soundtrack while retaining the charm and artistic style of the original game.
- Exceptional soundtrack and audio (weight 0.27): The soundtrack is widely praised for its emotional depth, memorability, and cohesive integration with the game’s atmosphere. Players highlight its melancholic, epic, and catchy compositions.
- Challenging and satisfying boss fights (weight 0.23): Boss battles are noted for their strategic depth, fairness, and variety. Players enjoy the challenge and the requirement to adapt weapon choices and tactics to overcome them.
- Charming and memorable characters (weight 0.21): The game’s characters are consistently described as cute, engaging, and well-designed, with strong personalities and dialogue that enhance the overall experience.
- Single-developer passion project (weight 0.15): The game’s creation by a single developer is highlighted as an impressive feat, showcasing creativity, technical skill, and dedication across all aspects of development.

Common complaints:
- Extreme late-game difficulty spikes (weight 0.6): Players report sudden and punishing difficulty spikes in the final levels and boss fights, including consecutive boss battles without healing or save points. The disparity between difficulty modes is also criticized as extreme.
- Floaty and slippery platforming controls (weight 0.43): The platforming mechanics are criticized for being floaty, slippery, and imprecise, with issues like wild inertia and camera interference making precision jumps frustrating.
- Poorly optimized and buggy port (weight 0.38): The PC port suffers from technical issues like constant crashing, poor optimization, and resolution problems. Players describe it as a 'disaster' or 'botched' implementation.
- Broken or inconsistent achievements (weight 0.33): Achievements frequently fail to unlock, even for valid in-game actions, and save files may disappear despite achievements being recorded. Cloud saves are also missing, risking progress loss.
- Obscure and unfair ending requirements (weight 0.27): Achieving the best or true ending is described as nearly impossible without a guide due to unintuitive, counterintuitive, or obscure requirements. Players feel locked out of content unfairly.
- Limited language and localization issues (weight 0.21): Language settings are incomplete or non-functional, with issues like Spanish translation missing or Japanese settings not applying. Some achievements are also language-locked.
- Controversial pricing for remaster (weight 0.14): The game's price is criticized as too high for a remaster of a free game, especially given the lack of significant improvements or updates in the paid version.
- Unskippable cutscenes and dialogues (weight 0.14): Players are frustrated by the inability to skip long dialogues or cutscenes, especially before boss fights, which exacerbates difficulty-related rage.
- Punishing weapon downgrade system (weight 0.13): The weapon leveling system is criticized for being punishing, as getting hit reduces weapon levels, making progression tedious. Some enemies also downgrade weapons without XP drops.
- Inconvenient save system (weight 0.13): Save points are poorly placed, and the lack of multiple save slots or mid-game selection forces players to replay sections, increasing frustration.
- Lack of updates and publisher support (weight 0.13): The Steam version is described as abandoned, with no updates or improvements despite being a 20-year-old game. Players feel the publisher has neglected the port.

Gameplay feedback:
- Dynamic weapon leveling system (weight 0.62): The game features a weapon upgrade system where weapons level up (max level 3) by collecting experience-like triangles from enemies. However, taking damage causes weapons to downgrade, adding a risk/reward mechanic to combat and movement.
- Platforming with fluid but slippery mechanics (weight 0.59): The game blends fast-paced platforming with run-and-gun elements, though some players note floaty or slippery controls, particularly in precision jumps or collapsing environments. Movement mechanics are central to gameplay.
- Metroidvania-style exploration (weight 0.49): The game incorporates non-linear progression, minimal backtracking, and exploration-driven rewards, though some reviewers debate its classification as a full Metroidvania. It leans toward action-platforming with light RPG elements.
- Adjustable but challenging difficulty (weight 0.48): Difficulty settings (e.g., easy, normal, hard) cater to varied skill levels, but even 'easy' mode can feel punishing. Late-game spikes and hard modes (e.g., 'brutally hard') target experienced players, with early choices affecting progression.
- Retro-inspired 2D action-adventure (weight 0.48): The game adopts a pixel-art style and side-scrolling mechanics reminiscent of classic titles like *Mega Man* or *Castlevania*, blending platforming, shooting, and light RPG elements.
- Boss fights with pattern learning (weight 0.43): Boss battles are frequent and varied, often requiring players to learn attack patterns or exploit specific weapons. Some bosses are cheesable with spammable attacks, while others feature multi-phase or bullet-heavy mechanics.
- Story-driven decisions with branching outcomes (weight 0.13): The game features a narrative with branching paths and memorable characters, where player choices influence endings and progression. However, storytelling is secondary to gameplay mechanics.
- Old-school save system limitations (weight 0.08): Save points are sparse and may have mid-game slot limitations, reflecting a retro design choice that can frustrate players during challenging sections.
- Combat-focused over exploration (weight 0.08): While exploration exists, the game prioritizes ranged combat, boss fights, and encounter-based progression over deep environmental storytelling or side quests.

Performance notes:
- Resolution and display issues (weight 0.17): Players report locked resolution settings causing black bars, manual adjustment requirements, and lack of wide-screen or modern monitor support. These issues affect visual clarity and immersion.
- Control customization limitations (weight 0.09): Users highlight problems with controller and keyboard support, including non-customizable control schemes. This restricts accessibility and player comfort.
- Window mode dysfunction (weight 0.07): Window mode fails to function properly, and resizing issues further degrade the user experience, limiting flexibility in display settings.
- Save file corruption (weight 0.04): Players report issues with save files, which can lead to lost progress and frustration, particularly in longer play sessions.
- Limited graphics options (weight 0.04): The game offers only two graphics presets (Old and Remastered), restricting players from fine-tuning visual quality to their hardware capabilities.
- Mod-related texture issues (weight 0.04): Mods negatively impact texture resolution, suggesting potential conflicts between modding tools and the game’s rendering system.
- Mid-range PC compatibility (weight 0.03): While some players report the game runs fine on mid-range PCs, this feedback is niche and does not address broader technical issues.

Recommendations:
- Must-play for metroidvania fans (weight 0.54): The game is highly recommended for fans of metroidvanias, retro aesthetics, and challenging gameplay. Its influence on modern indie games and nostalgic appeal make it a standout title in the genre.
- Freeware version preferred over Steam (weight 0.51): Many reviewers suggest playing the original freeware version instead of the Steam release due to perceived issues or lack of additional value in the paid version. Some even recommend alternative platforms like Switch.
- Use guides for optimal play (weight 0.23): Reviewers recommend using guides for unlocking the true ending, hidden elements, and navigating high-difficulty sections. Strategies like avoiding certain weapons or playing on easy mode first are also suggested.
- High difficulty may deter casuals (weight 0.21): The game’s challenging nature, particularly in later stages or hard modes, may not appeal to casual players. Some reviewers warn about difficulty spikes and lack of checkpoints.
- Alternative versions and mods (weight 0.17): Players are encouraged to try alternative versions like *doukutsu-rs* or mods for improved features such as widescreen support, smoother frame rates, and better controller compatibility.
- Support developers despite alternatives (weight 0.17): While the freeware version is widely praised, some reviewers emphasize the importance of financially supporting the developers by purchasing the official release, especially if additional content is valued.
- Accessible across platforms (weight 0.13): The game is available on multiple platforms (PC, Switch, 3DS, etc.), making it accessible to a wide audience. Its adaptability and depth are highlighted as key strengths.
- Emotional and nostalgic value (weight 0.12): Beyond gameplay, the game is praised for its emotional impact, nostalgic appeal, and experiential value. Some players plan to revisit it with future generations for its cultural significance.
- Best played with friends (weight 0.06): A few reviewers suggest playing the game with friends or sharing the experience, emphasizing its potential for communal enjoyment and discussion.

Other player notes:
- Original freeware version available (weight 0.32): The game was originally a free, single-developer project (by Pixel) before being remastered and monetized. Many players reference the free version as a key part of its history and appeal.
- Multiple graphics and audio options (weight 0.22): The remastered version offers customizable visual styles (e.g., old vs. remastered) and soundtracks (original, remastered, new), catering to both nostalgic and modern preferences.
- Cult classic indie game status (weight 0.14): Widely regarded as a foundational indie game, inspiring speedrunners and other developers. Its legacy is tied to its single-developer origins and innovative design.
- Community-driven technical workarounds (weight 0.13): Players rely on unofficial solutions like translation patches, controller support workarounds, and alternative engines (e.g., doukutsu.rs) to enhance accessibility.
- Support for original developer (weight 0.11): Many players purchased the game to support Pixel, the original creator, or to back related projects like *Kero Blaster*, despite controversies around the publisher (Nicalis).
- New features in remastered versions (weight 0.09): The '+' version introduced challenge modes, local co-op, difficulty options, and visual/audio improvements, expanding the original gameplay experience.
- Minor bug fixes and platform support (weight 0.06): The remaster includes fixes (e.g., achievement unlocking) and decent native support for platforms like Linux, though some issues persist.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Players frequently cite technical issues such as constant crashing, poor optimization, and save file corruption as major sources of frustration. Additionally, the game's difficulty spikes—particularly in platforming sections, boss fights, and strict true ending conditions—are exacerbated by unintuitive mechanics, slippery controls, and poorly placed checkpoints.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.13): The game evokes strong nostalgia due to its retro aesthetic, pixel art, and 8-bit/16-bit era gameplay, resonating with players who have personal histories with the original freeware version or classic titles. Many reviewers highlight childhood memories, long-term emotional connections, and the game's enduring influence on the indie scene as key factors.
- Disappointment (weight 0.1): Players express disappointment primarily due to the game's poor port quality, including resolution issues, lack of cloud saves, and compatibility problems with modern systems. Additionally, the game's outdated mechanics, linear design (despite Metroidvania marketing), and lack of meaningful updates or refinements fail to meet expectations for a timeless classic.
- Admiration (weight 0.09): Reviewers admire the game for its historical significance, innovative design, and the fact that it was created by a single developer. The narrative depth, level design, soundtrack, and overall cohesion of the game's elements are frequently praised, along with its lasting impact on the indie gaming industry.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.08): Players derive satisfaction from overcoming the game's challenges, such as difficult bosses, platforming sections, and achieving true endings. The polished gameplay, rewarding exploration, and the sense of accomplishment from mastering mechanics or completing the story contribute to a fulfilling experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): The game's fun and engaging gameplay loop, unique combat mechanics, and storytelling are key sources of enjoyment. Players appreciate the replayability, music, and overall quality of the experience, even when acknowledging minor flaws.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement stems from the game's engaging combat, thruster mechanics, and boss battles, as well as the thrill of uncovering hidden secrets, alternate story paths, and diverse levels. The depth of the narrative and exploration elements also heightens player engagement.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's immersive design, passion-driven development, and historical significance in the indie scene. Specific enhancements like remastered music, graphics, and quality-of-life fixes, as well as the story depth and weapon variety, are frequently highlighted.
- Joy (weight 0.02): The game brings joy through its charming characters, enjoyable platforming, intuitive combat, and nostalgic revisits. Players describe a fun and heartwarming experience from start to finish, often tied to reliving past memories or discovering new secrets.
- Awe (weight 0.02): Reviewers express awe at the game's scope, quality, and emotional depth, particularly given its creation by a single developer. The soundtrack's impact, the hidden complexity beneath its pixel-art exterior, and its influence on the indie genre are often cited as sources of inspiration.
- Recommendation (weight 0.02): Players recommend the game based on personal enjoyment, nostalgia, and its suitability for fans of classic platformers or indie games. Some suggest specific versions for a better experience or encourage others to explore the game's lore and secrets.
- Love (weight 0.02): The game inspires deep emotional attachment due to its nostalgic feel, memorable characters, and overall depth. Players describe it as a favorite despite its flaws, often citing a lifelong connection or admiration for its design and storytelling.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Minor annoyances include poorly designed mechanics like sliding physics, unclear interactable objects, and slippery controls. Some players also express frustration with the lack of publisher support or poorly placed save points.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players report confusion due to unintuitive mechanics, non-obvious puzzles, and unclear level design (e.g., the blast door section). Technical issues like stretched resolution or lack of guidance also contribute to a disorienting experience.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude arises from overcoming challenging obstacles, discovering unique gameplay moments, or appreciating the nostalgic value the game provides. Some players also thank the community for mods or tips that enhanced their experience.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is directed at the publisher's actions, poor design choices (e.g., character portrayals or unfair mechanics), or frustration with Nicalis. Some players uninstalled the game due to unresolved issues or perceived disrespect for the original work.
- Affection (weight 0.01): Players express affection for the game's characters (e.g., Curly Brace), music, and overall design, often describing it as a beloved friend or a significant part of their gaming history. The emotional connection extends beyond nostalgia to genuine fondness.
- Curiosity (weight 0.01): Curiosity is sparked by the game's mysterious lore, tragic backstories, and hidden secrets. Players often mention needing guides to uncover endings or explore unique details, such as the origins of robots or alternate story paths.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): The game's story, characters, and gameplay mechanics keep players deeply engaged, often leading to lost track of time. The immersive experience is driven by a combination of narrative depth and challenging design.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is evident in strong recommendations, praise for unique mechanics, and personal passion for the game. Players often express excitement about owning multiple copies or sharing the experience with others.}