Cave Story 3D for Nintendo 3DS Reviews & Ratings by IGN

Cave Story represents a great achievement in gaming - a lovingly nostalgic return to the 8-bit Golden Age, when solid gameplay, well-hidden secrets and incomparable charm got a whole generation of gamers addicted to the medium. A passion project originally created by just one man who goes by the name of Pixel, the game captured the pioneering spirit of the NES days, resulting in an experience that was no less than a modern-day classic.





Originally released as a free PC download, this cult favorite later went on - quite deservedly - to become a paid title, going for 1,200 Wii points (the equivalent of $12) on WiiWare and for $10 on DSiWare. Now the game has finally made it to store shelves, getting a full 3DS makeover and its first retail release. But does the added 3D effect and a handful of new Easter eggs justify the lofty price tag? That answer will be different for everyone.



The premise of Cave Story is one of the game's stronger points. Gripping, mysterious and full of clever twists and turns, Cave Story throws you in the shoes of a nameless main character who awakens in a cave with no memory of who he is or anything that happened before that moment. His identity is one of several alluring mysteries woven into the impressive narrative - one that's full of memorable, lovable characters and plenty of charm.



The gameplay itself is as engaging as ever. You'll find it's nearly untouched from the original - which, as anyone who played the old version should know, is a good thing. A side-scrolling platformer, now with 3D adding depth to the background, you use a variety of weapons to progress your main character from one area to the next, unraveling the story as you go. With a variety of different choices your character can make, often ones you don't even realize you're making until it's too late, the story can unravel in a number of ways, making for impressive replay value.



But we already know the game itself is great - we've known that for almost seven years now. The question is whether this 3DS remake does the game justice, and whether it's worth forking over the cash for a full-priced game to relive this experience in 3D. Sometimes 3D remakes help a game achieve its original vision, or expand the world enough so as to make this return visit worthwhile. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Star Fox 64 3D are great examples of this. But to be honest, Cave Story was already fully realized as a 2D sprite game, and the 3D effect doesn't so much add to the experience as it does add a new perspective to it, one that is oftentimes not up to par with the original vision.



You see, Cave Story was specifically designed as a 2D game - everything about the world and the gameplay are centered on this. While Pixel himself helped reimagine the game with the added 3D depth, some of the charm of the original was unfortunately lost in translation. The colors aren't quite as vibrant, and some of the more muted color schemes are actually so dark at times as to make the game hard to see with the 3D turned on. The 3D effect can also make it more difficult to tell where your character is in relation to the stage at times. The game is by no means broken, nothing close, but these small grievances occurred often enough as to make me long for the original version, which is also on my 3DS, and which I never experienced this problem with.



Don't get me wrong. Cave Story 3D is still a wonderful translation of the game. The new artwork is quite beautiful, and the 3D effect gives you a new take on the world, even if it's not always ideal from a gameplay perspective. Fans of the original will also love unearthing the new hidden Easter eggs (including a certain NIS character you can unlock in the game and a special, hard-to-get new weapon). But given the few problems the 3D translation adds, and that the ideal, arguably more charming version of the game is available for far cheaper on the same system, the whole experience is hard to fully recommend to all but the most dedicated Cave Story fans.

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