cave-story
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Cave Story coming to European 3DS eShop on May 1, Australia eventually
European 3DS owners are still waiting for 2D action adventurer Cave Story to reach their 3DS eShop? Oh no, oh no, oh no! Nah, just kidding, it'll be okay - Nicalis tweeted a May 1 release date for the European eShop this week, along with the above homage to a conceptually-terrifying drink mascot. A price was not provided, though Nicalis told a fan that exact details should be available sometime next week. Nicalis also confirmed that Cave Story will eventually make it to the Australian 3DS eShop, though a release window was not shared for that version. Still, eventual Cave Story is better than no Cave Story.
Steam deals: Stealth Bastard, Closure, Snapshot, more this week
This week, Steam is discounting a dozen different indie games. Stealth Bastard Deluxe, a fast-paced 2D stealth game from Curve Studios, is a tempting $4.99. Closure, the dark platformer from Eyebrow Interactive, is a mere $3.39 – definitely worth the pittance. Snapshot is also $3.39, a puzzle platformer from Kyle Pulver built upon an inventive photography mechanic. Retrovirus is half-off at $10, a shooter where players guide a ship through a computer system to eradicate a virus. Turret-based strategy game Sol Survivor is next on the list, down to $2.49 for the remainder of the sale. Spark Unlimited's Legendary, a shooter based on the Pandora's Box myth, joins the sale soiree for $1.24; Nikopal: Secrets of the Immortals is also $1.24, a 3D adventure game set in France during the year 2023. BC Kings, also $1.24, is s a strategy game set in the stone age. The final three games rounding out the list are: Puzzle Kingdoms for $3.74, a game from the creators of Puzzle Quest in very much the same vein; 4 Elements, a color-matching game from Playrix Entertainment set in a fantasy world, for $2; and Cave Story+ for $4.99, Nicalis' port of Daisuke Amaya's lauded platform-adventure game. All of these games are on sale until May 6 at 10am PT.
Cave Story dev's Guxt rated for 3DS, will include vertical display mode
As Cave Story designer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya told us in an interview last March, he's been working on a version of his vertical scrolling shmup Guxt for the 3DS, and Nicalis, who's publishing the game, has just tweeted recently that it's been rated by the ESRB and is ready to go. You can download and play the game online for free on the PC right now, though the game will be updated for Nintendo's handheld for sure.One of the game's producers has tweeted that the title will have a "vertical display mode", so players will be able to tilt the 3DS to hold it vertically, and see the game on a correctly-aligned screen, rather than having a bar running through the middle of the action. Unfortunately, there's no word on exactly when the game will arrive, but considering it's been in development for a while., "soon" is probably the answer you're looking for. Stay tuned.
Cave Story pre-emptively rated for additional platforms
Last week, Cave Story's ESRB rating was updated to include new platforms: PS2, PS3, Vita, and Xbox 360 in addition to the existing 3DS, DSi, Wii, and PSP ratings. We contacted developer and publisher Nicalis to determine whether to expect Cave Story on even more platforms than it's already on.In short, no. The ESRB ratings are not indication of definite plans. "We submitted all the consoles so that we wouldn't have to resubmit in the future," producer Tyrone Rodriguez told Joystiq, "IF [emphasis his] we ever decided to bring to those consoles."The good news is that you are very likely to already have a platform to play Cave Story on.
NintendoWare Weekly: NSMB2 DLC, Cave Story, tons more
There is entirely too much going on on the 3DS eShop this week. The New Super Mario Bros. 2 DLC is here, of course, and Pokemon Dream Radar shows up later on this week. Retail games Crosswords Plus and Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone launched digitally on Monday (and offer free access to Donkey Kong: Original Edition when bought on the eShop).In addition, Cave Story is out on eShop, and it's a great port. In addition, Dr. Mario arrives on Virtual Console, there's a demo for Style Savvy: Trendsetters, and a new game called Samurai G is there as well.
Portabliss: Cave Story (3DS eShop)
This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go. In discussing any specific version of Cave Story, it's not particularly useful to evaluate it on its gameplay merits. Any version you pick up is going to be great on those terms. Even if you're playing it with a keyboard on PC, the controls are going to be responsive and movement is just going to be fun. It's one of the best Metroidvania-style games on any platform, and the release of a new version is just another excuse to try it. So try it!What is more useful than evaluating each new version is unpacking the differences between the many, many versions. With that in mind, the new Cave Story for the 3DS on eShop is Cave Story in 3D, but it is not Cave Story 3D.%Gallery-167055%
Cave Story's 3D revamp comes to eShop on October 4
Cave Story comes to the 3DS eShop next month, developer Nicalis tells us. The indie darling's revamp becomes available for download on October 4 for $9.99.Not to be confused with 3DS game Cave Story 3D, this is effectively Cave Story+ minus the HD art and music that came to the Steam game. What the eShop version does include is all its sprites rendered in multi-layered 3D, the extra challenge modes, and widescreen support. Meanwhile, DSi owners aren't left out as a 2D version is also coming to DSiWare.%Gallery-165330%
Cave Story+ hits the 3DS eShop soon, separate from Cave Story 3D
Cave Story+, an updated and 3D version of indie classic Cave Story, is slated to hit the 3DS eShop "in a month or so," developer and Nicalis CEO Tyrone Rodriguez told Destructoid. Cave Story+ is a remade, separate game from DSiWare's Cave Story 3D, not an update, meaning even those who own Cave Story 3D will have to purchase Cave Story+ new."I fought really hard to try to get it to be just a 'simple' update; I feel that Nintendo wanted the same thing too, but the logistics behind it are pretty huge," Rodriguez said. "The good thing is that if you already bought the DSiWare version on your 3DS and ever delete it, you'll still be able to download it. The update won't stop you from playing the prior version of the game."A version of Cave Story+ launched on Steam last year, but the 3DS version will be different even from that iteration, Rodriguez said. The eShop version can't handle the Steam HD art or new music, but the sprites will be rendered in 3D, set to the beat of the original soundtrack.Rodriguez teased a Steam update for Cave Story+ as well, saying, "You already know about the Cave Story+ Steam updates we have planned? How do online leaderboards for the challenges sound?" Sounds great, Rodriguez. Just great.
Cave Story DSiWare still headed to Europe, but delayed
Cave Story hitting DSiWare in North America over a year ago, but Europe is still waiting for an official release. It looks like the region will go without the delightful title a little longer, as it has failed certification with Nintendo of Europe. Responding to a question on Twitter, developer Nicalis noted that Cave Story was submitted to NOE in December but failed because of "some really minor crap with the manual." Nicalis hopes to submit the game yet again sometime this month. Keep the faith, European Cave Story fans! Or you could always pick up the 3DS version.
Humble Indie Bundle 4 adds free soundtracks for every game
Er, not every game ever -- that'd be impossible, you guys. We're talking soundtracks for every game in the fourth Humble Indie Bundle: Gratuitous Space Battles, Cave Story+, Jamestown, Bit.Trip Runner, Super Meat Boy, Shank and Nightsky HD. The soundtracks are free to anyone who pays above the current average for the Bundle and, as usual, to anyone who's already purchased the bundle. You can snag them in mp3 format or, in the case of Super Meat Boy and Nightsky HD, also in FLAC.
Deja Review: Cave Story 3D
Not even a semi-controversial visual makeover can keep me from loving Cave Story. I admit to being a bit worried upon seeing the first screens of the new 3DS remake, Cave Story 3D, developed by Nicalis in conjunction with original creator Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya. And I admit now that the new polygonal graphics lack the extreme charm of the original pixels. But Cave Story is a wonderful game on any platform, in any configuration. Those new graphics are there to sell the game to non-"core" gamers who see 2D art as archaic, and who have no pre-existing knowledge of the indie game scene or of Cave Story. The game still works with its new look. Besides, I was really, honestly impressed with the redone art in several areas. I enjoyed seeing the game reinterpreted, after seeing the original so, so many times.
Cave Story 3D screens come in all dimensional varieties
What're you looking for, folks? Screens of Cave Story 3D's titular three-dimensional display, complete with left-right screen splitting? We have those. Want some slightly less complicated images of the game's spritely 2D mode? You know we got your back. (And we always will.)
Cave Story+ out for the Mac App Store with new content
Cave Story is a freeware PC game that came out back in 2004, a 2D action platformer created by a one-man team named Pixel. Since then, it's come out on quite a few consoles (I've got it on my DSi, though it's on the Wii as well), and now it's available as Cave Story+ on the Mac App Store. The app is US$9.99 and available for download right now. Wait a minute, you might be asking: Why do we have to pay $10 for a game you just called freeware? Good question. The original PC title is still downloadable for free, but the Mac App Version is a plus version with new graphics and music created for the WiiWare upgrade, as well as a new level called the Wind Fortress. Pixel is also reportedly planning to add more content to the Mac App Store version in the future, and this is such a lovely and awesome game that it's worth supporting with a few bucks anyway. If you've never played Cave Story and you enjoy a good "Metroidvania" platformer, you're in for a treat this weekend. Go pick Cave Story+ up right now.
'Cave Story+' now available on Mac App Store, with new content
If you want to try out the updated version of Cave Story that hit WiiWare in 2009 -- but, like, on a computer -- you can do so right this second. Developer Nicalis has released Cave Story+ on the Mac App Store. Of course, Cave Story was originally a freeware game for PC, so why buy a computer version, beyond the positive feeling of giving Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya some compensation for his delightful game? This version includes the (optional) updated graphics and music from the WiiWare release, as well as a new "Wind Fortress" level designed by Amaya, with promises of more content updates in the future. Wind Fortress is "kind of tough, but features new enemies no one has seen," Nicalis producer Tyrone Rodriguez told Joystiq. A Steam version for PC will follow soon, the press release notes. And, of course, a fully 3D remake of Cave Story -- completely different from this 2D update -- is due for 3DS in November.%Gallery-132997%
Cave Story 3D includes 'expanded' stages and Prinny, but not original game
In an interview with Siliconera, NIS America producer Jack Niida hinted at a Prinny crossover in Cave Story 3D. "You can probably expect our most popular character in there. Aside from that, you might see him as an item, as well." Prinny is a shoo-in for NIS's most popular character, and it's been used in Cave Story 3D teaser images before (see above), so that's probably the dood in question. Niida also offered a bit more info about the expanded content in the 3D version, which Nicalis hinted at during our preview. "For the old time fans of Cave Story, there aren't brand new stages," he said, "but what we did for these stages is we expanded it. So, there is more to it than there was before. There are new areas to explore; long time fans will definitely see the difference." What won't be in Cave Story 3D is the original Cave Story. "That's one thing we were talking about too," he said, "but the problem was the amount of space on the card size. We sort of squeezed everything in and at this point we don't have enough space for it."
Cave Story 3D to feature dimension-defying 2D sprite mode
Torn between your love of the original Cave Story's beautifully pixel-drawn sprites and your excitement for Cave Story 3D's complete reinvention of the game's hovering island-world? You can now have your cave and eat it too: NIS America recently announced the game's 2D sprite mode, which takes the original, flat characters and enemies and places them in remodeled 3D environments, Paper Mario-style. Destructoid managed to get its hands on a pair of images of this double-dimensioned mode, one of which is posted above. Personally, we think it looks pretty gosh darn neat, though now we're going to have to worry about poor little Quote slipping through crevices in the cave floor. Guess it still beats getting squished by the wizard-king of Hell, but ... um, not by much.
Cave Story 3D dated once again, coming August 9
We saw one Cave Story 3D release date before, on Nintendo's quarterly release schedule, but that turns out to have been inaccurate -- or the game has been delayed since then. In any case, scratch out the "Cave Story day!!!" note you put on your calendar's June 19 box and rewrite it under August 9. NIS will release the game in Europe sometime in September. Along with announcing the date, NIS America released the box art image above, featuring protagonists Quote and Curly Brace checking out the 3DS logo on the side. The publisher also released a set of screenshots, each with a note that the game is "under development."%Gallery-122526%
Interview: Cave Story's salaryman designer, Daisuke 'Pixel' Amaya
Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya is one of just a few Japanese names in the indie gaming pantheon, after developing 2004's Cave Story entirely on his own as a labor of love. This year, he came to the Game Developers Conference to present a long-overdue postmortem about the development of Cave Story and to promote the upcoming 3DS remake, which he's working on with developer Nicalis and publisher NIS America. During this presentation, Amaya showed never-before-seen footage of a beta version of Cave Story, including locations, characters, and enemies that didn't make it into the beloved indie game. Soon after the presentation, we sat down with the game designer, and found out that despite the popularity of Cave Story, he still has a day job. For now. " I still work full time as a salaryman," Amaya told Joystiq, "but from April I'm going to be a full time developer." He explained that he planned to leave his job as a programmer for large-scale printing equipment a year ago, but "everybody was like 'are you really okay with developing games?' They weren't really sure if I could support myself." As he also had to train his replacement, his transition to full-time game designer was delayed. " I have a wife, I have kids, so [his co-workers] were a bit worried. It's not like they doubt my skill."
Cave Story before it was Cave Story
During his GDC talk "The Story of Cave Story," developer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya revealed that two years into the development of his 2004 indie hit, he scrapped his game design and started completely over. He then proceeded to show a video of this beta. This version is very different from what we eventually ended up playing. It featured not only Quote, but Sue and a frog prince as playable characters, each of whom takes over at a certain part of the story. The famous rectangular boss Balrog is present, but he's named "Puu" and has a much less expressive face. He's occasionally seen wearing a scuba mask or other facewear. He's joined by another soap-bar guy named Oscar, who can ... transform into an angry cloud that shoots lightning. And, of course, the level layouts were all different. Weapons aren't upgradable, and are only acquired by purchasing them from shops. The music, however, sounded like what made it into the final game. We hastily snapped some pictures of the video in motion, so you can get a glimpse of this unreleased version in our gallery below. The quality isn't great, because, well, it was a video playing on a projector.%Gallery-118452%
Best of the Rest: JC's picks of 2010
Dragon Quest IX DQIX is secretly two games: when you're playing through the main quest, it's a traditional JRPG with a light but interesting story populated by unexpectedly engaging characters and perfectly brisk pacing; then as you approach the end, it becomes a dungeon crawler driven by a dungeon map trading mechanic using the passive communication of the DS. How compelling is that "tag mode" mechanic? I can't think of any other game for which I would go hang out at a GameStop and then a Best Buy, but that's exactly what I did when Nintendo held DQIX events this summer. I needed those maps. That's how I know this is my favorite game of 2010.
