Friends of the classic 2D Jump and Runs should pay attention to this one. Whoever likes Oldskool-Games like (Super) Metroid, Castlevania or the Mario series is going to love Cave Story aka Doukutsu Monogatari (Jap. working title). There are some factors that speak for downloading this just 1Mb small package. In the following lines i'm going to explain why i was so impressed by the game.
Standin in darkness - the story
As dark as the cave where your adventure starts is the historical background of your initially nameless hero. You wake up in a cave, completely without any memories and go on a quest for your past. Very early you'll get known to the "Mimiga" race, which is being oppressed by a ominous doctors who's not hesitating to capture those friendly creatures in order to do brutal experiments on em. Therefore you get between the line of confrontation very early, experiencing a very well told story that narrates your place in this war as well as your heritage and background
Flawless - the presentation
The whole story is filledwith fun packed cutscenes and gets rounded by an excellent, funny anime-style as well as a gorgeous soundtrack. Sometimes its even hard to believe what's even possible with a small 320x200 resolution. Especially mentionworthy is the fact that the game grants you different endings, influenced by the amount of secrets and tasks you fulfull during the game thus greatly influencing your later choice of powerups and weapons. In addition to that theres a variety of eastereggs just waiting to be found. Re-Play value assured! Regarding Gameplay you can talk about "perfection". The controls are precise and smooth, the weapons and the power-up system motivating. The difficulty level constantly increases, so you will have enough Challenges in late game. The boss fights being typical for that kinda game are numerous. They are demanding but rarely frustrating. Every boss has an attack pattern that you can see through easly after some practise.
Conclusion:
That game is FREEWARE - everyone who isn't an absolute anime or platform game-hater should go and download this gem RIGHT NOW. For the unpacked 5 Mb you get hours of good entertainment. And replayvalue is a given because various gimmiks and endings as well as the affectionate presentation keep you busy even after weeks of play.
