Apr 9 - Apr 15

Why do you think that people say the best things in life are free? Well, I discovered one answer in early 2004 when I learned of a game that was the fruit of five long years of development by Daisuke Amaya during his spare time.

This free game turned into a classic, won him universal acclaim and has given him god-like status in the gaming world.

So if you are you one of those people who only use their PC for e-mail, presentations or surfing the net well, that was before you played this game! So please make sure that you have some time in your hands because you won't feel like quitting this game once you've started!

CAVE STORY

• Graphics & Sound: If you have not played Cave Story don't be put off by its 16-bit graphics. If so, you will be missing out on a game that manages to be great without fancy graphics. And that music, well, just fits in with the atmosphere so perfectly and makes the game alive at many key points throughout the story!

• Characters: Don't think that the in-game characters are cutesy. This game has truely memorable characters, who mirror your feelings and personality. The game also has some of the most amazing and diverse villains that you will encounter anywhere.

• Story: No, I won't spill the beans, just accept that the script is created by a Japanese who is noted for creating the most complex, well written and realistic drama and dialogs, with an engaging plot. The story is a treat as much as the game play itself and there are three endings to the game, "bad", "regular" and "best"—one of the strongest features of the game.

• Level Design: Cave Story undeniably has the best level design of any game I've played! It is near perfect. You need to have brilliant reflexes combined with twitchy fingers and a good grip on the controls to escape unhurt in this game.

• Difficulty: The difficulty level is pretty amazing. Not only do the opponents get stronger in each cave, the level design makes it tricky to knock them down. In particular the "bosses" are quite challenging, and you'll face hellish battles with them throughout the game. This accounts for great re-play value and why you will be challenged to complete it.

• Gameplay: Once you're into the game, I warn you that you will never feel like getting out of it. It's full of exploration, level-ups, items, guns and dialogs for the best (and unique) platformer-cum-action game experience! It's a lot similar to Metroid and Castlevania series but with much better scope.

• Weapons: Cave Story has a great weapon line-up and a unique system to upgrade each of them. There are about 10 different in-game weapons, unique in their own way in power and mobility. There is also a trading system for exchanging weapons.

• Items: The game is well stocked with secrets and tons of items that you can find. One of them is the "map"—I would recommend that you should use it regularly to locate hidden items. Certain items, like the booster 2.0, will let you fly through the mid air and give you access to secret stages in the game.

CONCLUSION

I don't have anything else to add than that you just need to play this game to know why this can be considered as one the best games ever made, with a deep and gripping storyline, multiple endings, amazing gameplay and great action! Try it out and I am pretty sure you will find it to be one of your treasured gaming experiences.

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