Cave Story

Cave Story is a legendary platformer originally created as a freely available game by a single person, Japanese developer Daisuke Amaya working under the name Pixel, which years later received an official release on WiiWare. The player wakes up as a robot with no memories in the caves of a floating island and gradually uncovers the fate of its inhabitants, the rabbit-like Mimigas, and what a mysterious doctor intends to do with them. The story is surprisingly moving and carries several endings, the best of which requires attentiveness and well-timed decisions at moments when the game gives no hints at all.

The gameplay mixes precise action with exploration of interconnected areas. Weapons are upgraded by collecting energy crystals, but the hero loses part of their experience upon being hit, so every fight has weight, and the player learns to dodge blows instead of just soaking them up. The result is a system that rewards focus while also allowing different playstyles depending on which weapon a person prefers. The boss fights rank among the best-designed the genre has to offer, and the map opens up in a way reminiscent of classic metroidvanias with several optional areas on top.

The Wii version brought newly drawn graphics along with the option to switch back to the original pixel look, a remixed soundtrack with the same choice, and additional bonus modes including a playthrough as a different character and a time trial for record collectors. The music, which the author composed himself, ranks among the most memorable chiptune tracks ever and carries the whole mood of the game, which moves between toy-like cuteness and surprisingly dark themes. Critics received the release very well, and Cave Story became one of the icons of the independent scene, whose influence can be seen in dozens of later platformers. On Wii, it also reached an audience that had never heard of its original computer form, opening the way for other independent titles into console stores. It's still worth playing even after all these years.