Topic: Indie games (Cave Story is the best)

[tendoboy1984]

I've played through the DSi and Wii versions of Cave Story, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The 8-bit music, Sega Genesis-style graphics, open world, story, controls, weapons, bosses... Everything about it is amazing.

Hopefully Pixel and Nicalis make a "Cave Story 2" someday. But knowing Nicalis' record for delaying projects, it won't come out until 2020...

What exactly is new about the Steam/3DS Cave Story+ port? And is Cave Story 3D worth getting for the 3D graphics and remixed music?

[Oblivion]

Actually, I think To The Moon was just a bit better.

[tendoboy1984]

Never played it.


By the way, what's with all the praise for Braid? Is it really the pinnacle of indie games like so many people claimed?

[TJ Spyke]

Braid is vastly over-rated, and I am not the only one that thinks that. It's alright, but there are far better indie games out (and even when it came out, there were better indie games). I think the $15 price point is too high, even $10 would be pushing it.

[Luigi Dude]

I might have agreed Cave Story was the best indie game if it wasn't for the bullshit true final area Hell.  I'm sorry, but having to go through a long and extremely challenging final area to then fight a hard final boss,only to have to repeat it all over again from the very start of area if you die is complete tedious bullshit that was terrible when the original Ninja Gaiden did it and is still terrible now.  There should have been a save point before the real final boss and it's 100% inexcusable that there isn't.

Yeah I know it's an optional final area but I want to fight the real villain and get the true ending damnit.  The rest of the game was fair with how they gave save points before the bosses, so why do they decide to be cheap assholes in the true final area and not give you any?  Just pisses me of and is the reason I'll never replay the game ever again, despite really liking everything in the game before that.

[broodwars]

I personally find Cave Story incredibly overrated, as it's a game I rapidly lost interest in after a few hours and just can't muster up the interest to pick up again.  I don't know what Indie games I'd classify as "better" off the top of my head, but I know I've enjoyed Indie titles like Retro/Grade, Dust: An Elysian Tale (yes, I consider that "Indie". It was published by Microsoft eventually, but it was made almost entirely by one guy), Limbo, the Bit.Trip games, etc. far more.  Sure, they're all less ambitious in scope with what they're trying to do, but I had a lot more fun with them.

[tendoboy1984]

Why are so many indie games on mobile devices "casual" games? You don't see games like Cave Story, Limbo, OutLand, Mighty Switch Force, VVVVVV, etc. on iOS or Android. Most of the indie games on mobile devices are overly-simplistic crap like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, bubble shooters (think Bust A Move), etc.

Why can't indie developers be more creative with their mobile games like they are on PC and consoles?

[TJ Spyke]

Angry Birds is not crap.

And there are plenty of hardcore indie game in mobile devices. There are just so many games to choose from you are focusing on the more casual ones (which are often very good).

[tendoboy1984]

Angry Birds is not crap.

And there are plenty of hardcore indie game in mobile devices. There are just so many games to choose from you are focusing on the more casual ones (which are often very good).

I've played Angry Birds dozens of times. They finally changed up the formula with Angry Birds Space, but I still think the games are boring.

[Pixelated Pixies]

Braid is vastly over-rated, and I am not the only one that thinks that. It's alright, but there are far better indie games out (and even when it came out, there were better indie games). I think the $15 price point is too high, even $10 would be pushing it.

I agree 100%. I would even go a little further and say it wasn't a good game, but I'm perhaps in the minority on that one.
 
Cave Story, however, was amazing. I've played the WiiWare version at least 3 times. It's the type of game I can keep going back to.
 
I'm also really enjoying/hating (I haven't made my mind up yet) La Mulana. If you're into soul destroying difficulty and self flagellation then it's a really interesting title. I'm going to have to put it down for a few days though because I think I'm developing a twitch.

[NWR_insanolord]

I haven't played Cave Story yet. At this point I'm waiting for the 3DS eShop release, since I'd rather play it on a handheld and would also rather have the enhancements the DSiWare version didn't have.

As far as indie games go, I'm a huge fan of Super Meat Boy. I love me some old school style platforming, and that game brings a ton of it, with brutal but fair difficulty.

[KDR_11k]

If you want a real face-full of indie go install Desura and browse that thing's games catalog. Think Greenlight looks exotic? Pretty much anything on there that's in a releasable form is available on Desura. Currently I play Bunny Must Die (it finally got translated!) and Gentrieve 2, both Metroidvanias, on there. The Binding of Isaac and FTL are among the greatest games out there (of course available on Steam too).

AI War (singleplayer/coop RTS) has started to move again with the Ancient Shadows expansion that introduces hero units and special missions to take them onto. As always you can enter the alpha/beta/whateveryouwannacallit by buying it now and installing it on your base game.

A Valley Without Wind (Actraiser x Metroidvania) is undergoing a total rework that re-implements pretty much all mechanics of the old game (while removing some altogether and adding new ones) to build something that's more coherent. It's also getting completely redone art (this time not programmer art). The result will be AVWW 2 but anyone who owns 1 gets 2 for free. The changes are so major they didn't want to completely replace the current game (as a patch would) but they also didn't want to charge existing owners again.

The last Indie Uprising on XBLIG wasn't all that great but I guess these things just aren't as good as they're hyped up to be in advance. The guy who organized the Uprising also contributed the worst game, you might suspect that he organized it just to piggyback onto the quality of the other games. Anyway, I only picked up Xenominer so far. It's unfortunately a completely peaceful Minecraft clone but at least it has a programmable bot to handle repetitive tasks. I just wish it could be upgraded to be faster or cloned to have more bots.

Why are so many indie games on mobile devices "casual" games? You don't see games like Cave Story, Limbo, OutLand, Mighty Switch Force, VVVVVV, etc. on iOS or Android. Most of the indie games on mobile devices are overly-simplistic crap like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, bubble shooters (think Bust A Move), etc.

Why can't indie developers be more creative with their mobile games like they are on PC and consoles?

Because people turn into a pile of casuals when they pull their phones out and start ignoring anything that doesn't fit the casual template. Try Mission Europa (it's ugly but that kinda fits its setting) or Star Traders RPG.

Also quit treating your opinion as some kind of universal truth and the only interesting fact about a huge swath of gaming.

[Stogi]

Aquaria is my favorite indie game, but reluctantly, I haven't played many.

It's a Metriod/Zelda like game that takes place almost entirely underwater. It has giant creative bosses (except for one that pissed me off - though he was entirely optional), beautiful scenery and music (actually the game's main component uses music), and an actually decent story.

I suggest you guys check it out. It's part of the Humble Indie bundle.

[KDR_11k]

Oh right, I guess I need to dig that back up again.

[Spak-Spang]

I just bought it for ipad....Aquaria...and I like the game, thought the controls are weird to say the least.  I just started the game...and I must admit it is the first game that game me the same feeling of Metroid's big world and feeling utterly alone...however, the narrators voice is annoying...but also useful for telling the story quickly.

[Stogi]

Yeah, I didn't mind the narrator, but either way she only pops up every now and then.