User:GiverOfThePeace/Is Cave Story A Metroidvania

Introduction

I have seen some people question why I put Cave Story in the Metroidvania category (along with Metroid itself, but that's for another post), and have been linked to a reddit post supposedly "debunking" Cave Story being a Metroivania. So let's check this out.

Starters

To start off we need to know what definition are we exactly going by to find out what exactly classifies as a Metroidvania. Using ]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metroidvania Wikipedia's definition]: "Metroidvania is a sub-genre of action-adventure games and/or platformers focused on guided non-linearity and utility-gated exploration and progression... These games usually feature a large interconnected world map the player can explore, although parts of the world will be inaccessible to the player until they acquire special items, tools, weapons, abilities, or knowledge within the game. Acquiring such improvements can also aid the player in defeating more difficult enemies and locating shortcuts and secret areas, and often includes retracing one's steps across the map. Through this, Metroidvania games include tighter integration of story and level design, careful design of levels and character controls to encourage exploration and experimentation, and a means for the player to become more invested in their player character through role-playing game elements. While early examples were usually two-dimensional side-scrolling platform games, the term has since been applied to top-down and 3D games."

So from what I've gathered here, Metroidvanias are games focused on non-linearity and uility-gated exploration and progression where you have a large interconnected world map to explore and parts of it will be inaccessible until specific items, tools, weapons, abilities, etcetera is obtained. Alright, so let's take a look now at why people don't view Cave Story as a Metoridvania.

The post I'm replying to by the way is this.

Argument #1

"I see many people claim that Cave Story is a metroidvania. And I straight up don't understand... how?

Is there an open, interconnected world? No, the game takes place across mostly linear levels, with Mimiga village serving as a central hub. You can, but have little reason to, revisit levels - but you can also do that in Super Mario World. Egg Corridor revisit doesn't count since it's not really the same level, it's replaced by a new version of the level in a scripted event.

Response #1

Cave Story has an open, interconnected world. You can use various checkpoints as shortcuts to return to different points on the map, as far as I remember, this is not something you can do in Super Mario World. Along with this the levels are linear in story progression but you as the player will not really know that on your first playthrough, hence the many people getting stuck and lost traveling through different areas. Along with this, games like Metroid Fusion are pretty linear due to their story focus, yet they are still Metroidvanias. There's also items you can get from revisting an area that you couldn't get prior when you have new items and equipment.

Argument #2

"Do you gradually gain new items and abilities that let you explore more if the world? No, the only real upgrade you get is Booster, but it's a one time deal. In fact, at one point, you can optionally gain a hidden jetpack-like weapon that lets you fly (Machine Gun). In an actual metroidvania this would result in a giant sequence break and breaking the game wide open... but here, all it does is make some platforming sections easier."

Response #2

This is a very weird argument because he admits that you do get a new upgrade that lets you explore more of the world but tries to say it's a one time deal...? Even if that's true, it's an item that lets you explore more of the world, one of the things required in a metroidvania. Also the Machine Gun resultig in sequence breaks doesn't really matter, does the screw attack suddenly make it where Metroid is no longer a Metroidvania because you can sequence break with it? Does the shine spark do that? No, so I wouldn't really count this. Funny that the machine gun is mentioned too since the weapon trade sidequest actually requires you to travel around the "non-linear" world to get the specific weapon you want, whether that be the machine gun, the spur, or the snake.

Argument #3

Is there at least emphasis on exploring? Not really. You are heavily rewarded for exploring, sure, but it's not strictly essential to beating the game. In a metroidvania, you can't progress without exploration. Instead of exploration, the game is driven by a scripted story.

Response #3

Being heavily rewarded for exploring is an emphasis on exploring. You get some of the best weapons in the game through exploring and backtracking. Which clearly someone would want the best weapon in a video game so naturally that's emphasizing you to explore. The game also gives you a map system to help you explore around the area too. His point on the Metroidvania makes no sense also, unless there's little story in a Metroidvnaia, you progress through a scripted story, which the progression would be exploration... Just like how you progress through Cave Story through exploring the different biomes.

Conclusion

So yeah the argument agaisnt Cave Story not being a metroidvania is pretty bad, Cave Story is a game with an open, interconnected world that can explored and certain parts are inaccessible without specific items or story progression. Cave Story would just be a very linear Metroidvania, just how Metroid Fusions is one. Here's some extra tibits for fun.

It's officially listed as a Metroidvania on its steam page, which according to Steam's FAQ, tags are something initially given to a page, so either it was initially given that tag or more then enough people put that tag in putting it on the official page, either way it's considered a Metroidvania on its steam page. There's also some old popular game journalism articles that list Cave Story as a Metroidvania. Obviously none of this is hard proof, this is just showing that it's generally regarded and agreed as a Metroidvania. The wikipedia page for Cave Story also lists it as such.

With how broad of a category Metroidvania is, I don't really see the appeal in trying to place a strange hard cap on what can or cannot be it, I just see Cave Story as a linear-type Metroidvania personally and I see it's well-regarded enough as one to where it will get the tag on the wiki.

This was posted 12/31/2024 btw so Happy New Years to those reading in 2025!