Cave Story+: The Amnesiac Boy, the Mimigas, and a Cave Full of Secrets

Cave Story+ brings Daisuke Amaya's cult action-adventure to Windows with a layered presentation package. Developed by Nicalis, Inc. and Studio Pixel and published by Nicalis, the 2011 release sits somewhere between a remaster and a collected edition: it preserves the original 320x240 pixel art while also offering upgraded HD visuals, and it lets players mix and match old and new artwork and music. The official store description frames the action as running, jumping, shooting, flying and exploring through a massive adventure reminiscent of classic 8- and 16-bit games.

A Cave, a Boy, and a Village of Mimigas

The story begins with a quiet, amnesiac boy who wakes up in a dark cave with no memory of his name or origins. Uncovering Mimiga Village, he finds a race of innocent rabbit-like creatures called Mimigas in danger at the hands of a maniacal scientist. The player is tasked with learning the origins of the world's power, stopping the delusional villain, and saving the Mimigas.

A Simple Loop with Layered Systems

The core gameplay loop, as described in the official store description, is built on running, jumping, shooting, flying and exploring across Mimiga Island. Those five actions form a compact control vocabulary that scales from traversal to combat: the player runs and jumps through platforming areas, shoots enemies with collected weapons, and uses flight as part of the moment-to-moment movement and combat mix. The loop is punctuated by boss fights and exploration of the island's levels.

Ten Weapons to Find and Upgrade

Weapons are a central progression system. The game contains ten unique weapons to find and upgrade, which means collecting them is only part of the process; improving them is also part of the supported equipment path. Because the source description frames weapons as both hidden and upgradeable, players who explore thoroughly are likely to encounter more of the arsenal than those who stick to the critical path.

Fifteen Levels and Over Twenty Boss Battles

Exploration spans fifteen levels across Mimiga Island, linked by a hub-like structure centered on the Mimiga Village where the protagonist first learns about the crisis. Those levels contain over twenty epic boss battles. The combination suggests a rhythm of exploration, combat, and milestone encounters, with each level offering a stretch of action before a larger confrontation.

Play Modes Beyond the Main Story

Cave Story+ adds six new play modes on top of the main adventure, including Wind Fortress and Boss Rush. These are listed alongside other features, indicating that they are additional ways to engage with the combat and traversal systems rather than replacements for the core campaign. Details of each mode's rules, unlock conditions, and difficulty are not supplied in the source material.

Four Endings

The game supports four unique endings. This is the only progression-outcome detail provided in the source, and it implies that player choices or completion conditions affect how the story resolves. The specific triggers for each ending are not available in the supplied evidence.

Two Visual Identities in One Package

One of the distinguishing features of this edition is the ability to switch between original 320x240 graphics and upgraded HD graphics, and to mix and match artwork and music styles. This gives the package a dual identity: players can experience the game close to its original presentation or with the modernized visuals and audio.

Remastered and Original Soundtracks

Music follows the same dual approach as the art: the package includes both remastered music and the original soundtrack. Combined with the artwork toggle, this supports several presentation combinations, letting players tailor the aesthetic of the adventure to their preference.

Starting Guidance from the Source

The official description offers a clear starting frame: the player wakes in a dark cave and eventually uncovers Mimiga Village. From there, the objective expands to learning the origins of the world's power, stopping the maniacal scientist, and saving the Mimigas. A USB controller is compatible, so players who prefer gamepad input can use one; keyboard controls are not described in the source.

Edition and Platform Scope

This profile covers the 2011 Windows release of Cave Story+ from Nicalis, Inc. and Studio Pixel. The release year applies specifically to this Steam entry, not to the original 2004 freeware version of Cave Story or to other ports and re-releases, which are outside the scope of the supplied evidence. Future content updates are listed as a feature of the package.

First published Oct 12, 2026.