What is it?
The Story of Cave Story, with Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya
What did I expect?
A postmortem on critically acclaimed and wildly popular "doujin" game Cave Story, hosted by independent developer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya in his first public Western speaking appearance.
What did I learn?
-Cave Story was developed independently by Amaya, and was released in late 2004 as freeware after a four-year development cycle. It would eventually see an unofficial American release, localized into English by an American fan, and even later, official WiiWare and DSiWare ports.
-Amaya chose 2D visuals with 16x16 characters because independently programming the entire game in 3D was too much of a feat for one person. Instead, he opted for the retro 2D style, in hopes that Cave Story would appeal to a wider audience with its low system requirements. The 320x240 screen resolution also allowed Amaya to fit plenty of pixelated content on the screen, which would later help streamline the game's DSiWare port.
-Amaya cites five core elements as crucial to Cave Story's success, and to the success of all games in general: visuals, interactivity, sound effects, background music, and story.
-Amaya developed Cave Story's music production tool, the game's music, performance engines, sound effect production tool, and sound effects all by himself. He urged designers to experiment with sound, and use as many original sounds as possible -- especially in scenes where difficult on-screen animations can be portrayed with a simple sound. "Even if the visuals don't come through, sound can clearly convey a situation. The ears want just as much information as the eyes!"
-The re-occurring colors of red and white were crucial to making Cave Story's characters stand out at its low resolution. Similarly, the characters' heads were drawn large to make their expressions clearly visible to the player.
-Amaya made the main character an amnesiac in hopes of creating a connection between the player and the protagonist -- he hoped to synchronize the two by starting both off with no knowledge of the game's story or mechanics.
-He noted that players need story progression to keep them interested in the game, but players also need solid gameplay to keep them invested in the story.
-Amaya warned developers against letting players feel like they're being controlled by the game. He personally doesn't care for tutorial stages, which he feels patronize and control players unnaturally. He urges developers to make players feel like they've solved the game's problems on their own, which rewards them with a feeling of accomplishment.
Pull quotes:
-"The players may think that this is an old game, but this was the age that Cave Story was truly meant for." Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya
-"In the past, complex coding was necessary, but today's PCs make it easier, which is why I was able to make this all on my own with the help of computers and digital technology." Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya
-"I think we should avoid stereotypes. We need to make sure the characteristics and personality of each character can be understood." Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya
-"By changing the music, you still have the same scene, but the mood changes. Music changes the visuals, but without the visuals actually changing. Sounds speak to a person's heart." Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya
Source: Daily News from GamePro.com
Friday, March 4, 2011