Developed by Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya over a period of 5 years, Cave Story is a throwback to classic 8-bit platformers like Metroid and Castlevania. Taking control of your typical silent hero, you explore a cave. By collecting weapons and powerups, you become stronger. The game’s storyline centers around a race of creatures that are apparently being subjugated. Although the game has been available as freeware since 2004, there are WiiWare and Steam versions of the game that add new gameplay features. A 3DS version is also available, but its $40 price tag is hard to justify with cheaper versions of the game available. However you get to play this game, please do so, as it is an excellent reminder of gaming’s glory age.

Anyone who has visited this site within the past few months knows that I am a huge proponent of the Independent Gaming scene. Heck, I listed it as one of the 5 reasons that it’s cool to be a gamer this past weekend, and four out of my last five $20 GOTWS have centered around independent games. This week’s $20 GOTW isn’t a game per se, but it’s a downloading client. Tiggit can best be described as Steam, but exclusively for freeware independent games. Installing games is as easy as a click, and you can try out demos of games that are available as retail such as Crayon Physics Deluxe and Darwinia. Currently there are close to 300 games including favorites such as Barkley: Shut Up and Jam Gaiden and Cave Story, and the database is updated frequently. Download it from tiggit.net.

In case the title didn’t clue you in, this independently developed game is a throwback to RogueLike RPGs of the past. Taking control of one of several classes (many of which are unlockable), you take on several quests through randomly generated dungeons. As the title implies, you’ll hack and slash monsters while looting goods. The controls are simple, as mouse clicks pretty much control everything. The game however, is not. You’ll die often. It’s fair to warn you upfront. If you think those games that Adam listed in this week’s Top 5 were hard, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Even so, this is an addictive kind of fun that only makes you want to press on even more with each defeat. It’s available for cheap on Steam, so check it out.

Payday, like Left 4 Dead, is a 4-player online co-op FPS that stresses teamwork. Except this time, you aren’t working together to survive the zombie apocalypse, you are teaming up in order to pull heists. You’ll run in, take and restrain hostages, shoot it out with law enforcement, and (provided everything goes well), escape with the money. Taking control of one of four criminals, you pull off a number of different heists. Although there are a small number of maps, the heists are generated randomly. If you die, your teammates have the option of exchanging a hostage in order to get you back. There are three skill trees you can upgrade, and several skills that you can unlock. The game has been supplemented with free content. There is a single player mode, but your computer controlled teammates are horrible, so online co-op is the way to go. The game doesn’t have a storyline, and at times the game seems rather unpolished. However, for a $20 downloadable title, you can do worse. This game is fun, and easy to get wrapped up in. In fact, I had to stop myself from screaming “GET THE @#$% DOWN NOW!!!!” while dealing with some hostages.

Raventhorne is another indie Xbox game, which brings back memories of games like Actraiser and Castlevania. This 2D side scroller cast players in the role of Raventhorne, a recently slain Viking cast who finds himself in the underworld. How was he killed and why is he not in Valhalla? This is for you to find out. Along with your fighting stances, you’ll make use of several magic spells, and you’ll level up as you go along. While there isn’t a lot of variety in the game’s enemies, the game’s combat mechanics and art style make it a must buy for indie gaming fans, especially since the game is only $1. With more independent games of this caliber, we might be seeing developer Milkstone Studios’s games on Xbox Live Arcade pretty soon.

These past few weeks have seen ‘gamers’ exhibit some of the worst and most embarrassing behavior seen in the fandom. Weather it’s sexual harassment of female fighting game players, angry fanboys spamming metacritic over Mass Effect 3’s dlc, or those same fanboys making the charity Child’s Play an unwitting endorser of their campaign to have Mass Effect 3’s ending changed (and spoiling it for everyone else who didn’t play through the whole game in a week in the process of doing so), it seems that the behavior of certain subsets of the gaming community are hellbent on reaffirming the stereotype of gamers being losers. With that said, I thought I might use this week’s $20 Free Game of the week to showcase gamers doing good. In fact, how about showing gamers assisting with the cure of diseases?
[Read the rest of this entry…]

Evilquest is yet another Xbox Live Indie title that deserves its time in the spotlight. Built in the vein of classic 8 and 16-bit Action-RPGS like Chrystalis and SoulBlazer, Evilquest brings back that retro action that you love. Of course, there is a twist; instead of playing the hero intent on saving the world, you play as the villain who wishes to destroy it. You play as a legendary dark knight who is thrown into prison after being betrayed by a subordinate. After escaping, you vow revenge, killing everyone in your way. Evilquest is easy to pick up and play, and of course you can build your character’s skill levels as you go along. For $1, Evilquest is an excellent throwback to the games of old, so check it out and support independent game developers.

Remember all those old school wrestling games like Wrestlefest, WWF Arcade, Sega Slam, and (more specifically) Nintendo’s Pro Wrestling? You know, how Pro Wrestling gaming used to be before we were spoiled with games like WWF Attitude, WCW/NWO Revenge, No Mercy, Fire Pro Wrestling Returns, and Smackdown vs Raw? Well Xbox 360 Indie developer Action has bought back that retro feel thanks to Action Arcade Wrestling. It’s got a small, but varied selection of wrestlers, and it’s easy to pick up and play. You can even edit your own wrestlers and arenas. There are several match types available including steel cage and tag team. While it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of other wrestling games, it does bring back that nostalgic feel that’s been missing from video game wrestling. At only one dollar (80 ms points), the price is right. By the way, tell your friends to support the developer as well, as word is he’s making a sequel.