Cave Story for 3DS delayed to August 9

Cave Story fans eager to see the acclaimed 2D action game burst into the third dimension will have to wait a little bit longer. Weeks after Nintendo hung a June 28 launch on Nippon Ichi's Cave Story 3D, the publisher has revised the release date to August 9 in North America, with a European release to follow in September.

While Cave Story 3D will feature glasses-free stereoscopic 3D graphics, the game will still play like the side-scrolling action adventure that inspired it. As the title's diminutive protagonist, players will find themselves in a cave with no recollection of the past, but assurance that they must aid a group of adorable rabbit-like critters.

Originally known as Doukutsu Monogatari, Cave Story was first released as a free-to-play PC game in 2004. Nicalis adapted it and released it as a WiiWare title last March, with a DSiWare edition following in November. Nippon Ichi has said it hopes this new version will "bring new life" to the game and make it accessible to new audiences.

For more on Cave Story 3D, check out GameSpot's latest preview.