A true gem well worth a try
Pros: A deep story with engaging characters that unfolds like a flower (or onion for the testosteronely insecure), tight controls, challenging gameplay, nostalgia, value, good sound and art
Cons: Story and gameplay can be slow at first, final ending requires a walktrough to find, final boss is ludicrously hard, sound and art would be bellow the bar for the non-nostalgic among us.
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Doukutsu Monogatari, a.k.a. Cave Story, by the enigmatically named Pixel is a freeware game that was released a few years back on the interweb in Japan and has since been translated by fans into English for those of us not blessed with tong of the Land of The Rising Sun. The game is fairly typical Japanese fair at first glance; you have the typical cliché amnesiac for your main character who wakes up in a cave with no idea who he is or where he's at, a town full of cuddly anamorphic rabbits with a secret, and plenty of expectably bizarre anime style art. The wheel wasn't reinvented gameplay-wise either; the entire game is a fairly straight forward side-scrolling action-adventure game in the model of games like Metroid and Castlevania where you start out defenseless and gradually discover new weapons and upgrades through exploration and advancing the story. Perhaps the most unique thing gameplay-wise are the weapons which can level up (and change in functionality) and back down as you gain and loose experience in battle.
So what makes this game so great? I mean, think about it. Why would anyone care so much about this thing that they would go out of their way to translate it in its entirety (and trust me, there was A LOT to be translated here)? The first reason would have to be the story, it's simply wonderful. Early on this game feels completely bland and even a tad predictable. The true secret to the story is the way it unfolds like a flower as you play; the story becomes a sort of reward for game-play. You'll soon find that story is actually quite engaging with characters that you'll actually begin to care about; you'll even see a few die before the end. By the time you reach that ending you'll think that you finally managed to put all the pieces together to make a satisfying whole, but you'd be wrong. This game actually has three ending, and each one adds a new and deeper layer to what's really going on inside the cave with the third and final ending being the most satisfying and difficult to achieve (the only down side being that you'll probably need a walkthrough to help you on your way to finding that third ending). Now I'll admit that one of the endings is a bit cheap (you'll be given a chance to simply walk away near the end of the game which ends the story in its tracks). That being said, you simply don't see this kind of quality storytelling in freeform games very often.
Secondly, that straight forward side-scrolling action-adventure game-play I mentioned is actually some of the best the genre has ever seen. It doesn't add a lot new to the mix, but what it does it does VERY well. This game simply oozes with polish. The controls are tight and responsive (though I would strongly suggest the use of a gamepad) which is a godsend considering how challenging the game becomes by the end. The game is clearly harkening back to the old days of gaming when beating a game truly was something to brag about and left you mentally and physically exhausted. But don't worry that you have to be some sort of gaming god to play this thing. One of the things this game gets right is the ramping of the difficulty level. You'll find yourself getting better with time so that you'll usually be ready for each successive boss fight by the time you reach it. The game doesn't hold your hand, but it doesn't intentionally try to make you fall to your knees crying "I'm not worthy" either (at least not until you find the final boss of the final ending).
Third, nostalgia. Anyone with a fond spot in the heart for the days of the NES or SNES will instantly feel right at home with this game. The art and gameplay is clearly harkening back to what many people would consider one of the great golden eras of gaming without trying to feel like too much of a retread. This game could have easily felt like it was simply lifting gameplay and ideas but surprisingly manages not to step on any toes.
Flat out, go try out this game! Perhaps it won't be you cup of tea, but what have you lost? The ting is free; F-R-E-E… FREE! I'll end simply by saying that I would gladly pay for this game, but you don't have to.
P.S. You'll probably want to stay far way from the Wiki for this game until after you play it. They gave WAY more away about the story than they should.