Cave Story in the Making

By: Brandon McCartin (BMcC)

On: November 8th, 2007

In the past Pixel has alluded to the earlier iterations of Cave Story (even a near-finished build that got scrapped along the way), but he’s never released anything playable. Well, as of just yesterday… he still hasn’t released anything playable!

But he did release something almost as cool — a collection of screens and concepts from early in the game’s development. (You might remember him doing something similar with Guxt.) I love this sort of thing. It’s like a little window into the mind of a developer I admire.

Definitely check it out if you’re a Pixel fan. (Who isn’t?)

Derek’s Edit: I put all the images on a page here! Enjoy!

Posted in Developers, Nerd Love | Tags: Pixel

http://www.tscreative.net BMcC

That last question was rhetorical. I don’t need a _retard roll call_ up in here.

Hey! I just noticed that I suggested Pixel do this for Cave Story in the Making of Guxt article… he must be a TIGS fan. :P
BeamSplashX

Who doesn’t like a bit of Tigersauce here and there?

Yes, I refer to this site as Tigersauce in my mind.
http://www.tscreative.net BMcC

That sounds delicious. I’d put it on a taco.
Zetetic Elench

Nonsense. It’s *clearly* a euphemism for something…
Jad

Totally kick ass.

Man, he had a lot of really nice concepts that got left out.

NOW I’M LEFT WANTING MORE PIXEL PLATFORMER GOODNESS.

Woe is me.
hijodeputa

Fan history stretches back thousands of years. Since antiquity, fans have possessed a dual function â€“ a status symbol and a useful ornament.
Dusty Spur

The “BlueSant” picture reminds me, wasn’t Pixel saying he’d like to make an RPG?

I imagine Tigersauce is delicious.
Melly

Tigersauce on hotdogs.

Also, some of those screens are crazy awesome. I honestly would like to have seen some of those enemies on the finished game (the little Mario-style fireballs with eyes and the little flying Balrog-like thingies, for example).
Dood

Haha quick Pod, copy it!
namuol

oh wow. i’m a student at RIT; our mascot is a tiger, and this on-campus grill has this sauce we call “Tigersauce”

and yes, it is delicious, but not as delicious as tigsource.
Space Ranger

well umm…. I have to be honest, I don’t think some of this art work is to the standards of the original stuff =/
Derek

Uh, dude… *slaps forehead*

Games tend to look better the more development time they’ve had.
Zetetic Elench

Space Ranger, this *is* the original stuff. This is what you could call his “juvenilia”.
Fishy Boy

MAN! When I first saw this I thought it was a new game being made by Pixel. Oh how wrong I was. Still, little Balrog babies are cute.
BeamSplashX

I have to wonder how the mother felt about that…
Calanctus

Given how God damned HUGE Balrog is… Probably pretty good!
HandCraftedRadio

I can’t wait for this game to be released.
LOLOLOL

People need to read more.

I mean… COME ON! Some of the people here are clearly interested in the probably-less-than-fifty-word article based on the pic they see, and yet they don’t take the few seconds it takes to read it!
Teknogames

I always thought those fan pictures I saw where Quote cosplayers had “Curly Brace” on the hat were just mis-interpretating weirdos. I’m confused why Curly Brace is on his hat in the first place… >_> <_< isnt it supposed to be a robot language? Aside from that, all those screens make me want to play the old version. :<
robolee

I think the enemies look better, with the exception that about 90% of the enemies were mini balrogs.

and this proves it, it does say curly-brace on his hat, finally the mystery is solved.
http://akktivecarbon.uw.hu !CE-9

http://files.tigsource.com/doukutsu/il020227.png

ace.=)
Stwelin

This is the big question I have, are the two vertical black pixels on the left side of Quote’s face (when he is facing right) his other EYE or his SIDEBURN?

Seriously, can’t figure it out.
MedO

When I played the first time, I was also confused by this and thought Quote was facing completely left/right, but I believe now that these pixels are his other eye, since practically all characters in the game are facing half sideways in this manner. That’s also how I interpreted it in my Quote JSWO-Character :)
Bob

Actually, Teknogames, Pixel’s Japanese, so English would be a foreign language to him. If his native language was English, he might have had Cyrillic or something.

I never knew that he had a kitty on his shirt.
http://www.tscreative.net BMcC

Nice edit, Derek. When did TIGSource come back to life today?
ChrisSketch

Posts like this pretty much sum up why I love Tigersauce. (Oh yea, I’m so using it from now on!)
http://www.tscreative.net BMcC

Space Ranger: Yeah, his doodles in primary school were far more inspired.

LOLOLOL: I think HandCraftedRadio was joking?

Teknogames: Apparently the story goes that Quote was originally called Curly Brace, but that name was eventually given to Curly as we know her today, and the hat is merely a remnant of this previous game.

ChrisSketch: Aw, we love you more. <3
BeamSplashX

Should we get a slogan that involves Tigersauce?

TIGSource: The last of the Tigersauce? We can have as many slogans as we want, anyways.
Melly

I think the reason he still has the Curly Brace tag is because Curly gives it to him as a sign of their friendship during the game, and it’s a necessary item to have to get to the best ending. I guess he wears it on his cap after that.
Neon

what’s with the phallic thing beside him in that one concept art thing?
Bob

It’s a Pignon shroom, duh.
Smithy

I hate cave stry.
Smithy

h8*
Smithy

…Okay! I admit it! I confess!

I never hated Cave Story!

I just wanted to be the first person that said so. Ever.

I realize that saying something of that nature to a bunch of indie gamers is something similar to shouting ‘fire’ in a crowded room, so with that dramatic confession I take my exit.
Bob

First of all, there was no “dramatic confusion”. Secondly, my little brother’s friend said something to that effect ages ago.
Bob

Whups, misread your post. Yes, you did make a “dramatic *confession*”.

My little brother’s friend still hates Cave Story.
Smithy

That’s preposterous. Everyone knows that the friends of little brothers don’t count as people.