Really good dark atmosphere and a fun gameplay loop. Explore, see spooky sights, go fishing, do sidequests, upgrade boat, repeat for about ten hours. I did think the story was a little thin, it seemed like mood was a higher priority than characters and plot, but it turned out pretty enjoyable anyway. A very good video game.

A small critical note: When I rolled credits, I took a look at my remaining objectives, saw that it was just fetch quests and filling out the encyclopedia, and decided I was done with the game. I wasn't so hooked on the gameplay loop that I needed to do everything that the game had to offer, but I didn't rush through it either. I had an enjoyable ten hours doing the stuff that seemed interesting, I fully upgraded the boat, rolled credits, and decided to move on to my next game. I feel like that's worth mentioning.

This was a very enjoyable NES game. Quick levels, responsive controls, a fair challenge, generous checkpoints and continues. The tight pacing really suits portable play, I'm honestly surprised they never made a Game Boy version of Metal Storm. I also adored the animation on your little robot, it was very satisfying to watch it stomp along. I'm glad to have finally played through the whole thing.

I did find the boss fights to be a bit annoying, so the game ending on a boss rush with no final boss was a bit of a letdown. Still, very good game otherwise.

Really cute and appealing! Funny how 2023 had a great trio of dream-themed N64 throwback games. Corn Kidz 64 focused on making one really big, detailed level and Pseudoregalia focused on its movement tech, leaving the game world to be a little sparse and spread out. Cavern of Dreams fits nicely between those two games, having a wide variety of smaller interconnected levels to explore. When I screen-shared this game with friends, they would often compliment the game's authentic feel and I think the variety in the locations you visit contributes to that the most.

Something I really enjoyed about Cavern is how it understands the appeal of exploring the furthest corners of the map in early 3D games. You can climb all over the scenery in this game and there's often cute easter eggs tucked away in the "out of bounds" zones. The momentum-based movement helps fuel the desire to explore since running around and gliding is just inherently fun.

I also really, really appreciated the design for Sage in this game. I remember reading a review of this game that said "The N64 did things to people's brains, man" and that character design really exemplifies that idea for me. A bunch of floating star and moon shapes, a witch's hat, and floating gloved hands with constantly wiggling fingers. That's peak early 3D character design.

Game is good. I recommend playing it alongside Corn Kidz and Pseudoregalia, they make for a nice thematically-linked bundle.