The real meaning behind Cave Story

Jan 15, 2009 at 7:15 AM
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I just finished the game, and I've been thinking if there isn't something more behind the plot...

Suppose this game is actually a metaphor for the history of Japan from WWII and on...first here are what the objects in the game represent:
-the island is Japan itself
-the Mimigas are the Japanese people
-the surface dwellers are Americans
-the robots sent by the surface dwellers are American troops
-the Doctor represents the North Koreans

and here are the events that correlate to real-life events:
-the historical attack on the Mimigas is the Americans attacking in retaliation to Pearl Harbor (but because this plot is written from the point of view of a Japanese person, the story is biased towards the Americans starting it)
-when the Mimigas turn into raging monsters, that is the Imperial Japanese Army and their fierce defense of their country with kamikaze bombers
-when the Mimigas are defeated they become docile (just like the Japanese, who are nice and cute and never hurt anyone...lowest violent crime rate in the world)
-now you as the main character represent the American troops still stationed in Japan after the war
-the Mimigas (Japanese) are now being abducted by the Doctor (North Koreans)
-you are there under the pretense of protecting the Mimigas, but you end up attacking the core (which respresents Japanese culture and tradition)
-you destroy the core and thus Japan falls from its glorious place in the sky (notice how the Japanese these days are absorbing American culture like and sponge and ignoring their own traditions)

That is all I have so far, but I feel like it is a fairly strong argument for the metaphor. If anyway wants to correct me or expand on anything, go ahead.
 
Jan 15, 2009 at 11:04 AM
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In my opinion your thinking too much.

It's just a very fun game, an fictional adventure about a robot-boy in caves, a Cave Story.

(Personally, with all my respect for you, your kinda ruining the fantasy atmosphere the game have.)
 
Jan 15, 2009 at 11:08 AM
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I really don't that's what Pixel was aiming for >_>
Besides, you could replace that with pretty much any historical event and get the same outcome.
 
Jan 15, 2009 at 12:02 PM
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He aimed for one thing:
FUN.

So stop smashing your heads against some wall.
 
Jan 15, 2009 at 12:29 PM
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Hmm... interesting... I'm inclined to think that's not really what Pixel was doing, but maybe he was, and it's a very interesting theory nonetheless.

As an extension to your theory, maybe Ballos represents the American soldiers that are actually trying to "destroy the Core" and when Quote and Curly kill Ballos, the "Island" stops "falling", because Quote and Curly didn't really want to remove the Island from the sky, but they had to do so in order to stop the Doctor.
 
Jan 15, 2009 at 1:09 PM
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Interesting theory right there. I like it. In fact I like it very much.
 
Jan 15, 2009 at 10:56 PM
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wedge of cheese said:
Hmm... interesting... I'm inclined to think that's not really what Pixel was doing, but maybe he was, and it's a very interesting theory nonetheless.

As an extension to your theory, maybe Ballos represents the American soldiers that are actually trying to "destroy the Core" and when Quote and Curly kill Ballos, the "Island" stops "falling", because Quote and Curly didn't really want to remove the Island from the sky, but they had to do so in order to stop the Doctor.
So the Red Crystal is the nuclear missile invention? Then the Doctor resembles the US itself which nuke-bombed Japan twice (or more). That means there is no Koreans here.
Okay this sounds stupid..
 
Jan 15, 2009 at 11:06 PM
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The story was constantly changed during development until something fitted. Also, I agree with Haithm and everyone else here. Your connection is loose at best, so I disagree with your theory.

For example: The doctor came from the same place as the robots, does that not make him one of the "Americans"? Are you saying that Japan was used as a base for America to attack itself? I see that you haven't given this much thought.

It is an interesting idea, by I doubt it was Pixel's inspiration.
 
Jan 15, 2009 at 11:43 PM
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A strange theory, meh, interesting.
 
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