I supose you didn't came to see the secrets and you rushed like getting Curly's Machine Gun and not wait till the Spur or getting the Nemesis. Bet you didn't know the secret zones and tsave Curly and beat he Hell level to understand the secret story. It's not only a good well done game, it's a game that has A LOT of little details you don't know but when you realise it, it surprises you. Words from the unique Daisuke Amaya:

-Levels are designed so you always know the paths.
-Graphics are made simple and recognizable.
-Quote's design is made to be visible in dark places (white skin) and lighted places (dark clothes)
-Everything makes a little sound: Quote's steps, the experience shards... That makes the game more alive.
-Simple control to make it easier to people, but not a simple game experience.
-History has some deep moments, not by heavy dialogs, but with situations like the labyrith and the Curlyy's drowning trying to save your life. More implicit that explicit story.
-The music... Welll, verybodo knows the main song... and how the Mimiga Village has a happy and the a sad song, that makes you feel that something happened.
-Maybe you didint notice it, but enemies react too you: ou attack, they attack. Balrog knows when you jump... etc... That's something really hard to make.

Now, dare you to say that the game is not awesome.

Dude, he already said that "Cave Story felt like a really well done and refined hybrid platformer" (exact quote). What else do you want?

For the record, I also think Cave Story is a great game and a modern classic, but La-Mulana is simply a deeper experience. Still, both are must-have games in the WiiWare library.

Benjamin, I love Cave Story as much as you, but if someone else doesn't, I understand. It's not the perfect game for everyone.

La Mulana takes more chances and has more rewarding parts if you can actually somehow succeed on your own. It's more praise-worthy in that regard, especially in retrospect since while I love Cave Story and thinks it's one of the best games of, dare I say, the last decade, it's not doing a ton that no one else is. If you didn't know about Cave Story before the Wiiware release, you might just assume it just took what other new-age retro games are doing and made a great game out of that.

@BenjaminRosa Most of what you mentioned I pretty much knew already about Cave Story after playing it. Never disputed it doesn't have any of those things, I only said it wasn't that interesting to me compared to many many MANY other platformers I have on my completed gaming resume over the many many MANY years of playing video games. Plus some of the extra things you mentioned after describing Cave Story are opinions. My opinions about Cave Story may not agree with yours but I completely respect your opinions based off your experience with the game.

As for daring me to say Cave Story isn't awesome after your description about the game. I have to say it's still not that Awesome.....IN MY OPINION. That doesn't mean though I dislike the game because I do like Cave Story. I've just played many other games/platformers that do what Cave Story does just not as a whole at once quite like it. Opinions and preferences, that's all it comes down to really.

Exactly why I love this game. ^_^ This and the TREMENDOUS Amount of detail & thought put into every single little corner of the level design!

La Mulana and Cave Story are the bar that modern platformers are measured against. I love them both and for different reasons. To list them all would just be redundant because you all have pretty much said it all.