Nintendo system" and noted gameplay similarities to Blaster Master, in which damage reduces the power of weapons as well. Cave Story was nominated for Game of the Year at the 2010 Nintendo Power Awards, as well as WiiWare Game of the Year. Criticism of Cave Story 3D echoed that of the WiiWare version. Many reviewers cautioned that the graphical update does not justify the $40 initial price point, especially with cheaper or free versions of the game available through download services. Parish defended the release, deriving satisfaction from the game's availability as a physical cartridge. Holmes praised the dynamic camera system and new graphics, comparing them to Disney films. He considers this release to be the "best version of the game, [but] not necessarily the definitive version". Jane Douglas of GameSpot felt that the 3DS Circle Pad was a comfortable fit for the game's control scheme. Audrey Drake of IGN noted that the 3D effect made it difficult to distinguish certain platforms between background and foreground, a complaint shared by Douglas. Simon Parkin of the UK Official Nintendo Magazine was more critical, citing lack of detail in the 3D models and a too-dark color palette. Japanese magazine Famitsu Weeklys four reviewers scored it 7, 7, 8, and 8 points out of 10 to a total of 30 out of 40 points, indicating average reviews. This version was nominated for Best Adventure Game at the 2011 Nintendo Power Awards. , Cave Story+ has sold an estimated 590,104 digital units on Steam. Legacy Quote appears as a downloadable character in Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien. Curly Brace appears as a bonus playable character in 1001 Spikes. Both Curly Brace and Quote appear as playable characters in the crossover fighting game Blade Strangers. Quote, Curly Brace and Ballos are featured as playable characters in Nicalis' puzzle game Crystal Crisis. Quote's hat is also featured in the game Terraria. Cave Story's Secret Santa On 8 December 2021, Tyrone Rodriguez of Nicalis teased a new Cave Story spin-off title, which was revealed to be Cave Story's Secret Santa on 9 December. This was a free game created in cooperation with Studio Pixel, and was available for a limited time, starting 9 December 2021. This game is based around the character Santa, a mimiga met in Cave Story, and is a stealth and puzzle-solving game set before the events of Cave Story. ImpactCave