When I was considerably younger, I had no disposable income but way too much free time. So I did what any sensible young gamer would do: I looked for free games on the internet. Back then, pickings were pretty slim, and the only downloadable games worth playing were severely limited shareware. Most of those, if they were any good at all, were not worth the registration price.
A dozen or so years later a truly great freeware game had finally come out. The game was Cave Story, and it had been painstakingly designed by one individual (who goes by Pixel) and later translated by Aeon Genesis. It comes across as a game that might have come out for the NES in its prime; simplistic graphics and basic music may lead you to believe this. But the game is a rich Metroid-esque action game that has great replay value and lots of secrets.
It may have been a stylistic decision by Pixel, or it may have been a matter of practicality, but the straightforward sound and graphics do not adversely affect the game; the visuals are more than serviceable, and actually have a fairly distinct art style. → Readalations: Persona