The original Shovel Knight game released last year on Wii U, 3DS and PC. This was the result of a successful Kickstarter Campaign and let to one of the best games of that year. Critics and fans all over the world fell in love with the classic 2D game, Shovel Knight was a huge and unexpected success. Now, nearly a year later, the game finally lands on Xbox One and brings home some familiar faces. Let’s go!
Inspired by 8-bit side-scroller
Shovel Knight is an 8-bit inspired game. For some this might sound alarming. A lot of small developers tried to bring back the 8-bit era by copying the best of the past. This isn’t the case with Shovel Knight. It’s clearly inspired by classics such as Mega Man, Castlevania and Duck Tales but it does its own thing.
Shovel Knight isn’t a copy and paste game, it has its own face and mechanics that really make this into something special. The game wants to give you the classic 8-bit feeling but added an extra layer and smooth controls for better gameplay. This was a great decisions. 8-bit fans won’t mind this small adjustment since the game plays way better thanks tot his. It isn’t only the technique that makes this game stand out, it’s also the way the story goes and the amount of loyalty that went into the game.
Find your Shield Knight
You play as a knight with a very strange weapon, the shovel. The design of Shovel Knight is great and makes you love the character immediately. The guy lost his Shield Knight and it’s up to you to get her back. In order to do so you need to defeat the evil Enchantress and her Order of no Quarter. Those enemies can be found on your Super Mario Bros. 3 style world map.
There isn’t much dialogue going on, so endless conversations won’t bore you. The only dialogue you’ll get is right before you face a new boss or talk to some of the charming NPC’s in the villages. The narrative is very well written and keeps you motivated to reach the end. The story never stands in the way of the gameplay, it even makes it slightly better.
Discover the world
The way you travel from location to location is clearly inspired by Super Mario Bros. 3. The world map could have ben taken straight from the Nintendo classic. On the world map you’re free to go to any location that is unlocked. Aside of the regular levels you’ll also face occasional boss fights or hidden treasure on your map. This results in a very interactive way of reaching your next level. Traveling is never boring thanks to the events that happen on the map. It’s not as mind blowing as Skyrim of course but for a 2D game it’s great.
The main goal of the game is to reach the main level in which you need to fight a member of the evil Order of no Quarter. Those levels are rather linear but are filled with hidden rooms and difficult paths that offer more rewards. Collecting gems and money is very important in Shovel Knight. The more you gain, the more you can spend on items and health, both very necessary in order to survive! If you die, you’ll leave some of your treasure behind but you’ll be able to collect it once you respawn at the checkpoint.
All levels have their own theme and all are worked out incredibly well. There are some classic 8-bit designs but you’ll find some very surprising levels as well. Without spoiling too much, it’s safe to say that every level will give you something you didn’t expect! Not every mechanic is worked out perfect (turning the screen dark in a graveyard isn’t always a good idea) but we’ll let that slip.
There’s more depth to it than you might expect
Since Shovel Knight is a 2D side-scroller, you might expect it to be rather straight forwarded, this isn’t true. The game has a deeper, more RPG inspired layer as well. This layer can be found in extra lives and items you can gain in the village. With the money you acquire, you can improve your health but more interesting is to buy secondary items.
Now you’re playing with power!
You unlock new items after each level and you’ll need those to make the next level a little easier. Some items can make you invulnerable for a short time while others will make you capable of firing beams towards your enemies. You can buy several of those but you can only use one at a time. Switching items is important in the more difficult levels so you’ll be doing it a lot! At first it might be a little frustrating to change your second item that much but it’s for the better good.
You aren’t forced to use the items but if you want to reach the finish without a heart attack, we really recommend you to use them.
It’s not an easy game
Don’t be mistaken by its looks, Shovel Knight is a classic ‘why-am-I-still-playing-this?’ game straight for the 90’s. Mistakes are often punished with instant deaths and checkpoints aren’t always there when you need them (you can even destroy them for more money). The level design is both brilliant and cruel, the way the platforms and enemies are placed really demand skills to survive.
Aside of the levels you’ll also find a lot of challenge in the boss fights. Every boss has its own pattern but is never easy to defeat. The weaker they get, the stronger their attacks will become. Analyzing the bosses and defeating them with your combination of skills and perseverance result in a feeling of intense joy when you succeed. It’s a very hard game for sure but it’s very rewarding as well!
Welcome back Battletoads
You might already heard the good news but Shovel Knight brings in some familiar faces. The Battletoads are back and got their own special boss stage. Without spoiling it too much for you guys, it’s the perfect homage for the classic game. The sprites, music and classic elements (warts!!) are all included. It isn’t an easy level but we would be disappointed if it was. The Battletoads universe matches perfectly and it really feels like they were meant to be part of this game from the start. Go and find out just how great this level is once you have the game for yourselves!
Conclusion:
Shovel Knight takes us back to the glorious 8-bit era and delivers possibly one of the best games in its genre. The sprite visuals, beautiful background, chiptune soundtrack, everything feels right. It’s a game that will be enjoyed by older gamers but it’s a game that deserves to be enjoyed by everybody! It’s not hard to understand why you need to play this game. If a game this good, tops it with some awesome Battletoads sauce, you know you’re dealing with a classic.
9.0/10
Tested on Xbox One
