Need another platformer as of old in your life? Simply buy this game.

That's the gist of this game; it is probably the best platformer this year, and if it wasn't for Rayman Origins and Legends, I'd say this is the best platformer in the past five years.


What's the best way to describe this game? Think of Megaman-like bosses, each one has a theme and style of attacks; Castlevania (older ones) controls meant for two button controllers, with relics activated with up and attack button, and special items (relics in this game); and Duck Tales hopping and loot, which you actually want, to increase your character's health, mana, armor, shovel blade techniques and relics.

All these gameplay ideas and level designs comes together beautifully in this game. Neither game mentioned here feels like it was added in for a gimmick or was neglected.

The controls irked me at first, resorting to the retro Castlevania mechanic of UP and ATTACK to use an item. However, once you get used to it, everything else is buttery smooth with full control over your character's jumping and movement. You are not terribly slow as Simon Belmont nor fast as Mario; the best sort of comparsion I can think of in terms of speed is playing as Megaman X without the boost ability.You only need to tap the down button to activate your down-thrust attack, not hold it, and to quickly change back to standing just press the ATTACK button to stop yourself. Some obstacles will require you to stop yourself from destroying the platform beneath you.

The most important thing is that Shovel Knight got the job done right for a platformer: You are liable for your own deaths, not the game's limitations on you.

Difficulty along with certain cheats (yes, a game from 2014 actually has cheats that will amp up the difficulty and/or break the game) encourage you to replay this game in a variety of ways.

[If you want a full list, check this link:] http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=280263875

There are also some in-game things you can do to add or lessen the difficulty such as destroying checkpoints for extra loot and having goblets to give you health, temporary invincibility and a magnet for loose treasure bags. Some achievements will require you to play the game in certain ways, if you care for them, so I think the replay value is above standard but nothing too exceptional.

My only complaint I have about the way the game handles difficulty is I have to cheat to play the game NG+ mode from the start (without carrying equipment). You can still get achievements by playing the game normally on a different save file. (NG+ mode, by the way, increases the damage you take from enemies and environment hazards. Vanilla NG+ mode is all right, you just start with everything unlocked from your save from the get-go.)

For the best experience, I'd recommend playing this game from the start in NG+ mode for hardcore platformer fans.


Level design is a hit or miss for some; they are five-minute bursts full of themed gimmicks and challenges. I thought the approach was novel and true to its NES roots. No two obstacles and/or platforms felt the same.

For example, the underwater area has tentacles to hop on over pits of death and spikes on the roof with higher jumping physics underwater. The magma area has green globs to hit on enemies and lava pits to make them less dangerous and being able to jump on with your shovel. The flying stage has gusts of wind that require you to make your way around blocks and scaffolding in a certain way.

I can go on, but as you can see, there is more to each level than a simple paint-job. Some enemies do reappear with some added quirks suited to the stage hazards, like the knights with shields.

In the King Knight stage, they're simple; they block, they hit. In the Treasure Knight stage, they have a different color to designate them AND they toss anchors in a parabola direction that makes them more dangerous than before. In the Propeller Knight stage, they fly and have the ability to blow you around. Some other common knights with shields have more or less HP.

Bosses. The best way I can describe these bosses is to recall my favorite boss fight, ever: Fighting Zero from Megaman X2. If you recall, Zero didn't have a set-list of attacks that had a pattern to them, rather, he fought based on some moves he had and also where you are in relation to the boss. All of the boss fights in this game have that same feel and I absolutely love it.

If I go based on how many boss encounters there are, there are 24 fights, some are random encounters on the overworld map or hidden bosses in NPC areas. Like Megaman, you fight 8 masters/knights and then you fight them again in a gauntlet, one after the other. Also, you fight your rival three times, slightly different in each encounter. You can rely on your Shovel wits alone to beat them or use your relics as tools to win the battle.

Out of all the boss fights in the game,. The Tinker Knight is the only let down because is so stupidly easy. Twenty-three other encounters more than enough make up for that.

[h1"It's only ]FOUR HOURS!?"[/h1]

Game length is the one most people are worried about. This varies from person to person, but if I had to set a length on a blind playthrough, going 100% will take you from 5 to 10 hours.

I finished this game in six hours with an 84% completion rate, mostly from the musical sheets I didn't want to find. Just like the games it idolizes, the game is meant to be short, satisfying and wanting you to come back to replay it for fun. The cheat-list greatly adds to the replay value, so I'd say this is easily worth $15 for those undecided.


Lastly, this game is FUN. Remember that word? Want to watch a giant king apple fish dance? Want to hear puns knightly to cheer up a stubborn toad? Want to smack potions into the walls for points in a mini-game for treasure? You can do that and more in the game. This is a game that not only was crafted in memoration of the glory days of platformers but also has an amount of admiration for the game itself.

Need another platformer as of old in your life? Simply buy this game. That's the gist of this game; it is probably the best platformer this year, and if it wasn't for Rayman Origins and Legends, I'd say this is the best platformer in the past five years. [h1] What Shovelry is This? [/h1] What's the best way to describe this game? Think of Megaman-like bosses, each one has a theme and style of attacks; Castlevania (older ones) controls meant for two button controllers, with relics activated with up and attack button, and special items (relics in this game); and Duck Tales hopping and loot, which you actually want, to increase your character's health, mana, armor, shovel blade techniques and relics. All these gameplay ideas and level designs comes together beautifully in this game. Neither game mentioned here feels like it was added in for a gimmick or was neglected. The controls irked me at first, resorting to the retro Castlevania mechanic of UP and ATTACK to use an item. However, once you get used to it, everything else is buttery smooth with full control over your character's jumping and movement. You are not terribly slow as Simon Belmont nor fast as Mario; the best sort of comparsion I can think of in terms of speed is playing as Megaman X without the boost ability.You only need to tap the down button to activate your down-thrust attack, not hold it, and to quickly change back to standing just press the ATTACK button to stop yourself. Some obstacles will require you to stop yourself from destroying the platform beneath you. The most important thing is that Shovel Knight got the job done right for a platformer: You are liable for your own deaths, not the game's limitations on you. Difficulty along with certain cheats (yes, a game from 2014 actually has cheats that will amp up the difficulty and/or break the game) encourage you to replay this game in a variety of ways. [If you want a full list, check this link:] http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=280263875 There are also some in-game things you can do to add or lessen the difficulty such as destroying checkpoints for extra loot and having goblets to give you health, temporary invincibility and a magnet for loose treasure bags. Some achievements will require you to play the game in certain ways, if you care for them, so I think the replay value is above standard but nothing too exceptional. My only complaint I have about the way the game handles difficulty is I have to cheat to play the game NG+ mode from the start (without carrying equipment). You can still get achievements by playing the game normally on a different save file. (NG+ mode, by the way, increases the damage you take from enemies and environment hazards. Vanilla NG+ mode is all right, you just start with everything unlocked from your save from the get-go.) For the best experience, I'd recommend playing this game from the start in NG+ mode for hardcore platformer fans. [h1] The Superb Qualities of a Challenging, Not Hard, Game [/h1] Level design is a hit or miss for some; they are five-minute bursts full of themed gimmicks and challenges. I thought the approach was novel and true to its NES roots. No two obstacles and/or platforms felt the same. For example, the underwater area has tentacles to hop on over pits of death and spikes on the roof with higher jumping physics underwater. The magma area has green globs to hit on enemies and lava pits to make them less dangerous and being able to jump on with your shovel. The flying stage has gusts of wind that require you to make your way around blocks and scaffolding in a certain way. I can go on, but as you can see, there is more to each level than a simple paint-job. Some enemies do reappear with some added quirks suited to the stage hazards, like the knights with shields. In the King Knight stage, they're simple; they block, they hit. In the Treasure Knight stage, they have a different color to designate them AND they toss anchors in a parabola direction that makes them more dangerous than before. In the Propeller Knight stage, they fly and have the ability to blow you around. Some other common knights with shields have more or less HP. Bosses. The best way I can describe these bosses is to recall my favorite boss fight, ever: Fighting Zero from Megaman X2. If you recall, Zero didn't have a set-list of attacks that had a pattern to them, rather, he fought based on some moves he had and also where you are in relation to the boss. All of the boss fights in this game have that same feel and I absolutely love it. If I go based on how many boss encounters there are, there are 24 fights, some are random encounters on the overworld map or hidden bosses in NPC areas. Like Megaman, you fight 8 masters/knights and then you fight them again in a gauntlet, one after the other. Also, you fight your rival three times, slightly different in each encounter. You can rely on your Shovel wits alone to beat them or use your relics as tools to win the battle. Out of all the boss fights in the game,. The Tinker Knight is the only let down because is so stupidly easy. Twenty-three other encounters more than enough make up for that. [h1"It's only ]FOUR HOURS!?"[/h1] Game length is the one most people are worried about. This varies from person to person, but if I had to set a length on a blind playthrough, going 100% will take you from 5 to 10 hours. I finished this game in six hours with an 84% completion rate, mostly from the musical sheets I didn't want to find. Just like the games it idolizes, the game is meant to be short, satisfying and wanting you to come back to replay it for fun. The cheat-list greatly adds to the replay value, so I'd say this is easily worth $15 for those undecided. [h1]Dig Thy Shovel. Squire![/h1] Lastly, this game is FUN. Remember that word? Want to watch a giant king apple fish dance? Want to hear puns knightly to cheer up a stubborn toad? Want to smack potions into the walls for points in a mini-game for treasure? You can do that and more in the game. This is a game that not only was crafted in memoration of the glory days of platformers but also has an amount of admiration for the game itself.