Shovel Knight (PC)

Developer:

Yacht Club

|

Release Date:

2014

|

Systems:

PC, 3DS, Wii U (soon PS3, PS4, PSVita and Xbox One)

---

Today on Super Adventures, I'm playing Shovel Knight's theme tune, over and over again. I'm kind of torn here because the music's saying "Go forth brave knight and hit evil with your shovel!" while on the other hand my head's saying "Hang on mate, just leave the tune playing for another minute first, okay?" Here have a YouTube link so you've got something heroic to listen to while you read: Shovel Knight Main Theme.

The soundtrack was actually created using a NES chiptune editor so that it could be as authentic as possible, give or take a few sound channels. The philosophy behind the whole game was that it should be absolutely dead-on accurate in look, sound and gameplay... to the player's fuzzy memories of their favourite NES games. It's an 8-bit game enhanced with rose-tinting technology.

Before I continue, first I have to apologise for the quality of these screenshots. Usually I try to capture pixel art in its purest unfiltered form, but the game seems determined to scale it up and ruin the clean edges. Then on top of that I needed to scale my screenshots back down again so that they fit my site, which left them so fuzzy that I figured I might as well just save them as JPEGs and save a few kilobytes.

---

After starting a -NEW ADVENTURE- I was presented with a fully non-voiced non-animated introduction. But before that I was asked to create a new profile, and the game lets you have up to 9 of them. That's something a lot of modern AAA have been ignoring entirely, which is a bit of a shame for people with friends or family, or who just want to start a new game without deleting their old one.

Anyway the intro tells the tale of SHOVEL KNIGHT and SHIELD KNIGHT, noted both for their feats of asskickery and their ability to carry out massive amounts of treasure out to their campsite. I could've really used that skill back in the Elder Scrolls games.

Life was good for the legendary adventurers until they collected one piece of treasure too many at the TOWER OF FATE: a cursed amulet that knocked Shovel Knight out, kicked him out, and sealed the tower behind him. The game doesn't waste too many words explaining the situation, but it doesn't have to as the images say it all.

His spirit broken, a grieving Shovel Knight goes into a life of solitude and perhaps farming (the picture's a little vague for that slide), leaving the land wide open to be sized by a vile power. Like the THE ENCHANTRESS and her ORDER OF NO QUARTER for instance.

But now the tower is unsealed and devastation looms, so Shovel Knight sets out on a journey to discover what happened to his beloved Shield Knight and perhaps kill a few bosses along the way. Fortunately the Enchantress seems to have enough knights here to last a reasonably sized platformer, each with a Mega Man-style theme to them. There's Plague Knight, Specter Knight, Treasure Knight... oh I hope we get a cameo by Rocket Knight too!

- STRIKE THE EARTH -

We're starting off in a bit of a forest then huh? I guess they really were trying to make this feel like a NES platformer. Though 8-bit games don't typically have so many layers of parallax in the the background. Or any.

I'm playing as a knight and I have a shovel, so I figured I'd try using it on the pile of gems sitting in front of me. Seems to be working out well so far, but how does it work against bugs I wonder?

Excellent; took out two bugs with one swing, and got a few gems for that as well.

Yeah I realise what you're seeing doesn't seem so exciting so far, and our hero can't run so fast in that bulky armour, but this level music is making my laid back bug shovelling seem epic: YouTube link.


A FEW BUGS LATER.

Accursed bubble. I ran jogged into it at first, believing it to be harmless, only for it to pop in my face and take off half a hit point! Then another emerged to take its place. So I popped the replacement bubble with the sharp end of my shovel and tried jumping up the wall, but alas I found I couldn't quite get enough height and the bubble returned once again to mock me.

I'm not against tutorials, but I'm glad they're letting me solve this minor puzzle on my own. I mean I've only got two buttons here, it can't be that hard. I might be able to get the extra height if I could my lighten my load, but I'm sure removing my steel pants in public is against several of the rules of chivalry.

Ah, I can use the shovel to bounce on the balloon for extra height and a killing blow, like I'm a heavily armoured Scrooge McDuck! You know, like in those NES DuckTales games.

I climbed up the ladder to the screen above, and found this mysterious golden object planted in the ground. It hasn't shot lasers at me yet, so I'm hoping it's a checkpoint.

It seems that the developers had been playing a lot of the early Mega Man games when they were coming up with the level design, as the camera scrolls around in the exact same way. It'll often follow me horizontally when I travel across the level, but there's no vertical scrolling until I climb a ladder to the edge of the screen. Then it freezes the action, moves the camera up or down to the next level, then lets me carry on playing. Backtracking is possible but there's not a whole lot of point most of the time.

Mega Man 2 (NES)

Here's me on a ladder climbing off screen in a Mega Man game for comparison, with the purple area showing how much wider Shovel Knight's core resolution is, before all the blurry upscaling. It's pretty obvious when you put the two games next to each other that the Shovel Knight developers were sticking to many of the limitations of the NES without intending to be overly faithful to the look. Because c'mon, it's practically a widescreen PC Engine game.

You know, listening to the Mega Man 2 music again, I'm starting to think that the Shovel Knight composer must have been playing a few of the games as well. The soundtrack's definitely it's own thing, but the tunes get into your head in a similar way.

Oh shit, I was not expecting this huge dragon to wake up and start breathing bubbles at me! I mean I wasn't expecting the dragon at all! How am I supposed to even begin to fight something like that?

Oh right, duh. Yeah, pogoing on his head seems to be doing the trick, and has the side effect of keeping me out of the way of the bubbles.

Seven shovel-drops did the job in the end. Which is interesting, as his health didn't show up in the -BOSS- meter at the top at all. I guess on the boss scale he's too small-fry to even register. Still, at least he had the decency to explode into treasure.

Mega Man 2 (NES)

The dragon reminds me a lot of the giant surprise mid-bosses that show up in the Mega Man games, except for the part where I beat him first try without losing half my health. To be fair though, enemies in Mega Man actually drop health pick ups occasionally, which is a bit more immediately useful to me than money.

Oh, see how his leg's disappeared for a bit, leaving his boot floating on its own? Shovel Knight doesn't do that kind of sprite flickering. Though it doesn't overload the screen with sprites either.

Ah, I was hoping to be able to dig through this wall, but exploding is always better.

Right, so now I've learned that suspicious looking walls explode into jewels when tapped with a shovel. That's bound to be handy later.


LATER.

Knowing about the suspicious looking walls just turned out to be really handy, as I've dug through to a secret area with gems and a floating note! Maybe it's awesome, maybe it's useless, I guess I'll find out later. This skull's definitely no use to me though, so that can get shovelled. Shovelled right down into a bottomless pit.


SOON.

Crap! I was doing really well until a single small error in judgement got me shoved backwards into a pit by this baby dragon. The game could've just taken a hit point a way and put me back up at the top of the hole, but nope, falling into a pit is punishable by DEATH.

Well at least the treasure survived! Seems Shovel Knight invested in some good sturdy flying bags; just a shame he didn't consider getting some flying armour too.

So long bags full of gems, may the winds take you and sail you across to a less clumsy owner.

Oh hang on, it appears that I still have a chance to recover my bags of loot, if I'm willing to jump around that pit catching them all.

I love this progress chart by the way, and the way lets me see how far I've come and how many checkpoints I've got left to reach. Knowing I'm near the end helps keep me motivated to push forward.

Oh come on, pushed backwards again? Same flying lizard creature, exact same bloody hole.

Fortunately on the third try I was able to recover my money and get over the pit...

...only to get knocked down another pit on the next screen.

I was worried I might run out of hit points earlier, but it doesn't seem like I'll get the chance on this level with all these pits around. Well, it's the monsters next to the pits that are the problem really; Shovel Knight has fantastic mid-air manoeuvrability and usually ends up where I want him to be (even using this crappy Xbox 360 d-pad).

Hang on a second... it's not showing me how many lives I have left. Maybe I have infinite lives! It's not very 'NES' but I wouldn't mind infinite lives.


SOON (OR LATER).

Oh well look who it is... it's some guy I don't know! He seems like he's my evil shovel-wielding doppelgänger though, and I think he may turn out to be a recurring rival. Honestly though I was expecting someone taller.

Huh, has that tower always been there in the background? It's funny how you can miss things that are right in front of you sometimes until you stop for a moment and shift your attention.

Oh shit, I wasn't paying attention and barely made it over that purple fireball. That's not how you use a shovel! Or is it? I'll have to remember to give it a try next time I have a moment to breathe.

Actually forget that, I've got my own trick.

The fight dragged on for a while, mostly because I kept getting Shovel Knight killed, but eventually I memorised enough of Black Knight's pattern to turn the tide on the giggling bat-eared bastard.

You know what's weird though? Shovels are starting to seem like a sensible, practical weapon to me now. I mean I can't argue with the results!

With the level completed, Shovel Knight takes a well earned nap next to a campfire, just like in the olden days, though with less treasure and considerably less Shield Knight.

In his dream he struggles to reach her, but it's just a dream and he wakes up alone.

Man, it's funny just how much I'm feeling for this poor guy right now. The game's got a bit more heart to it than the average NES platformer, but it doesn't go overboard. There isn't even any dialogue here, he just gets up and gets on with it.

Oh wow, the game has a nice decent world map with a choice of routes and optional locations! I honestly didn't expect that.

Sure are a lot of horses in town today, walking around on two legs and wearing tunics.

And sometimes dresses.

Whatever makes them happy I guess, though they're making me feel tiny by comparison. Actually, looking around at the other humans here it seems that Shovel Knight is pretty short for a knight. I mean I'm just assuming he's human, maybe those horns aren't part of his helmet.

I found a bard who wanted to buy that sheet music I found in the secret area, then carried on to this area of town where health and magic upgrades may be acquired for those with coin (or flying sacks full of gems). Well I'm definitely increasing my maximum health by an extra hit point or two, I don't care how much it costs.

One thing that's cool here, is that the music changes slightly in each area of the town, so subtly that I didn't even realise at first. This has a good soundtrack.


THE LICH YARD.

Here have some Lich Yard stage music: YouTube link.

I really like how the game's throwing new mechanics at me on each level. Several times during each level actually. Here I'm knocking this guy's head over to that red skeleton platform, so when I jump over to it my extra weight will be enough to make it drop. That'll teach him to back away from me all those times I tried to shovel-drop him.

If I ever accidentally drop the head into the water I can just walk back onto the previous screen to reset it. Learned that one from experience. Well, experiences.


LATER.

Hey, a bloke in a box, selling relics. Finding the secret area pays off yet again. Hang on, I've met this guy before in the town, I'm sure of it. Well at least now I don't have to worry about him suffocating if I miss a secret area, as he'll likely be right back in town again afterwards.

This phase locket sounded really cool in the brochure, but now I've had chance to try it out I'm a little disappointed that the effect only lasts a second or two. It's activated the same way as a special attack in Castlevania (up + attack) because the game won't break character and admit I haven't got a NES controller plugged. It uses 8 magic each time, and I'm carrying 30, so I think I'll leave it alone for now. Well, once I'm safely past the room of electric frogs anyway.


SOON.

Ah, I can change the controls in the options. Now the game's pretending that I'm using Sam Fisher's weird-ass three button Splinter Cell controller, thus saving me from accidentally activating my magic all the damn time with this bloody d-pad. I keep whipping out my fishing rod when I just want to stick a shovel through some skeleton's head, so this should help with that.

On the plus side at least now I know that I can use the fishing rod to hurt enemies, in addition to its primary use of reeling in troupple fruit fish from sparkly bottomless pits in order to fill my chalice with their 10-second invulnerability ichor.


SOME PLATFORMING LATER.

Here's another few things I've had to learn about on this level:

• Ghosts: I can dissipate them for a few seconds, but I can't get rid of them.
• Bushes: Hitting them once will cause them to hover a bit off the ground for a few seconds, giving me something to bounce off. Hitting them again will make them rise too high for me to reach.
• Thunder: Every few seconds a bolt of lightning will flash and illuminate the level for a moment, giving me a chance to see what the fuck I'm doing.
• Moving platforms: Every few seconds... you know how these things work already.

And right now I've got all of them to worry at once, and that means getting the timing right. When the platform is coming over I have to quickly knock the ghost out, shovel the bush into the air, and then jump up and pogo off it, preferably at the exact right moment for the sky to light up and show me what I'm landing on.

This is only level two!

Aww shit... I actually nailed it! Eventually. Took a few tries.

I like the level design and the variety, it's been a cool game so far, but I'm still feeling a bit... trapped in here (moreso the closer I get to that boss). You see, I can't quit out of the level without throwing away all my progress as it only saves between levels, not during them. If I want anything I've done here to count, I have to stick with it, keep going, and defeat that boss.

Fuck, I've just remembered that I've got people outside my house doing maintenance work on the power cables and they're going to shut off my electricity any minute now. Looks like I won't be facing that boss now after all!


A FEW HOURS LATER.

Okay the power's back on, I've replayed the entire stage, and the boss is repeatedly and comprehensively kicking my ass. Didn't need a flash of thunder to see that coming.

This guy's a Grim Reaper wannabe who likes to float around the stage throwing his scythe at me. He's got patterns to learn, different phases, he summons enemies, and he seems to be playing fair. Aside from having an epic 20 hit points he's everything you'd want from a good boss fight. I suppose.

He turned the lights off and lobbed his scythe at me! That's a dick move, Specter Knight! You dick!

Fortunately the game always has a checkpoint immediately before the boss, so I can jump right back. It even skips the pre-fight dialogue second time around. Wish I could just pay him a couple of bucks to piss off though.


PRIDEMORE KEEP.

I'm pretty much sold on the idea of shovels as a bladed weapon at this point, but you don't have to convince me of the combat potential of a stick that shoots fire. This one I get.

I've met a few of these pyromaniac wizards along the way, and now that I'm the proud owner of a flare wand I finally get to throw some fireballs their way for a change. Three shots on target should be enough to incinerate them I reckon.

Hey, now I'm just like Mega Man with his arm cannon! Well, I was until the thing ran out. Damn thing costs 4 MP a shot, and I have 30 max. Maybe I should spend some of my cash upgrading my mana next time instead of my health. Would sacrificing hit points for extra firepower make me last longer in boss fights I wonder; that's always my number 1 concern. I'm guessing... no.

Man, this gold knight is putting up more of a fight than Black Knight did earlier. Well he's blocking almost all my attacks anyway. I have to get around and try to hit him from behind or something. Seriously, this tiny little enemy is actually putting up a fight and I might lose a chunk of my hit points taking him down.

There's usually a nice health-restoring roast chicken hidden in a wall near the checkpoints though, and I can't be far off the next one now.

EVENTUALLY.

This guy's called King Knight! That's awesome.

He turned out to be a total pushover as well, even without bringing out the flare wand. I just kept jumping on his head until he was dead and that was that. I'm starting to think that perhaps this stage comes before the Lich Yard in the difficulty curve.

Another victory means another bonfire and another lock removed on the world map. Also there's the occasional roaming icon around now. Sometimes a treasure map, sometimes a boss fight. Plenty of optional fundraising and challenge opportunities. Plus I can replay completed levels to grind for cash, but I don't think I'll be stooping so low just yet.


HALFWAY ACROSS THE MAP, SOME LEVELS LATER.

I found a new town to shop at!

Oh damn, look at the prices on on these suits of armour. I'm thinking now might be a good time to stoop to grinding, because I'm been scraping through boss fights with half a hit point remaining and I could really do with some upgrades.

These suits don't seem to do a thing to improve my defence though, and this Conjurer's Coat even reduces it! The Mail of Momentum does nullify knockback, and would likely save me from a lot of stupid pit-related deaths, but it also makes it harder to stop so it'd probably make things worse.

Anyway I've shown too many screenshots already so I'll wrap this up here.


CONCLUSION

---

Is Shovel Knight good? It definitely seems that way to me, after the hour or two I've put into it. It fails at perfectly imitating a NES game, but that's fine because that was never the point. It's a modern platformer with an 8-bit inspired style that builds on the classic games of the era without carelessly reproducing their mistakes or misunderstanding what made them work.

On the downside, I'm already halfway through the thing, and apparently it only takes around 6 hours to win. But there are extra playable characters promised as DLC, free of charge, with Plague Knight's adventure coming soon. Also a 'Gender Swap' mode weirdly. And if you really need an excuse to start a second or third playthrough you can enter one of the 300 cheat codes, like the the 'Butt Mode' cheat that turns all the nouns in dialogue to the word 'butt' for hours of extra fun.

Is Shovel Knight too easy? Well if you define 'too easy' as meaning 'Ray Hardgrit could probably make it through to the end with a bit of effort', then yes it's far too easy! Personally though (and I realise I'm biased here) I think that potentially being able to finish the game is actually something I'd want to put in the 'positives' column. Infinite lives and frequent checkpoints makes sure the challenge comes from beating each set of obstacles in turn, not enduring repeated playthroughs of the same chunk of content over and over, and memorising the stage.

It's not like the game doesn't cater to people wanting a tougher experience, as even without a difficulty select there are ways to enhance the challenge. For example, it tempts players into destroying the checkpoints as they go, increasing the risk for extra reward. There's achievements for finishing stages without taking damage or collecting gold, optional boss battles wandering around, optional stages, tricky bonus rooms with sheet music to collect, and a tougher New Game+ mode with less checkpoints and far stronger enemies! Also you don't have to use the phase shift relic all the time, or the invincibility ichor, I didn't! Honestly I feel like the game is generally aimed more towards players more skilled than I am, even if those skilled players don't agree. I mean it apparently ends with a BOSS RUSH! I can't even defeat the idea of a boss rush, it actually scares me off playing any further to be honest.

Is it as good as its soundtrack? Nah, but it's close. I'm not feeling any driving need to finish the game, but I definitely enjoyed what I played. I'd likely enjoy it more if there wasn't a boss waiting at the end of each level, but that's just my personal taste. Consider this recommended to anyone who likes jumping on enemies.

You can get the soundtrack for free on the composer's Bandcamp page here: Shovel Knight Original Soundtrack
And there's also an arranged album for free over here: Strike the Earth! Shovel Knight Arranged

---

Anyway that's what I thought about Shovel Knight, but I've given you a box to share your own thoughts and opinions below. You could talk about the game, my writing, this website... all kinds of stuff! Go wild.

You can also guess the next game. It's probably not what most would think it is, but that just means you get to feel more smug when you get it right.