Shovel Knight

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 551 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 426 out of 551
  2. Mixed: 66 out of 551
  3. Negative: 59 out of 551

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  1. GBM_Fan
    Jun 26, 2014
    10
    You can describe "Shovel Knight" in one word: MASTERPIECE! Everything here is top notch, 8/16 bit graphics with modern touch, chiptune music, responsive control and last but not least: addictive gameplay!

    GOTY 2014 for me.
  2. cyanidhogg
    Dec 19, 2014
    9
    This is an absolute gem of a game. Shovel Knight is a platformer built on the bones of the very best the NES library has to offer, polished with great modern game design. The graphics are marvellous, the controls are tight and the level design fantastically designed. The true highlight of the game, though, has to be the soundtrack, which is one of the best video game soundtracks we've seenThis is an absolute gem of a game. Shovel Knight is a platformer built on the bones of the very best the NES library has to offer, polished with great modern game design. The graphics are marvellous, the controls are tight and the level design fantastically designed. The true highlight of the game, though, has to be the soundtrack, which is one of the best video game soundtracks we've seen in years. Don't miss this one.… Expand
  3. B-Knock
    Apr 10, 2017
    7
    Overrated and extremely boring to play. The game play is not addictive and truly nothing special. If you want to play retro games. Pick up a real NES or just buy the NES classic. You can even emulate old NES games. Shovel knight is just a rehash of Duck tales and Mega Man with a new original story. However nothing is new about the game mechanics or style of the game. This game received soOverrated and extremely boring to play. The game play is not addictive and truly nothing special. If you want to play retro games. Pick up a real NES or just buy the NES classic. You can even emulate old NES games. Shovel knight is just a rehash of Duck tales and Mega Man with a new original story. However nothing is new about the game mechanics or style of the game. This game received so much fan fare and high ratings because of this whole retro gaming trend that is currently going on. Developers are taking advantage of this fact and allows them to release low quality games like this, and make a quick buck off retro nostalgia.… Expand
  4. SuperKyle23
    Jul 29, 2014
    9
    A true masterpiece. The pixel art trend is common in indie games, but Shovel Knight does it so well and so originally, it's amazing. Tight controls, great level design, awesome boss battles, this game has it all.
  5. Dhulfiqar
    Jul 1, 2014
    7
    This game have so many reference from old games that it does not bring much original content even in the platforming. Why do you need always copy the concepts of the old games? Why can't you create your own concepts making the game look as much original and reducing the feeling of "having played this before many times".

    Graphics and animations are good, but sometimes you feel that some    This game have so many reference from old games that it does not bring much original content even in the platforming. Why do you need always copy the concepts of the old games? Why can't you create your own concepts making the game look as much original and reducing the feeling of "having played this before many times".

    Graphics and animations are good, but sometimes you feel that some of the enemy sprite does not even belong to the game environment. Controllers and it's physics needs to be upgraded, this is where most of the indies makes the same mistakes. The upgrade of health, armor and weapon is not interesting. The level design mostly is very good, but sometimes annoying. Sometimes the levels feels too long, making you thank the old mega man levels length.

    Music, very good, there are tracks that should added to best of video game music archive, but there are also song that sound very bizarre.    … Expand
  6. Terrier
    Jul 8, 2014
    5
    If you want to feel the nostalgia of nes games then, this game is for you.

    However, you can play nes games right now, via emulation, compilation and such (even legally and for free). So, for a real fans of old games, this game is more of the same, it is not a bad game but it does not shine or add a new value.
  7. hypernewbie
    Mar 16, 2017
    4
    Anyone who reviews this game 10 should immediately go get an actual NES and play actual good oldschool games.

    The shovel knight just feels like **** to control, very clunkey, especially mid-air. The stairs just make no sense in this game, at all. You will die on nearly every staircase in the game. Level cycles are too random to be memorized. Enemies are RNG galore and always feel    Anyone who reviews this game 10 should immediately go get an actual NES and play actual good oldschool games.

    The shovel knight just feels like **** to control, very clunkey, especially mid-air. The stairs just make no sense in this game, at all. You will die on nearly every staircase in the game.

    Level cycles are too random to be memorized. Enemies are RNG galore and always feel like they move faster than you giving you no time to react, UNLESS you wait for them. There aren't enough checkpoints.

    Should I mention the **** feel of the control again? Shovel knight controls like a rock. Just go outside, pick up a really big rock and move that around, and you will get the general feel of moving shovel knight through the levels.

    Game isn't bad, it's okay. The presentation is the best part of it, oldschool gfx are well done, especially the animations, they are amazing. Music is great too. They got so carried away with the presentation that they forgot to like, actually make the game.    … Expand
  8. Molvanian
    Dec 30, 2015
    0
    This game is old school Nintendo, at its best AND its worst. The problem is, no one makes games like this anymore for a reason.

    There's a lot of good to the game, the mechanics are interesting, the feel is very nostalgic, the sound track is amazing. ...The gameplay is not. It's frustrating, it's repetitive. It isn't 'hard'. Anyone can beat Shovel Knight. Anyone can walk through    This game is old school Nintendo, at its best AND its worst. The problem is, no one makes games like this anymore for a reason.

    There's a lot of good to the game, the mechanics are interesting, the feel is very nostalgic, the sound track is amazing.

    ...The gameplay is not. It's frustrating, it's repetitive. It isn't 'hard'. Anyone can beat Shovel Knight. Anyone can walk through barbed wire. The experiences are very similar. Endure the pain long enough and eventually you win. At the end, you're unsatisfied. And bleeding.

    It boggles my mind the game is so well reviewed. I can only assume it's pure, unadulterated nostalgia blinding people to, what if viewed on it's own, would be a very average, flawed game, and this is coming from someone who owned an NES when it was new. Literally the target audience. Get Splunkey or La Mulana if you want a platformer.    … Expand
  9. VonSeux
    Jun 26, 2014
    8
    The PC version of this game misses the second-screen item manegement, Comunnity from the Wii-U / Miiverse version, 3D and streetpass featrues from 3DS. It's still teh same game, but the missed features are too cool to miss, if you can. Get the wiiu/3ds version.
  10. dnlhern
    Jul 2, 2014
    9
    Shovel Knight is like cookies baked by your grandma. Sure, you could go out to the store and buy those cookies that come in packs, but nothing beats the taste of one's made with ingredients right off the shelf. It may not be the perfect game, but looking past the flaws, you are in for a treat. No, more like a feast.
  11. Nile3
    Jun 29, 2014
    9
    The graphs are amazing, more realistic than Crysis 3 imo and the story is so good that it feels more realistic than CNN news can be.

    Great Game! I loved it. I encountered a bug early on where I couldn't load the game, but right after everything went smoothly. I have 2 smallish problems with it: 1. it's too short. I want more. I'm already through with it. 2. Shovel knight ought to    The graphs are amazing, more realistic than Crysis 3 imo and the story is so good that it feels more realistic than CNN news can be.

    Great Game! I loved it. I encountered a bug early on where I couldn't load the game, but right after everything went smoothly.
    I have 2 smallish problems with it:
    1. it's too short. I want more. I'm already through with it.
    2. Shovel knight ought to have an epic quest to find a different shovel or get more tricks!
    Otherwise it was great.    … Expand
  12. Naveen196
    Jun 27, 2014
    10
    This game takes the best games from the retro era, and makes a splendid display, while still feeling fresh. The music is nice and catchy, the boss battles are well done, and there are a lot of different upgrades to choose from. Oh, also, New Game+ is present, for extra challenge.
  13. djfpforever
    Jun 26, 2014
    10
    TL; DR - Shovel Knight is a refreshingly original 8-bit experience that steeps itself in nostalgia, paying deference to the most solid NES game experiences (DuckTales, Mega Man, Castlevania, SMB3): 10/10.

    What an amazing game! As a child of the 80s, I had an original NES and LOVED Mega Man, Mario, Zelda et al in the prime of their 8-bit glory. Shovel Knight dips into that nostalgia    TL; DR - Shovel Knight is a refreshingly original 8-bit experience that steeps itself in nostalgia, paying deference to the most solid NES game experiences (DuckTales, Mega Man, Castlevania, SMB3): 10/10.

    What an amazing game! As a child of the 80s, I had an original NES and LOVED Mega Man, Mario, Zelda et al in the prime of their 8-bit glory. Shovel Knight dips into that nostalgia while being genuinely engaging and entertaining in its own right. The game provides the perfect balance of fun, challenge, minor rpg elements (powering up mana vs. health), and level progression. The game includes fun achievements, which is something that I appreciate. Combine the excellent game play elements, a fantastic score, and lovingly created 8-bit art, and you come away with the total package here!

    I Kickstarted this game, and my only regret is not chipping in more. Definitely well worth the 14.99 retail for those that purchase through Steam. I can't wait to see what else Yacht Club Games come up with in the future. A highly enthusiastic 10/10 for Shovel Knight!    … Expand
  14. Rizefall
    Jun 27, 2014
    9
    Megaman + Ducktales + Super Mario Bros 3. That's pretty much what the game is, but with a new character "Shovel Knight" who instead of his butt/shoes, blaster or cane uses shovel to take down his foes.
  15. aqurban
    Jun 26, 2014
    10
    Shovel Knight feels familiar from the get go, with a beautifully designed 8-bit world, flawless game mechanics, a nostalgically unforgettable soundtrack and a handful of things that makes it just the right amount of retro-dose you'll ever need.
  16. ComradePB
    Jun 29, 2014
    8
    There are many games out there that go for that retro aesthetic, so you might wonder what exactly it is that sets Shovel Knight apart from all those games that borrow from what has come before them. The creators of Shovel Knight are obviously fans of classic games on the NES like Mario Bros., Megaman, and Castlevania just to name a few and great care has been taken to use the moreThere are many games out there that go for that retro aesthetic, so you might wonder what exactly it is that sets Shovel Knight apart from all those games that borrow from what has come before them. The creators of Shovel Knight are obviously fans of classic games on the NES like Mario Bros., Megaman, and Castlevania just to name a few and great care has been taken to use the more memorable elements from these games both the loved (Duck Tales style pogo attacks, Megaman style bosses, and Castlevania style sub weapons) and the hated (knock-back deaths and difficulty on the level of Megaman 2). Even so, Shovel Knight does enough to set itself apart as it's own game with it's quirky cast of characters, awesome music, amazing sprite art, and rather odd choice of weaponry. It is not perfect however; even though I would consider Shovel Knight a fair game, there were times where I felt that no person playing for their first time would be able to avoid death just because an enemy popped up over a bottomless pit when they weren't expecting it. A death in a video game is fair when the player sees danger coming and simply doesn't respond to it accordingly, it's not fair if you get sucker punched. Even so this only emboldens that classic NES feeling where a gamer will play again but this time with memory on their side. Shovel Knight is a game that is well worth your time.… Expand
  17. wingnut5k
    Jun 27, 2014
    9
    Now, I did not grow up with consoles, so I have no nostalgia except from what I played from the ambassador program and virtual console. But this is a masterpiece, with the only issue being some mechanics are infuriating. The combat is tight, the game has charm, a plethora of content, and loot a plenty. The game can be brutally hard (paying homage to the titles its based on), but makeNow, I did not grow up with consoles, so I have no nostalgia except from what I played from the ambassador program and virtual console. But this is a masterpiece, with the only issue being some mechanics are infuriating. The combat is tight, the game has charm, a plethora of content, and loot a plenty. The game can be brutally hard (paying homage to the titles its based on), but make beating a particularly hard boss that much more satisfying. The game features stages cleverly based on other titles, while bringing its own charm. Who can forget Treasure Knight and his Metroid themed level? Or the towns based on Zelda 2? It brings everything that was amazing (from my limited experience) of the older generation, but updated everything that was awful and made me shake my head. This is one you definitely don't want to miss, if you are up for a little challenge.… Expand
  18. fabio77
    Jun 26, 2014
    9
    Played a couple of hours and I can say it's a great old-style game! I don't know how long will it last, but had a lot of fun so far. Game has a lot of secrets and hidden paths, and so you''ll probably reply the levels a few times.
    Great 8/16 bit graphic and music
  19. Overanalytical
    Aug 6, 2014
    0
    While there is some value I'm certain many of those reading this can find I cannot this is due to a) me being a new gamer and not having an idea of what this is based off if making it seem like either a total rip off to something heavily inspired I can't connect to b) graphics like these tend to make me nauseous this is something of an issue I have and can take me out of the game a lot c)While there is some value I'm certain many of those reading this can find I cannot this is due to a) me being a new gamer and not having an idea of what this is based off if making it seem like either a total rip off to something heavily inspired I can't connect to b) graphics like these tend to make me nauseous this is something of an issue I have and can take me out of the game a lot c) this was overhyped and for reasons I've mentioned above did not deliver c) the difficulty is inconsistent making a lot of the already rather awkward controls and level design feel more well awkward I would go on but this short game isn't really worth my time and please note my actual score would be a 3… Expand
  20. TitaniumDragon
    Sep 13, 2014
    7
    Shovel Knight is a retro 2D platformer game deeply devoted to its aesthetic and its puns. Designed as a pseudo-NES game, it harkens back to a long-ago era in gaming, and the game itself feels as if it fits into the era of Megaman. You are the Shovel Knight, a knight armed with a shovel who must beat his way past 12 stages to confront the Sorceress and rescue Shield Knight.

    Story For    Shovel Knight is a retro 2D platformer game deeply devoted to its aesthetic and its puns. Designed as a pseudo-NES game, it harkens back to a long-ago era in gaming, and the game itself feels as if it fits into the era of Megaman. You are the Shovel Knight, a knight armed with a shovel who must beat his way past 12 stages to confront the Sorceress and rescue Shield Knight.

    Story

    For being such a simplistic game, there is a clear story to the game – Shovel Knight feels guilty because he could not save Shield Knight, and has recurring dreams of catching her while she is falling. Black Knight stands in between Shovel Knight and his goal, not out of loyalty to the Sorceress, but out of loyalty to Shield Knight. The Knights of No Order stand in the way for their own reasons.
    Is there much story here? No. But there is enough of a story – and enough reinforcement of the central theme of the game – that it works, and is a bit more than an excuse plot due to the recurring dream of saving Shield Knight.
    The game is also wonderfully full of terrible puns, and there are various townsfolk in a couple towns who can be spoken to and who often have silly dialogue.

    Gameplay

    The gameplay is very straightforward – Shovel Knight can hit things with his shovel, or use relics (of which there are 10), each of which has some special ability. Later on, Shovel Knight also gains the ability to charge up his shovel attacks to make them more powerful, and to switch which armor he is wearing for some minor bonus, frequently counteracted by some minor penalty.
    The game is very much classic platforming, with the ability for shovel knight to attack enemies from the side with his shovel or spring up and down on top of them using his shovel like a pogo stick, occasionally necessary for navigating the levels or accessing secrets. The levels often make use of the fact that the protagonist wields a shovel, forcing them to dig through obstacles, sometimes taking advantage of the fact that the pogo sticking has to be stopped manually, and sometimes making use of the shovel otherwise by having Shovel Knight dig stuff out or dig through walls. There is a surprisingly decent variety of enemies, harkening back to Megaman type games, though some of them are repeated with only minor variations between them.
    The relics add an additional complication to gameplay; however, I found that I didn’t end up using most of the relics very often, while the basic fireball attack relic, which granted a cheap ranged attack, and the temporary invincibility relic, were very versatile and useful. The rest were all very situational or just less cost efficient, though there were areas which specifically relied on the special properties of specific relics to navigate, which were interesting.
    The levels themselves were reasonably varied, in a way somewhat reminiscent of the Megaman games, where each of the 8 major bosses had a specific world, and there was a prologue stage and 3 end-game stages which combined elements from all the previous stages. In addition to the main stages, there were a number of additional mini-stages which often focused on some specific aspect of the game; the overworld map even had Super Mario Brothers 3-esque enemies pop up and walk around on the world map, encouraging you to go fight them.
    The levels also had various secrets hidden around them, and in hiding its secrets the game did quite well – the secrets are not immediately obvious, but if the player knows how to look, they stand out, and again remind me of secrets from the era. In addition to the relics, there are also musical tracks which serve as collectibles in the game, with one hidden in every level.
    The bosses themselves were reasonably varied and had a decent variety of abilities, but unfortunately suffered from being rather too easy; only two bosses ever killed me, and both of those were because of environmental hazards in the stage which spelled instant death, rather than the actual boss whittling away my health. They were reasonably interesting to fight, but unfortunately the ease of beating them combined with ready access to relics and a couple items reminiscent of E-Tanks from Megaman (fully restoring both magic and health – you could refill them before every stage, too, and could carry two of them) meant that losing to them was extremely unlikely, making them a bit disappointing in terms of difficulty level.
    On the whole, the game does a good job of recalling the 8-bit era, and it feels like a very solid game from that era. It is worth noting that the game also recalls the 8-bit era in terms of length as well – the game is pretty short, likely clocking in at 6-8 hours to complete, if not less, depending on how good you are at it and how much time you spend trying to collect achievements and gather money and search for every secret in the game.    … Expand
  21. Johangir
    Jul 2, 2014
    10
    This is an incredible game that respects and recreates the fundamentals of gaming's roots. It draws its aspirations from Zelda 2, Megaman, Mario 3, and Ducktales, but has so many creative concepts to form its own identity.

    The environments and characters have so much detail and personality to them, it's suprising and fresh to see that level of detail in an NES 8-bit styled game. Mostly    This is an incredible game that respects and recreates the fundamentals of gaming's roots. It draws its aspirations from Zelda 2, Megaman, Mario 3, and Ducktales, but has so many creative concepts to form its own identity.

    The environments and characters have so much detail and personality to them, it's suprising and fresh to see that level of detail in an NES 8-bit styled game. Mostly because it treats its genre (8-bit retro game) with the utmost respect and seriousness. There's no stupid gimmicks or references or winks to remind the player they're playing an 8-bit NES style game: the style is used to deliver a genuine oldschool experience with a straight face and the best of intentions.

    The music is amazing, catchy, and fits each theme very well. Jake Kaufman is a brilliant composer and his experience truly shines here, as it has when creating/remixing music for other games he's worked on (Contra 4, Ducktales Remastered, Shantae, etc).

    The challenge has the perfect gradual shift throughout the entire game. It starts off normal enough, then consistently increases in challenge until the very end. While you can improve Shovel Knight with new upgrades and abilities, as the player you will feel your own skill increase as you become familiar with how Shovel Knight handles ingame and learn to use him and his abilities much more efficiently. It's a magical learning curve that I haven't experienced since having played games from the golden age when I was a kid back in the 90's.

    Regardless of what console you purchase this on, it is a fantastic game in its own right, and provides an incredibly genuine experience and challenge that so many games are lacking nowadays. Perfect 10 out of 10.    … Expand
  22. FantasicGamer
    Jul 4, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. WOW! Amazing masterpiece and potential GOTY. Let me help the fanboy here, and shout out their slogan.

    This amazing 8-bit graphic style provides a perfect opportunity for the player to enjoy eye bleeding, and the interesting bunny jump makes the player to have an excitement like climbing to the top of mountain by overcoming the outdated and crappy controls.

    Oh yeah, old school graphic, checked. Old school rogue platform, checked. Old school controls, checked. Oh my, masterpiece and GOTY!!!!

    This is the standard of easy money these days.

    Now, the fanboy reaches the top of hill, EPIC!    … Expand
  23. Dwalde
    Jul 28, 2014
    10
    This game is simply amazing! Even though it's retro, it feels so good. The best part of this game must be the amazing level design and music, everything else still being of very good quality. If something, I disliked the rather short length of the game.
  24. daniel318
    Jun 28, 2014
    10
    My childhood of gaming wrapped up into one challenging, but forgiving game, with an amazing art style! Worth a buy at 15 dollars if you are in your 20's or 30's and want a true blast from the past with a brand new edge.
  25. ninesthousand
    Jun 28, 2014
    10
    Shovel Knight is as close to a perfect game in the style of oldschool NES platformers. Everything about it is perfect for what it does. The music is amazing as are the levels and features. It pays homage to older NES games like Ducktales, Mega Man, Castlevania, etc in a very beautiful way. A must buy on any system
  26. SaLDjouN
    Jun 27, 2014
    10
    This game is so awesome it's a mix of the best things you can find in megaman, duck tales, zelda (2 especially ) and smb 3 mixed with some modern thing like the dark souls style death. in one word : this games is really great
  27. jerry5278
    Jun 29, 2014
    10
    I really enjoyed shovel knight from beginning to end. Everything about this game blew me away. I just beat it, and am now playing through it again with new game +. This is not a game to be missed!!!!! 10/10
  28. Blacklist
    Jul 29, 2014
    10
    Shovel Knight combines smooth platforming with classic graphics to give gamers who enjoyed classic NES games what they want. The game features several equipable secondary items to use throughout, and a simple yet great storyline. Fantastic game, and if you enjoy platformers in general or played games on NES or SNES, this game is for you.

    Thank you Yacht Club Games, well done.
  29. SuperkenGaming
    Apr 30, 2015
    10
    Shovel Knight
    A must Play For all
    Shovel Knight is a beautifully charming action platforming game. Shovel Knights art style screams nostalgia sale, but I was happy to find that this game isn’t just here to pull money out of your pockets with heart strings, Shovel Knight is it’s own game, an instant classic. Shovel knight consists of 12 main levels all with their own boss battles, each    Shovel Knight
    A must Play For all
    Shovel Knight is a beautifully charming action platforming game.
    Shovel Knights art style screams nostalgia sale, but I was happy to find that this game isn’t just here to pull money out of your pockets with heart strings, Shovel Knight is it’s own game, an instant classic.
    Shovel knight consists of 12 main levels all with their own boss battles, each level and stage getting progressively more challenging.
    The pacing is really some of the best ive ever seen in gaming.
    Every level has checkpoints, this may annoy the hardcore gamers at first, but you really come to appreciate them, platforming can get really trick for those of us that are impatient.
    These type of gamers are who the checkpoints are for, they are essentially training wheels.
    Shovel Knight is really more than just a flat forming game, it truly is an experience, and im happy these checkpoints exist so all can experience and guess what… checkpoints are COMPLETELY optional.
    Don’t like them?
    Break them, they drop cash so now you have nothing to complain about.
    I wouldn’t recommend doing such a thing your first time through as again, shovel knight gets increasingly challenging.
    Enemies will start throwing projectiles, youll have to dodge lava and spikes and look out for enemies while you seek out secrets.
    There are tons of secrets to be found in shovel knight that I wont spoil, but they add such a great deal of wonder to the game, you never know what youre going to find in a room you just uncovered from an exploding rat.
    It could be a music page for you to sell in the villiage, or a new relic waiting for you to grab to help you out through the rest of the game.
    I wasn’t expecting relics, but im so happy they exist, these relics all cost magic to use so cant really be spammed, but they are all varied and make you look at levels for better, more efficient ways to traverse them.
    You can also save your gold for armour and shovel upgrades, maybe increased magic or meal tickets to increase your health, the choice is yours, but unless youre completely confident in your skills walking into an unknown area you better make that choice before going back out, because every time you die you drop 3 pouches of gold much like in the souls series.
    If you want that gold back youre going to have to go grab it, if you die on your way back then its gone forever..
    The risk reward makes traversing these gorgeous levels even more enjoyable.
    Not only did this development team due a great job with level design and enemies, but also with bosses.
    Each boss has its own attack style, so no 2 relics will be equally handy in these encounters, gratefully though, they all die the same way, hit them an x amount of times.
    Games can get in the habit of making bosses a little too unique, what shovel knight does so great is make the encounters similar enough to give you a sense of pride and feeling like you used skill to defeat a new enemy rather than you just got completely lucky.
    It isn’t common to die during your first encounter with a new boss and that is so refreshing.
    I wont get into story all too much, but I will say that it is there, there is reason to the madness and it, at least to me is beautiful.
    After you’ve completed the game and have picked every level apart for its secrets and treasures, you have the option to start a new game +.
    New game plus lets you start from the beginning with everything you collected in your previous play through, but this time levels are a little tougher as youll notice some checkpoints are missing, enemies do double damage, and there are no health pick ups.
    There are tons of challenging feats to accomplish in shovel knight.
    Totally worth the playthrough just to experience, a highly recommended game title to both casual and hardcore gamers alike.
    I truly believe that everyone can find something to love about shovel knight.
    For what it is
    Action platformer 10/10
    and as an overall game my first ever 10/10    … Expand
  30. Akumala
    Mar 28, 2015
    6
    Terribly dated and simple plattformer in NES technique, with a frustratingly high difficulty.
    After having tried to like this game for about 20 hours, i cannot recommend this game.
  31. gattienzo
    Jul 28, 2015
    3
    Este juego esta sobre valorado, el hecho que se ponga de moda los gráficos de family game no quiere decir que un juego sea bueno. Cualquier juego nuevo con gráficos de Kirby es totalmente superior. Hay que innovar muchachos , no ir para atras.
  32. SkySlam
    Oct 4, 2015
    8
    Retro masterpiece! Great platformer inspired by amazing titles from the NES days. Being a fan of MegaMan, I can't help but recommend this little jewel. Controls are smooth, the music is cool, the graphics are nice and the levels are cleverly designed to entertain the player without frustrating him/her too much.
    The duration of the story mode is pretty short (5-7 hours), be aware of that.    Retro masterpiece! Great platformer inspired by amazing titles from the NES days. Being a fan of MegaMan, I can't help but recommend this little jewel. Controls are smooth, the music is cool, the graphics are nice and the levels are cleverly designed to entertain the player without frustrating him/her too much.
    The duration of the story mode is pretty short (5-7 hours), be aware of that. Still totally worth the money in my opinion.    … Expand
  33. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    8
    Rarely have I so enjoyed a game that so persistently made me rage, or made me care for an 8-bit sprite as much as I cared for Shield Knight, but Shovel Knight is just that game. An affectionate homage to the golden age of console gaming, Shovel Knight comes to us from former members of Wayforward Technologies, creators of the Shantae series. The game's incredibly varied stages play outRarely have I so enjoyed a game that so persistently made me rage, or made me care for an 8-bit sprite as much as I cared for Shield Knight, but Shovel Knight is just that game. An affectionate homage to the golden age of console gaming, Shovel Knight comes to us from former members of Wayforward Technologies, creators of the Shantae series. The game's incredibly varied stages play out like a greatest hits album of classic platformers. But unlike, say, Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania, Shovel Knight never feels cheap or punishing. The game is filled with a lovable cast of characters, excellent music (courtesy of the ineffable Virt Kaufman, the musical genius behind Contra 4, Scurge: Hive, Shantae, and several other games), useful powerups and hair-pulling jumping puzzles. The controls are extremely tight, and any mistakes you make are your own damn fault. The game rather mercifully makes use of checkpoints, only depriving you of money when you die, money you have a chance to retrieve when you make it back to where you died. And even if you don't, you can always farm for more, and you will need quite a bit to buy all the upgrades. I had to take a few breaks over the course of playing Shovel Knight to cool off, but I kept coming back until I was done. I do not regret for a second backing this lovely game on kickstarter. If you enjoy platformers and classic NES era gaming in general, then grab yourself a copy of Shovel Knight and prepare to strike the earth!… Expand
  34. Tokyochuchu
    Jul 17, 2014
    10
    I grew up in the NES era. I loved such platformers as Duck Tales, Mega Man, Kabuki Quantum Fighter, Castlevania, Low G Man, Super Mario Bros... The list could go on and on for miles. But Shovel Knight has become my favorite action-platform game of all time. It's perfect in every way; the pin-point controls, the awesome soundtrack, the endearing characters, the quirky humor, the exquisiteI grew up in the NES era. I loved such platformers as Duck Tales, Mega Man, Kabuki Quantum Fighter, Castlevania, Low G Man, Super Mario Bros... The list could go on and on for miles. But Shovel Knight has become my favorite action-platform game of all time. It's perfect in every way; the pin-point controls, the awesome soundtrack, the endearing characters, the quirky humor, the exquisite level design, the balanced difficulty and the emotional gut-punch of the ending. Shovel Knight is brilliant beyond all comprehension. If you ever wanted a modern 2D platformer to catch the true essence of the all-time classics then you can't afford to miss this game. To echo the most common words associated with this title; Shovel Knight is an absolute masterpiece.… Expand
  35. sh4dow
    Oct 4, 2015
    10
    Wow, I think this is the first time that I agree more with the critics than the users on this site. By now, thanks to the free DLC, I've now sunk over 20 hours into this game and it is still a blast. I don't get what's not to like about it. The controls are spot-on, the gameplay is retro yet modern (check points, automatic saving) and similar things go for the visuals (it's 8 bit style butWow, I think this is the first time that I agree more with the critics than the users on this site. By now, thanks to the free DLC, I've now sunk over 20 hours into this game and it is still a blast. I don't get what's not to like about it. The controls are spot-on, the gameplay is retro yet modern (check points, automatic saving) and similar things go for the visuals (it's 8 bit style but animations usually weren't as refined back then and the color palette not as varied). Also lots of content and unlockables. This is probably in my Top 3 of the last few years.… Expand
  36. Makaveli
    May 21, 2015
    8
    This game reminds me alot of Megaman, only with Megaman you had to defeat robot masters, with Shovel Knight you defeat different types of knights. Which Megaman you have Doctor Wilys castle and in this you have the same thing but not with Wily..

    It's a good game, it's not perfect but it really took me back to the days of the NES.

    8.5
  37. citizendog
    Jul 9, 2014
    9
    I have been playing that kind of games since 1987 and I gotta say GREAT work.

    CONTROLS are the most important aspect when it comes to any platformer. Perfectly done, I cannot say anything negative about that. GAMEPLAY itself is a solid 9/10 for this genre. SOUND and GRAPHICS are very suitable and harmonic. FUNNY and DIVERSIFIED storyline... Jesus, why haven't you already    I have been playing that kind of games since 1987 and I gotta say GREAT work.

    CONTROLS are the most important aspect when it comes to any platformer. Perfectly done, I cannot say anything negative about that.

    GAMEPLAY itself is a solid 9/10 for this genre.

    SOUND and GRAPHICS are very suitable and harmonic.

    FUNNY and DIVERSIFIED storyline...

    Jesus, why haven't you already purchased this game yet??    … Expand
  38. Toiletfinger
    Nov 1, 2014
    9
    It's great! Cheap and easy to play. More involved that I originally thought. Great stuff if you miss the 16 bit era. A little short, but it's worth your time and cash. Enjoy!
  39. Rolento
    Aug 31, 2014
    9
    They say there is no such thing as new "art", and that what you have to do in order to get new art is take pre-existing ideas, combine them and twist them at your will. In an industry were "innovative", "groundbreaking", "brand new" and procedurally generated "infinite possibilities" are thrown at us so easily and so much that it almost causes physical sickness to read them, someoneThey say there is no such thing as new "art", and that what you have to do in order to get new art is take pre-existing ideas, combine them and twist them at your will. In an industry were "innovative", "groundbreaking", "brand new" and procedurally generated "infinite possibilities" are thrown at us so easily and so much that it almost causes physical sickness to read them, someone remembers that games should be fun, that games shouldn't just blindly try to be innovative for the sake of it, that creativity comes from restriction just as much fun and awe can come from a pre-constructed level and from venturing in it.

    Now for the non pretentious part, this game has mechanics from most thing that are impossible to dislike: Castlevania and Megaman's atmosphere and gameplay combined, the DuckTales NES gem's pogo mechanic, and Dark Souls death penalties, and throws them together bound by a love(?)-driven story about character with a simple yet cool gimmick (every knight is a Something Knight, with Shovel Knight being the main character with a... uh, Shovel). In its simplistic story it even manages to be slightly sentimental and dramatic (Shield Knight's story) and has a couple of neat details that one may not even notice (Being a Cerulean knight with horns wasn't just a random design choice, as you are kind of given hints of character's "origins" in the Polar Knight stage).

    What can I say? The only way to fail with this premise is to have poor level design or not being polished, and that's not the case either: the game never goes out of its "NES game with some technological licenses" self-imposed stylistic boundary and the levels play and feel like they're straight out of a classic, alternating action, puzzle and tense mixes of the two.

    One minor complaint: among the things the game takes inspiration from, there's Super Mario Bros. 3's level selection and roaming enemies, but overall it only gives the illusion of non-linearity and it's pretty much a superfluous thing that doesn't really give you much options other than choosing what boss to beat first.    … Expand
  40. mg96
    Sep 17, 2015
    9
    Some people say it's a retro game, it looks old bla bla bla... . shovel knight is one of the best indie games ever and there is no reason to hate this game. great boss fight, great humor, great music and great graphic.
    some games like shovel knight are much better in 8-bit because for someone like me it brings childhood memories and for someone who never played old school games, shovel    Some people say it's a retro game, it looks old bla bla bla... . shovel knight is one of the best indie games ever and there is no reason to hate this game. great boss fight, great humor, great music and great graphic.
    some games like shovel knight are much better in 8-bit because for someone like me it brings childhood memories and for someone who never played old school games, shovel knight is something new. with great and challenging gameplay and unforgettable musics it's stupid to hate this game just because of the old school style of the game.    … Expand
  41. Polarthief
    Jul 26, 2014
    10
    One of the very few games I can ever give a 10, Shovel Knight is a shining example of how to put love into a game and make it amazing. Amazing music, fluid controls, great gameplay, unlockables, humor, references, a plethora of cheat codes; you can really feel the love that comes from Shovel Knight. Just play the first level of the game or even the demo and you'll see what I mean. In anOne of the very few games I can ever give a 10, Shovel Knight is a shining example of how to put love into a game and make it amazing. Amazing music, fluid controls, great gameplay, unlockables, humor, references, a plethora of cheat codes; you can really feel the love that comes from Shovel Knight. Just play the first level of the game or even the demo and you'll see what I mean. In an era of mostly AAA publisher **** where corporations think we're too stupid to see through their crappy games, Shovel Knight rises among the indie genre and is well worth your $15. The only downside to SK is that it's very short, but only at the moment. The Yacht Club is adding updates every so often once they create the additional content of Kickstarter Goals that were all met, such as playing as Shield Knight instead of Shovel Knight, 3 playable boss characters, a VS mode, a Challenge Mode (similar to the New SMB U version or something akin to NES Remix) and a whole lot of other stuff! Well worth the wait and the money, and deserves all the praise it can get.… Expand
  42. MGTE
    Dec 15, 2014
    8
    In the last couple of years the obsession with old school games has led many developers to develop their own 8/16bit games. This attitude has flooded the market with mediocre 2D ”old-school” platformers and instantly became the ”go to” genre for most Indie developers, spawning hundreds of failed Kickstarter projects and all of that is not a case when it comes to Yacht Club Games, they’veIn the last couple of years the obsession with old school games has led many developers to develop their own 8/16bit games. This attitude has flooded the market with mediocre 2D ”old-school” platformers and instantly became the ”go to” genre for most Indie developers, spawning hundreds of failed Kickstarter projects and all of that is not a case when it comes to Yacht Club Games, they’ve raised $311,502 and released their first game, Shovel Knight. The game delivers a visually appealing 8-bit aesthetic, an amazing soundtrack and smooth animations.

    Let’s talk about the story. The game opens up with the ”cutscene” showing the game’s protagonist, Shovel Knight and his partner Shield Knight, you can clearly tell that the devs put a lot of thought into the characters’ names. Following a tragedy, Shield Knight is taken away from Shovel Knight by The Enchantress and her army, the Order of no Quarter…I’m not making that up. The Order consists of eight knights, each of them is originally named, for ex. Mole Knight, Plauge Knight or The Black Knight…yeah. Back to the story, you grab your shovel…yes, a shovel and go off on an epic adventure to defeat The Enchantress.
    One of the things I love about Shovel Knight is how it teaches you how to play it without spamming the text boxes with ”TO JUMP PRESS THE A BUTTON” and things like that. The first few stages teach you everything you need to know without saying anything, this is great, it made me want to play the game even more.

    The stages play like in a Mega Man game, the monsters are not your only enemies in the game, the environments can get involved in the action too, for ex. the lightning effects occasionaly light up making moving from platform to platform that much more difficult, it got kind of frustrating but it was interesting. The combat is extremely basic, but satisfying, just like in the 8bit era–had to download an NES emulator to realize that. You have your basic ”shovel slash” but you can also do sort of a Duck Tales attack by leaping on top of your enemies. You can also use your shovel to epically dig out a treasure from the ground. Shovel is not your only weapon, throughout the game you come across other weapons that allow you to attack from afar aka fire wand.

    I really liked that the devs included the checkpoint system so that you don’t have to start from the start when you die, I’m glad that you guys did not go hardcore mode with your old-school roots. You also have an option to destroy a checkpoint for some loot, I have never done that but If you enjoy challenge then sure, go for it. The treasures you’ve collected throughout the game allow you to purchase certain things like health/mana upgrades. After each stage you are transported to a world map that allows you to access different levels, in order to advance to a next area you first have to beat one of the previously mentioned, originally named Knights.

    Each stage presents new challenges that make the game more difficult the further you advance. They each have a unique theme and sometimes, new enemies that act differently and force different approaches, it makes for a very enjoyable gameplay experience. Same goes for the platforming, it gets more and more challenging as you play.

    I need to touch on one more thing that in my opinion, might be the most enjoyable thing about Shovel Knight, the boss fights. Each Knight has a unique fighting style and requires a bit of thinking, you have to figure out a pattern in which they move before attacking. You can’t just spam the attack button, just like in the old days(so I’ve heard) you have to think before approaching. I can safely say that this game offered me the most enjoyable boss fights I’ve ever experienced. Big round of applause for that.

    Lastly, I would like to talk about the difficulty of the game. I’ve had two weeks to write and publish this review but instead it took me three. I really did not think that the game would be that difficult, I thought that I’d be able to swoosh through the game in a couple of days but no, that was certainly not the case. It might be because I did not grew up in the 80s, and I did not fully experience the true ”holy-f*cking sh*t, this is hard” era so, It might be easier for you old people out there but nonetheless I’ve had a ton of fun and I certainly will re-play it again, this time with cheat codes. (there are over 300 of them in the game).    … Expand
  43. everin
    Feb 6, 2017
    7
    TIER 2

    + Obviously pays strong respects to that which inspired it, but comes out on top as feeling more polished, dense, and masterfully executed than many retro games. + A very good mixture of level mechanics and themes, and while the player has limited mobility and attacks, the levels provide new tools and experiences time and time again. ? The spell system is interesting in    TIER 2

    + Obviously pays strong respects to that which inspired it, but comes out on top as feeling more polished, dense, and masterfully executed than many retro games.
    + A very good mixture of level mechanics and themes, and while the player has limited mobility and attacks, the levels provide new tools and experiences time and time again.
    ? The spell system is interesting in providing a variety of new tools, but ultimately feels like mixed bag random additional mechanics that reduce the tight execution of the title.
    ? The tedium of some of the boss fights makes it too easy to be tempted into using the invincibility mechanics on offer to cheese combat.
    - The base movement and combat systems, while true to retro games, often don't feel good to use. The lack of directional attacks make many of the enemies nothing but annoying unless you happen to click with what's on offer.    … Expand
  44. anggadaz
    Aug 8, 2014
    8
    This game is not bad if you try it. The graphic game is retro and like pixel. But this game is good. If you try thi game, the game is enjoyable. This is real good game.
  45. mattia_76
    Jan 21, 2015
    8
    I' m giving it an 8, but keep in mind that this game cannot compare with graphics of today. It is a pleasure for old time gamers that look into the past with nostalgia. The game takes the best of games like Super Mario Bros 3, Faxanadu, Zelda 2, Mega Man & others, creating a game that has a unique personality.
    If you want to make a leap back in the past and remember the taste of the    I' m giving it an 8, but keep in mind that this game cannot compare with graphics of today. It is a pleasure for old time gamers that look into the past with nostalgia. The game takes the best of games like Super Mario Bros 3, Faxanadu, Zelda 2, Mega Man & others, creating a game that has a unique personality.
    If you want to make a leap back in the past and remember the taste of the 80/90's, you should really try this game out.    … Expand
  46. Adrw
    Sep 15, 2014
    10
    The good ol' Megaman, Castlevania and Duck Tales merged into one game. Everyone who grew up playing NES should absolutely try it. And the soundtracks is just amazing.
  47. DayAtNight67
    Aug 23, 2014
    10
    This game is amasing. One of the best in 2014. Entertaining boss fights, always something new every level, the best music I've heard in a video game and the ending was just so good. I've never wanted a sequel of a game so badly since Dishonored. And one tip: don't close the game in the credits, just trust me.
  48. Borreh
    Jul 13, 2014
    10
    Absolutely gorgeous game. It's not only about the nostalgia, as I probably hadn't played a more perfect title since ages. It may be a niche game for retro gaming fans, but it's brilliantly crafted in every aspect. Bonus points for top-notch writing and a charming (if simple) story.
  49. rundje
    Jul 11, 2014
    10
    What. A. Game. This 8bit master piece is worth buying! from the gameplay to the chiptune music, we need more of this! highly recommended to buy this game!
  50. Amaerlyn
    Mar 21, 2015
    10
    There's no doubt where inspiration came from when making this game and I love it. There isn't much that I want different with this game and that feeling of playing a brand new game that feels like it is part of something old really comes through.

    There isn't really much to say but O. M. G. !
  51. jacob4
    Apr 9, 2016
    10
    An absolute classic and masterpiece! Shovel Knight combines all the things we loved from the old classic 8-bit games like Mario, Metroid, Castlevania, Mega Man, etc. with some Dark Souls leveled difficulty even added in. This game has great action and adventure, lovable characters, great soundtrack, gorgeous 8-bit graphic, and an awesome story. An absolute must play and one of the bestAn absolute classic and masterpiece! Shovel Knight combines all the things we loved from the old classic 8-bit games like Mario, Metroid, Castlevania, Mega Man, etc. with some Dark Souls leveled difficulty even added in. This game has great action and adventure, lovable characters, great soundtrack, gorgeous 8-bit graphic, and an awesome story. An absolute must play and one of the best games of the year.… Expand
  52. ChuangTzu
    Jul 8, 2014
    8
    If you loved 80s platform games such as Megaman or Duck Tales, then you have to try this.
    Shovel knight is a brilliant revival of the genre in crisp full HD, with inspiration also from the first Zeldas (the inventory and the cities) and several others of the best 8-bit games.
  53. Robobob
    May 28, 2015
    5
    Shovel Knight is an ok game that harkens back to the old school 8-bit games. There are some fun levels though I noticed they are mostly very short with some difficult platforming to take up your time. The music is good but repetitive (like the old school games) so I muted it after the first level. I noticed the keyboard controls are not very intuitive and responsive for platforming typeShovel Knight is an ok game that harkens back to the old school 8-bit games. There are some fun levels though I noticed they are mostly very short with some difficult platforming to take up your time. The music is good but repetitive (like the old school games) so I muted it after the first level. I noticed the keyboard controls are not very intuitive and responsive for platforming type games.. I wish I had a controller for my PC to see if it was easier to play, but my hands felt cramped and crowded by the AWSD keys and I wish there was a better way to traverse the menus and use your special power... which required hitting 2 keys which I would not time correctly very often. I played with the key setup constantly but didn't find one that I would like. All-in-all I found some levels to be extremely difficult though but the boss battles were easy. One level I just couldn't get through so I quit altogether, It was a fun few hours until it got too frustrating.… Expand
  54. AVdE
    May 13, 2015
    9
    Shovel Knight is a great game, both for gamers attracted by the '80s nostalgia, and for people who want a taste of what made '80s games so great. The difficulty is just right: very challenging ('80s style), but not offputtingly frustrating. The art style of this game is top notch, and the Mega Man-ish music just really hypes you up for the level. Seriously, the 8-bit styled atmosphere andShovel Knight is a great game, both for gamers attracted by the '80s nostalgia, and for people who want a taste of what made '80s games so great. The difficulty is just right: very challenging ('80s style), but not offputtingly frustrating. The art style of this game is top notch, and the Mega Man-ish music just really hypes you up for the level. Seriously, the 8-bit styled atmosphere and music shows off real love towards all the classics this game was inspired by. And if you play with a controller, the controls are excellent. Level design is fantastic, boss battles are great, there are lots of collectibles in hidden areas. Also, the destroy-the-checkpoints-and-get-goodies-idea is genius.

    All that being said, the game might be a little bit over-hyped. Don't get me wrong, I had a blast playing it, but I don't think I enjoyed it as much as some other people did.

    Nevertheless, this is a really original and fun game you absolutely need to have in your library. 8.5/10    … Expand
  55. VGMage
    Sep 10, 2014
    10
    When I heard about this game, I thought it would be an alt-platformer, using your shovel on like grass and stuff; Little did I know this is one of the most fine-tuned overall games I've played in a while. There isn't a real bad thing about this game. It's like Super Meat Boy in the sense that if you die, it's entirely on you; This is one smooth playing game. It's plot is very intriguing,When I heard about this game, I thought it would be an alt-platformer, using your shovel on like grass and stuff; Little did I know this is one of the most fine-tuned overall games I've played in a while. There isn't a real bad thing about this game. It's like Super Meat Boy in the sense that if you die, it's entirely on you; This is one smooth playing game. It's plot is very intriguing, even though it's not much. Once your motivation is given to you for going through these lands and slaying enemies with your trusty shovel, you don't wanna put it down. It can be very challenging, you will die. A lot. But there's nothing stopping you from trying it right after it's done. The music is insane, one of the best retro-esque chiptune soundtracks I've heard. The level design is top-notch, you can tell this wasn't a level editor type of game, with the same type of platforms in a certain way for a whole area of the map; it's a game that is identifiable as a really well thought-out game. When you finish a level, you feel a real sense of accomplishment of what you've done. This game deserves all the unreal praise it's getting, this game is essentially flawless. Pick it up. I promise, you will not be let down.… Expand
  56. UserSubmitted
    Nov 1, 2014
    9
    A great Throwback title, the games bosses do not follow a pattern which in turn allows for more fun and interesting boss fights, responsive controls are great, and fun gameplay all in one package what more could you ask for? it really fits in with the retro aspect in gaming, excellent.
  57. jumpsplat
    Sep 23, 2014
    9
    Great gameplay, solid story, epic soundtrack. Worth a solid 15-40 hours of memorable gameplay. Only two negative things to say about the game. I thought the price was a little high for the length of the game (I usually buy games on sale but bought this game full price on release). Also if you have a long history with platformers this game may not pose enough of a challenge on it's own,Great gameplay, solid story, epic soundtrack. Worth a solid 15-40 hours of memorable gameplay. Only two negative things to say about the game. I thought the price was a little high for the length of the game (I usually buy games on sale but bought this game full price on release). Also if you have a long history with platformers this game may not pose enough of a challenge on it's own, setting yourself extra goals or trying for the tricky achievements can fix that though.… Expand
  58. Sietse
    Oct 3, 2014
    9
    first of all. This game is fun! I played a lot of games this year and Shovel Knight is in my top 5 list. I grew up with NES games, but when I play does games now a days it doesn't cut it anymore(most of the time). they are old, really slow graphics are not that great.. Anyway, I was a bit sceptical at first when people were recommending this game all over the internet. telling that thisfirst of all. This game is fun! I played a lot of games this year and Shovel Knight is in my top 5 list. I grew up with NES games, but when I play does games now a days it doesn't cut it anymore(most of the time). they are old, really slow graphics are not that great.. Anyway, I was a bit sceptical at first when people were recommending this game all over the internet. telling that this game was amazing. $ 15 is not that cheap but I had some money left in my account so I bought the game and started playing. From the first level until the last one all are really beautiful fun and innovative in there own way. It' felt like the first time I started playing zelda game. It looks retro but it doesn't feel this way. If your are looking for high end 3d hd res etc. don't buy it, but when you like a good platform game and can look through 8bit this is a game for you.… Expand
  59. Pummel
    Oct 7, 2014
    10
    This game takes many of the classic NES games (Super Mario Bros 3, Castlevania, Megaman, Zelda 2) and combines all the best parts of them into a pretty coherent story with excellent gameplay. It does have items special to only this game and special skills that set the game apart from other stated games. It also offers a few side quests for items that are not necessary to complete the game.
  60. Steeldude
    Mar 18, 2015
    8
    A good retro platforming game. It has a few issues (such as the final fight being not very good and most of the upgrades not being useful), but overall it is a great fun from start to finish.
  61. DailySparta
    Nov 17, 2014
    9
    Okay, giant disclaimer: I DID NOT GROW UP WITH ANY RETRO PLATFORMERS!
    But even that didn't stop this game from being amazing.
    Shovel Knight is an amazing game which really mixes platforming with combat well. It is VERY similar to Mega Man, and those games are great. It took everything that was great about Mega Man games, and polishes them and improves them. Dying means your money flies    Okay, giant disclaimer: I DID NOT GROW UP WITH ANY RETRO PLATFORMERS!
    But even that didn't stop this game from being amazing.

    Shovel Knight is an amazing game which really mixes platforming with combat well. It is VERY similar to Mega Man, and those games are great. It took everything that was great about Mega Man games, and polishes them and improves them. Dying means your money flies away, but you can get it back! Meaning if you're good, an occasional death is literally inconsequential. Its graphics really leave quite a bit to your imagination, but are detailed enough to be amazing looking! Oh, and the music. Ohhh the music. It's amazing. The bosses have telegraphed moves, but they don't have an order! Boss fights are therefore fun and challenging, and even a little enraging at some points. =D This game is a masterpiece, even without nostalgia goggles making everything look even better. The one point off is just the fact that it feels a bit short, but honestly, that's not much of a problem. Trying to get all those feats will CERTAINLY make you work hard and keep replay ability high.

    Short Version
    Pro: Excellent mechanics, fun enemies, tight platforming, heaps of replay ability, and a decent challenge!
    Con: A little bit short.    … Expand
  62. edwartexe
    Mar 11, 2015
    10
    ITS PERFECT this game is great! from the simple controlers than can be aplied to interact in so many ways with the enviroment and enemies. the level design which is intuitive and fun to travel while creating new challenges and new ways for you to act in them. the boss characters have enough charm and personality to make themselves notable and their fights have great variety. the storyITS PERFECT this game is great! from the simple controlers than can be aplied to interact in so many ways with the enviroment and enemies. the level design which is intuitive and fun to travel while creating new challenges and new ways for you to act in them. the boss characters have enough charm and personality to make themselves notable and their fights have great variety. the story seems simple at first but it turns deeper and much more rewarding than initialy expected i wont spoil just gonna tell you its great XD. the 8bit graphics are amazing, colorful and detailed enough to give off all sorts of characters and animations. the upgrades are not about making the character stronger but about giving you new tools for you to traverse the levels without breaking the dificulty. i just wanna say i didnt play the 8bit era of games so i can see that this is not merely nostalgia bait, its a full experience on its own I LOVE THIS GAME… Expand
  63. renreview
    Mar 27, 2015
    7
    I wanted to love this game, i always enjoyed old games, i bought a lot of them on steam and my 3ds. And i was really excited for this game to come out. But something about shovel night makes me so frustrated every time i play it, except the beginning. It may be that i played it on steam instead of my 3ds and it may be better with an xbox controller, but the games controls well on pc. soI wanted to love this game, i always enjoyed old games, i bought a lot of them on steam and my 3ds. And i was really excited for this game to come out. But something about shovel night makes me so frustrated every time i play it, except the beginning. It may be that i played it on steam instead of my 3ds and it may be better with an xbox controller, but the games controls well on pc. so thats not a problem, the problem is that it is frustrating it can't be that its to hard, i play dark souls. I think its that some enemies in the game feel cheap like in risen 3, except hear their much easier to kill and can kill you faster, it may not sound that bad but i got so mad at this game that i broke my headphones by ripping the wire. But this game is good, it has great music great platforming and some amazing things that you can use or buy, i mean use because there are platforms that can kill you but if you're smart and you time it right you can use it to your advantage. if you have one, buy it on your 3ds, if not, i would wait for a sale… Expand
  64. albanshqiptar
    Jun 30, 2015
    8
    This game has the best level design i have ever seen. The music is so good it is worth to download the soundtrack and the 8 bit gaming features are on point. One of the best platformers that has challenge and charm. My only complaint is that its a bit on the short side. (For me it only took 3 hours). But at least every minute I enjoyed.
  65. pwp20
    Aug 2, 2015
    9
    Overall impression: An excellent ode to the retro era. A must play for anyone who grew up with late 80s/ early 90s video games.

    This game is beautiful, fun, excellent to handle, catchy, and fair (people who played old games will know what I mean). My only problem was that is was too short (yep! in other words it was so great I wanted more).
  66. gogetaxvegeto
    Aug 6, 2015
    9
    One of the best retro graphics game out there. The combat system is good, the platforming feels fun, soundtrack is catchy and the sprites looks gorgeous. It's really great to play it. Truly a modern day platforming gem.
  67. the_Slugman
    Aug 24, 2015
    9
    Awesome. Super fun from start to finish. The game as long as it needs to be without overstaying its welcome and proves to be difficult without becoming frustrating. The Dark Souls-esque gold recovery system is solid and the multitude of special abilities you gain are interesting and diverse. On top of all of this, the graphics and music are straight out of the NES era – many games try toAwesome. Super fun from start to finish. The game as long as it needs to be without overstaying its welcome and proves to be difficult without becoming frustrating. The Dark Souls-esque gold recovery system is solid and the multitude of special abilities you gain are interesting and diverse. On top of all of this, the graphics and music are straight out of the NES era – many games try to nail this down but only a select few get it right.

    A charming, hilarious, and challenging adventure worth adding to your library.    … Expand
  68. Uygar
    Oct 24, 2015
    10
    Shovel Knight is a 2014 2D side-scrolling platform game, developed and published by independent video game developer Yacht Club Games. Following a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, the game was initially released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U in June 2014, and ports of the game for OS X and Linux followed in September of the same year.
  69. Platinum48
    Nov 24, 2015
    10
    This is one of the few platform games sold on Steam that are not spiritual successors of other series to get along in campaigns to raise funds and it was no wonder, the game is quite challenging, is with graphics that much resemble the 8-bit games, and has an interesting plot . I recommend this game for the nostalgic duty that has money to spend on Steam. Your money paid will not be in vain
  70. zamapa
    Jan 24, 2016
    10
    I have never owned an NES, I have never played an NES game yet I still love this game. It has solid controls and teaches through game-play instead of text. You constantly obtain new abilities in the game, and encounter new enemies and objects. The level design is extremely clever, teaching you something in a low stress situation, and later adding pressure to test you on what you'veI have never owned an NES, I have never played an NES game yet I still love this game. It has solid controls and teaches through game-play instead of text. You constantly obtain new abilities in the game, and encounter new enemies and objects. The level design is extremely clever, teaching you something in a low stress situation, and later adding pressure to test you on what you've learned.

    The graphics and music and charming, and I think they're great even though I have no nostalgia for them. The story is simple and skip able, I couldn't ask for much more. The game become's very challenging, and even though it teaches the mechanics of levels well before you encounter them in a deadly situation, you can still die in some cheap ways. The game is full of adorable characters, and it never felt like it was wasting my time. If I didn't want to talk to a character I usually didn't have to, and if I did I could skip their dialogue if I wanted.

    This is one of my favorite platformers mostly because of the amazing level design. There is so much polish on every detail of this game and it's noticeable. It's fun, and even though the gameplay can be unforgiving checkpoints are frequent and give you some breathing room. This entire game is an example of a great tutorial.    … Expand
  71. SMGamer
    Jun 2, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. WARNING:This review contains spoilers, so if you don't want to hear spoilers, then don't press the button Expand.This game is perfect! It's well done, the controls are tight, smooth and amazing graphics and backgrounds, and to top it all off, the gameplay is amazing!! I love the bosses, especially Plague Knight and The Enchantress. I can't forget the second phase of the enchantress when you down-stab on Shield Knight's shield and smacking the Enchantress' head with my shovel, using my favorite Relic: The Propeller Dagger to continue stabbing her mercilessly till she dies! God, everything is amazing!… Expand
  72. Gigaflops
    Dec 1, 2016
    10
    Solo para nostalgicos de los 8 bits. Los niñosrata nunca entenderán este tipo de juegos. Un 10 para este fantástico juego que te devuelve a la epoca de los 80/90.
  73. kelvinsanchez15
    Jan 16, 2019
    8
    Para todos los amantes de los juegos de plataforma Shovel Knight es un juego que debes jugar si o si, tiene un gameplay fluido, curva de dificultad bien trabajada, OST de alto nivel y una aventura/historia inolvidable.
  74. aditya1101
    Jan 6, 2018
    10
    A lot of great retro platformers have popped up recently, but few have felt as great to play as shovel knight. This game perfectly captures the ability of retro platformers to have fairly simple core mechanics but to scale immensely in difficulty. This is a game where every level felt super fun to play through over and over again until I had mastered it. Also, it has an incredible soundtrack :D
  75. Guishu
    Apr 25, 2018
    9
    Let me address this before anything: My thought process for my reviews are obviously personal BUT I do take into account a lot of objective factors (Not other people's reviews though.) Just keep that in mind so you can understand why I couldn't give this game a perfect 10.
    Shovel Knight is my favorite platformer in the last 5 years. I don't think any other game comes close. However it is    Let me address this before anything: My thought process for my reviews are obviously personal BUT I do take into account a lot of objective factors (Not other people's reviews though.) Just keep that in mind so you can understand why I couldn't give this game a perfect 10.
    Shovel Knight is my favorite platformer in the last 5 years. I don't think any other game comes close. However it is also true this game is just what I expect from my perfect platformer. So my perfect score turns into a almost perfect score when I take into account some factors. Rogue-likes and RPGs go very well together. Adding platforming to the mix is not an easy task. I really want to know how in the world Yacht Club Games made it look as easy as counting to three.
    Amazing art, Inspired enemies and levels, cool bosses and some over world goodies? Yes please. Shovel Knight does it all, and it does it great. I love this game and I love the creators for making it. I expect big things from them know, so I'll guess we will see.
    Shovel knight suffers from one thing though: It is not that original. It may seem like it, but I wish I had seen at least one mechanic that I would have never seen coming. That would make it a 10 out of 10 review worthy game. A 9 is still a must play with me.    … Expand
  76. OrlandoPloom
    Nov 1, 2018
    10
    Hear me, hear me, here is my love for a game that makes me rise my shovel up and pretend it's a good weapon. Always great feeling to kill someone with a shovel. MASTERPIECE 2/10. No, seriously, a masterpiece.
  77. FrostormNidhegg
    Mar 23, 2020
    9
    Современная игра, сделанная по мотивам 8-битных игр. Хорошая, интересная, каждый замок отличается и визуально, и в плане игрового процесса. Боссы неплохие, некоторые не сбалансированные и скорее убиваются за счет везения. Стоит правда на мой взгляд многовато, особенно по сравнению с Мессенджером. В целом - игра очень хороша, всем фанатом 8-битных платформеров соверуюСовременная игра, сделанная по мотивам 8-битных игр. Хорошая, интересная, каждый замок отличается и визуально, и в плане игрового процесса. Боссы неплохие, некоторые не сбалансированные и скорее убиваются за счет везения. Стоит правда на мой взгляд многовато, особенно по сравнению с Мессенджером. В целом - игра очень хороша, всем фанатом 8-битных платформеров соверую
  78. Keskin
    Jul 19, 2020
    1
    it is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is badit is bad
  79. Aston_Morris99
    May 18, 2019
    9
    an amazing throwback to the golden age of gaming complete with great visual, fun plat forming ,challenging boss fights and new game plus and challenge mode to keep you coming back all & all worth you time
  80. TheHound1
    Aug 12, 2020
    10
    An homage to old NES classics but with better, more refined mechanics.
    Great style, great game design, fun as hell gameplay, amazing bosses, each stage feels unique and different, overall this game kicks ass. In my opinion one of the greatest games of this generation.
  81. edxtan
    Feb 25, 2023
    6
    Shovel Knight is a solid platformer with a few frustrating levels. The items add some leniency but are usually too inconvenient to swap between.
  82. pedraww
    Dec 8, 2019
    8
    Awesome tribute to the 16 bits era. Great game, great bosses, and a f*cking SHOVEL as weapon.
  83. churros
    Aug 5, 2023
    9
    Pros:
    + perfect length
    + great pixel art
    + good music
    + great level design
    + fun to use powerups

    Cons:
    - some repetitive tracks
  84. Haekan
    Apr 29, 2021
    10
    My favorite indie game ever. It's something special when an indie like this nails everything in its own terms.
  85. Mene0
    Nov 13, 2022
    8
    Shovel Knight: 8/10 great game, classic, feels the most balanced of all

    Plague Knight: 7/10 has some problems, like combat just feels inferior than others, but still quite enjoyable Specter Knight: 10/10 best combat, story and platforming, although has some **** moments imo King Knight: 5/10 barely could bother myself to finish, card game is unfun and both combat and platforming    Shovel Knight: 8/10 great game, classic, feels the most balanced of all

    Plague Knight: 7/10 has some problems, like combat just feels inferior than others, but still quite enjoyable

    Specter Knight: 10/10 best combat, story and platforming, although has some **** moments imo

    King Knight: 5/10 barely could bother myself to finish, card game is unfun and both combat and platforming are also worst in the series. The ending was cool, though.

    Overall incredible platforming experience, highly recommend.    … Expand
  86. StarkAgentos
    Apr 12, 2022
    4
    Красивая игра в стиле ретро с обычным геймплеем платформера. Я дошёл до непроодимого босса, у которого больше здоровья и скорость, чем у ГГ. Обязательно было делать эту игру такой непроходимой?!
  87. Izoeros
    Jan 4, 2023
    7
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  88. PanchaMiguela
    Mar 4, 2023
    9
    It is quite a simple game, but it is incredibly addictive and challenging, enjoyed it a lot.

Awards & Rankings

19
#19 Best PC Game of 2014
60
#60 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
48
#48 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. Gamer.nl
    Nov 13, 2014
    85
    Shovel Knight is a beautiful tribute to the era that used to be. With it's graphics and gameplay it refers to 8-bit games, but it does have a unique touch of its own. It might be a bit short, but it sure has a strong personality.
    Read full review
  2. GameStar
    Nov 1, 2014
    82
    A modern retro platformer that plays in the same league as the classics.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Oct 22, 2014
    90
    If you spent your childhood playing DuckTales, Super Marios Bros. or Contra on your NES, no one can convince you that a pixel art indie game can bring that feeling back. Except for Shovel Knight. Shovel Knight can. [Sept 2014, p.68]
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