Shovel Knight Showdown

Shovel Knight Showdown truly delivers a genuine 4 players brawl action, in the famous and recognizable Shovel Knight fashion. If you like fighting games that are easy to learn but hard to master, this might be your shovel of tea. Cup I mean.

Shovel Knight Showdown builds on the legacy of the series and even adds to it a story/campaign mode, something worthy of praise. Anyone looking for intense, fun hours with friends has something here that will please everyone, thanks to the use of its different gameplay mechanics and game rules.

The only major downside is the lack of online play. There could have been a lot of fun comparing how one uses their shovel or shield around the world. Because of that, Shovel Knight Showdown will probably only be enjoyed by core fans of the original game.

As someone who hasn’t played Shovel Knight since the original release, I found Showdown to be a very good return. It’s grown on me quite a bit, and if you’re a fan of competitive or co-op multiplayer games this could be considered a must. While offering less for the solo player, I’m confident the gorgeous pixel art, wealth of options, and unlockables will still prove satisfying.

Shovel Knight Showdown proves that Yacht Club Games is capable of making more than just platformers, as it’s delivered an entertaining and content-rich multiplayer brawler that’s sure to be a house favourite to many. Plenty of game modes, a long cast of characters, and a bevvy of unlockables ensure that this is a release that you’ll be playing for quite some time – although we would add that it’s a game which is best enjoyed with others on hand. Though single-player options are present, they fail to provide enough of a reason to justify this release as a standalone product, and we’d sooner direct you to one of the other Shovel Knight campaigns if you intend on mostly playing alone. Either way, Yacht Club Games continues to impress with its support for Shovel Knight, and we’d highly recommend you experience Shovel Knight Showdown one way or another.

Shovel Knight Showdown is a good game. Its artistic and playable sections are great, so if you are looking for a fighting game at a reduced price, this title is a good option.

The game is definitely worth spending time with, but I'd be hesitant to break it out at a party where people are unfamiliar with the franchise. [Issue #45 – March/April 2020, p. 21]

Its quality is not on par with the excellent campaigns, due to balancing issues and the absence of any kind of online mode, but Shovel Knight Showdon is still a very fun party game for up to four players.

Shovel Knight Showdown is great for short sessions with friends, or a couple playthroughs of the story mode, but simple movesets and repetition limit the enjoyment. You can dig into some good Shovel Knight fun here, but don’t expect to strike gold.

Messy AI and some wonky balancing and design choices don't stop Shovel Knight Showdown from being a fun multiplayer party battling experience.

Showdown is a great first effort into multiplayer madness beyond co-op for Yacht Club Games that I am sure will carry lessons into their next project. Showdown is a compliment to the entire Treasure Trove package that does not encroach on the core experience. Some people will love Showdown’s addition and others will brush it off to the side. It’s like a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae; a sweet inclusion, but not essential to the overall enjoyment of the package.

Despite some hefty potential, Shovel Knight: Showdown doesn’t quite make it. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, and there’s some great ideas, but anyone who hasn’t played a Shovel Knight game is going to find themselves quickly alienated in a party situation. So, if you and your friends are up to date with your royally appointed warriors, you… probably already own this game, since it’s free with Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. If you’re not, consider yourself warned, although to be honest this is good enough to likely still have some fun. Shame there’s no online, though.

It's absolutely jam-packed with features and if you're someone who already has Shovel Knight, it's a heck of a free addition. As a solitary game, it's a much harder sell. Like you said, it's more of a curio or bonus than something that could stand solely on its own.

From a presentation standpoint, Showdown is an excellent additional to the Shovel Knight kingdom, but with multiplayer being restricted to couch only, it doesn’t hold up as well as its platforming brethren.

Although the idea is good and there is a lot of content and options, the core of a fighting game isn’t here. The combat is very simple and chaotic, the roster isn’t balanced and the AI is extremely poor. Without online functionality, we can only recommend it to play with friends.

Shovel Knight Showdown offers a decent multiplayer fighting game experience. Fans of the series will probably fall in love with this alternative way to play with Shovel Knight, but the old-school style and heavy platforming hurt its general appeal.