Shovel Knight Showdown

 Switch
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. DualShockers
    Dec 31, 2019
    70
    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.
  2. Vooks
    Dec 30, 2019
    70
    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.
  3. NintendoWorldReport
    Dec 18, 2019
    70
    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.
  5. GameCritics
    Dec 18, 2019
    65
    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.
  6. Vandal
    Dec 11, 2019
    65
    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.
  7. Switch Player
    Dec 31, 2019
    60
    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.
  8. Attack of the Fanboy
    Dec 15, 2019
    60
    After cameoing in multiple fighters over the years, Shovel Knight finally has one to call his own with Shovel Knight Showdown. While the combat system is very basic, Shovel Knight fans should still find some fun here with friends and even the first few times through the game's arcade ladder.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 2 out of 10
  1. Rjs462
    Dec 11, 2019
    10
    La combinacion de un juego de peleas al estilo smash bros y de un juego de plataformas crean este hermoso juego
  2. SudFlameWord
    May 14, 2020
    5
    This is a disappointing game, all in all. With friends it might have been more fun (what party platform fighter isn't) but as a single playerThis is a disappointing game, all in all. With friends it might have been more fun (what party platform fighter isn't) but as a single player experience it's a frustrating jumble that feels slapped together and half-hearted. Borrowing from Rivals of Aether (a better game Shovel Knight appears in), there is no ledge grabbing and shielding is replaced with a parrying mechanic. There is no rolling feature. To make up for this, it seems, the team made parrying spammable. But this is doesn't work on the Story Mode AI that at times is frustratingly exact, nigh-reading inputs, while at other times so idiotic that it stands on top of an active bomb waiting to die. The Story Mode itself is *fine.*

    It's a cute backstory and mini-arc for each character that is more or less Classic Mode in Smash Bros, with the main issue being that instead of a specifically structured set of enemies for each step the enemies seem to randomize based off your unlocked characters. This isn't a problem except that it A) hints at a lack of precision in designing the Story Mode, and B) certain combinations of enemies for certain characters is impossible to win - especially since, without dodge rolling, and with the absurd enemy AI, you get stun locked to death. It's stun lock that ultimately makes this game go from a rollicking party game to an absolute mess where you don't feel like you're developing skills as a player or performing cool combos, you feel like you're sneaking in victories on AI.

    It's a shame because the game is genuinely fun to play - responsive, colorful, plenty of variety in moves to make combat engaging - and has a fantastically diverse, if not well-balanced, cast characters. It could have been amazing had the game been given a little more care then it seems to have been. I'd recommend if you and friends enjoy Shovel Knight and want a simple rough n' tumble party experience. Don't get this for yourself though. On balance, it's not worth it.    … Full Review »
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