My thoughts on Shovel Knight

You know, folks, ever since i've downloaded Shovel Knight on my Wii U, i have to say that i'm having the greatest time playing that game... that ironically started out as a Kickstarter project by Yacht Club Games.

When i first saw a video of it on Youtube last year, i thought that such game would obviously not come out on any gaming console... or even on PC for that matter. But ever the curious one, i kinda followed the development of the situation on this one when more info came in. And when they announced it to be released on Wii U, at first, i thought that it would be great having it on 3DS. So, getting a Wii U was on my mind from there last year. And lo and behold, back in December, i did got myself my Wii U, so now, getting Shovel Knight was a possibility and something that was possible on my end.

Of course, when they announced that the game would come on late March, i made plans on getting it. But then, the game got delayed, so i had to wait for when they'll really bring that one in. And on June 26th, meaning a few days ago, as of this journal, i was able to save some amount of my eShop account to get that game and try it out. Turns out that i was not disappointed one bit, i truly enjoyed playing it, seeing that there was some elements that this game borrows and was inspired from, meaning the Castlevania games (mostly a bit from the Simon's Quest one, i do believe), the Mega Man series, Duck Tales (due to the pogo stick attack) and Super Mario Bros. 3 (due to the world map setting).

And the story is an interesting one too, as quoted from this wiki article:

Prior to the game, adventurers Shovel Knight and Shield Knight fought alongside one another, journeying across the world and seeking treasure. However, when the two explore the Tower of Fate, the two fall to the dark magic power of a cursed amulet. When Shovel Knight reawakens, the Tower has been sealed and Shield Knight is nowhere to be seen. Grieving for his beloved, Shovel Knight gives up adventuring and secludes himself. However, during his absence, the Enchantress rises to power, spreading evil across the land. Upon hearing that the Enchantress has unsealed the Tower of Fate, Shovel Knight takes up his shovel again and ventures towards it, hoping to find and rescue Shield Knight. In order to do so, Shovel Knight must fight the eight members of "The Order of No Quarter," who have been dispatched by the Enchantress to impede him.

I have to say that the story of this game has drawn me into it even further, as i plan on conquering this Kickstarter game myself. The difficulty of this one is quite hard, though not too hard, if you know what you're doing. The armors, items and weapon upgrades that Shovel Knight buys, when gathering enough gold for it, are also well needed, if you're to have any hope on beating the evil Enchantress and her Order of No Quarter crew. There's also music sheets to grab, if you're to listen to the bard's music of the game, seeing that he's lost all of his music sheets. Also, achievements can be unlocked, if you do accomplish certain tasks in the game, such as beating the game, buying lots of items and more.

Needless to say, Shovel Knight is a must for those who likes chivalry knights with shovels, as well as the inspirations used for making this one. It is available now on Wii U, 3DS and PC (Microsoft Windows, OS X and GNU/Linux to be exact). If you like having fun playing with a knight who uses shovels to fight and uncover treasures, then this one is for you, folks.

On that note, i give Shovel Knight a 9/10.

-Eric B. (Shnoogums)