The Ben Review: Shovel Knight from Yacht Club Games (Played on 3DS)

This ain’t shovelware! Well… not that sort of shovelware!

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Ever heard of the Swedish rock band Ghost (BC) ? They are a relatively new band that formed in 2008. The original idea that they had was to sound like the greatest heavy rock band from the 1970’s and 1980’s that you never heard of: a sort of enigma or legend. Shovel Knight is that equivalent of that idea in 8-bit video game form. So what does this game have that recalls that era? The shifting and changingof Super Mario Bros 2 (1988)? check! Side scrolling action, and soft RPG elements of ActRaiser (1990)? check! The difficult platforming of Mega Man (1987)? check!

It is the biggest homage to retrogaming to be released this year. It is a retrogamer’s fantasy: tough action platforming, tons of level exploration, and great pixel graphics. Its a sort of “best of” many NES and SNES games. The soundtrack by Jake Kaufman is a beautiful chip tune odyssey, which I think is one of my favorite game soundtracks of the year. With all of that being said, it feels like a completely original game and is fully aware of gaming in 2014.



The diversity of levels and activities is only matched by the first Legend of Zelda on NES. By using your shovel you can open up new areas to explore on each level. Find sheet music to unlock songs you can trade in for tunes and gold. There is an abundance of various activities to be uncovered as you progress through the large map.

The 3D effects are incredible on the 3DS. The 3D environment backgrounds work with the pixelated graphics perfectly. It allows for a type of 3D depth that you can’t have in “more realistic” looking game graphics. The second screen on the 3DS allows you choose items quickly. The screen size on the 3DS XL feels perfect for the context of the game (the PC screen size seemed a bit too large for the intimate graphics).

You constantly upgrade health, magic, weapons and equipment. Having this constant boost tends to overpower you in boss battles, especially towards the end. I wish there were more upgrades that helped with the platforming game play areas. You need to fully a understanding the capabilities of Shovel Knight and be able to execute some very precise moves in order to navigate the complex terrain.

As I already said, Shovel Knight is the best new retrogame coming out this year. People who miss that style of game play should play this. If you want to know what old school gamers mean when they say “the good old days” - you must play this!



Triple Bottom Line:

Social: The 3DS version has StreetPass functionality, which is limited, but present. The characters and villages come to life with interactions. There is Play Coin support on the 3DS. Tons of platforming puzzles that will make you think. Environmental: The graphics are fun and look like an old school 8-bit retrogame on the NES. The 3D graphics work very well on the 3DS. The exploration component of the game is the very foundation of environmental sustainable thought. The game is digital download only (Low carbon footprint). Economic: The $14.99 US dollar price point is a steal. It is well worth the money for the amount of time you can pour into the game. The game took over 10 hours plus to complete (finding all the loot, etc…) There is a new game plus mode as well. 9 out of 10 Suns.

Shovel Knight is currently available on Mac, PC, 3DS, and Wii U ($14.99 USD) in North America. (and is available in many other regions at comparable prices). PC Steam and 3DS review codes were generously given to Sustainable Gamers by the developer, Yacht Club Games.