Genre: Platform
Year: 2014
Developed by: Yacht Club Games
Published by: Yacht Club Games
Platforms: Wii U, the rest
#144
Feeling Like: Dig up, stupid!
I don’t know how you can do better than this. If Yacht Club Games goal was to invoke classic NES platformers like Darkwing Duck, DuckTales, Legend of Zelda 2: Adventure of Link, Mega Man, Super Mario Bros. 3 and a slew of others, mission accomplished. The novelty of indie platformers that remind you of the past, but with updated mechanics and quality of life additions may have wornm off in 2023, but in 2014 it was front and center. Every single moment I was playing Shovel Knight I was happy; it reminded me of the magic I felt when I first picked up an NES controller decades before. It is very tricky not to be derivative of those classics, even trickier to improve upon them. Shovel Knight is anything but a carbon copy, it has a terrific sense of humor, a killer soundtrack and a proven control scheme. This is the kind of game where you’re surprised a company didn’t make something like this sooner.
I think what really made Shovel Knight a cut above is the negotiation between old-school fuzzy feelings and not punishing me for daring to play something 8-bit and wanting to relax. There are save points. There’s a town where I can wander around and talk with the horned townsfolk. I won’t get unfairly yeeted back to the beginning of the game if I die a few times. I can have my cake and eat it too.
God, Shovel Knight is awesome. Look at those dope-ass retro pixel vintage visuals. Ok, they’re cheating a bit – there’s no earthly way that the original Nintendo could produce something that looks this good, but it’s close enough. Each stage is a treat for the eyes, the character models are massive, expressive and detailed. The very notion of a Knight wielding a shovel is ridiculous, but it totally works. The titular weapon can be used for attacking, digging up treasure and launching off an enemy mid-jump. For what is a shovel, but a bulky spear/sword combination? Dirt, and monsters, cower!
It’s possible you’ll have to have grown up with inferior hardware to appreciate the soundtrack, but it is incredible if you’re into chip-tune anything.
I’m not knowledgeable about audio in the least (I’ve looked up why explosions in movies are too loud and dialogue is too quiet on TV about six times and I still don’t understand it), but I do know what I like. And I like these a lot. The tracks cover every emotion you can think of, from the pensive Shield Knight Theme to the wistful Facing the Task. Ok, I’m cheating a bit now, that last one is from one of the expansions, Plague of Shadows, but it’s all under the Shovel Knight umbrella.
I hate to sound like a commercial on these posts, but the fact that you can get the Treasure Trove Edition which encompasses FIVE Shovel Knight games for $45 CDN, is a ludicrous deal and well worth it if you’re even hinting at being interested. This may be the first post I mention a specific deal, but I won’t be linking it directly – that’s not what the 500 is and I won’t contemplating monetizing it in any way. All I’m saying is Shovel Knight – it’s amazing in every regard, value included.
I suppose the enemy variety may be on the smaller side and it’s very possible once you play the first Shovel Knight, you’ll be satiated and don’t want a second course right away. That’s fair . And if you’re looking for more combat than platforming, you may be disappointed. But the boss fights, environments and overall feel more than made up for it. They gave your foes so much personality that you get to play as three of them in the subsequent sequels. I don’t see Snake Man or Metal Man getting their own starring role!
The year 2014 was the last year before I started working on the 500. The Top 10s for the now defunct Snackbar-Games.com are tricky to find, though the archives are still live. I’m always curious what my Top 10s would have looked like for various years now that I’ve had some time to ponder about my time with Graham, Andrew, and the rest. I’m positive my writing has improved and I’m very grateful for Graham’s editing wizardry, but with evolving tastes, it would be neat to go back and see what would go where.
The reason this springs to mind is that in 2013 and 2014 I wasn’t in a great place. I didn’t work for about 10 months, a result of wanting to take some time off that extended into too much time off. I mostly hid in my single apartment behind DOTA 2 and the Sopranos. The only productive endeavors I managed were the Power Rankings on SICHL.com, being in two theatrical productions at Langham Court and writing for Snackbar. 2014 was a notoriously weak year for gaming, I’m fairly certain I picked Walking Dead: Season 2 or Super Smash Bros. U as my Game of the Year, but Shovel Knight absolutely deserves to be in contention. It brought me much joy in a time where there was very little. Without the support of my family (Kyla especially), I would be in a much different psychological condition today. I eventually dug myself out of that hole, but not without a lot of help.
Perhaps that’s why Shovel Knight is so high on the 500, and perhaps deserves to be higher. Most will tell you that a favorite game of theirs hit them at the right time, the right place. Factors have to go beyond “it was fun”, because there are thousands of video games that are fun. Emotional connection lies in feelings while you play, but also feelings you get when you reflect upon the past and analyzing why you enjoyed it. Shovel Knight was my shield, one of the few games I could justifiably afford while I wasn’t working, wrapping myself in a comfortable blanket from the past. I’m glad I moved on, but the appreciation remains.
Next 143 Civilization: Beyond Earth
The 500 