Harry Jackson: In a year when the latest installment of Nintendo powerhouse franchises like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. released, it is hard for me to believe that my favorite video game of 2014 is a little independent platformer. Yet, as I reflect on my gaming experiences over the past year, Shovel Knight by Yacht Club Games stands out as my favorite title of 2014, and possibly of the lifespan of the Wii U. Shovel Knight is a love-letter to the 8-bit era of gaming, drawing heavy influences from games like Mega Man, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Duck Tales.
The player takes on the role of Shovel Knight (which is exactly as it sounds – a knight armed with a shovel as a weapon) battling the eight members of “The Order of No Quarter” to rescue his fellow adventuring partner, Shield Knight. Shovel Knight’s initial attacks consist of jumping and shoveling, but the player can find upgrades for the shovel and unlock new weapons as the game progresses. In an era of bigger and better graphics, I enjoyed Shovel Knight’s charm and its simplistic yet colorful 8-bit 2D sidescrolling style. Another major draw is the soundtrack, rendered in original “beeps and boops” chiptunes sounds of the NES by composer Jake Kaufman (also available for download from Bandcamp!) Finally, the level of difficulty is just high enough to remind players of those early one-touch-death platformers of the 80’s, but a gracious checkpoint system keeps the game from dishing out the harsh punishment of those older games.
Shovel Knight is a game that can be completed in 6-8 hours, but with a $15 price tag, this game kept me engaged longer than some full-fledged $60 titles. Originally released for the PC, Wii U, and 3DS, Shovel Knight was also announced for the Playstation Network store – giving more gamers a chance to check out this excellent game. I highly recommend “digging-in” to the ground-breaking Shovel Knight, but if the going gets tough, don’t throw in the trowel!
http://youtu.be/vv86nkfiQ3M
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