The New Classics #53: Shovel Knight – Treasure Trove

 

The Backstory: No need to present Shovel Knight: that runaway success has been making Yacht Club Games’ fortune since 2014, and keeps doing so as it’s ported to every platform under the gaming sun. I toyed with the idea of purchasing the physical 3DS edition some years ago, but balked at the thing’s ludicrously high price. My hesitation ultimately proved fruitful: not only does the Switch edition kindly offer all three extra campaigns along with the original game, but it also comes with a much gentler price tag — and no region lock hassle, b*tch.

 

The Game: SK’s graphical influences are obvious: 8-bit home console Platformers, from Alex Kidd to Castlevania. Quite precise, I know — but the filiation is undeniable. That may have proved a little too retro for me, if not for two important elements. For one: although I didn’t play the NES or the master System, I’m familiar with overall 8-bit aesthetics thanks to my stints with the Game Boy and the Game Gear. For another: I don’t give a crap about graphics as long as the gameplay is stellar.  

 

 

And SK’s gameplay is stellar indeed! A lot has been said about the Ducktales inspiration, and most especially about the pogo jump; yet I quickly discovered that the titular Shovel Knight is not Scrooge McDuck when it comes to handling his stick. The crucial difference is this: while the latter keeps pogo-jumping as long as you press the jump button, the former does so only if you land on something with a hitbox — namely, a foe. This makes things more complicated, but also more rewarding — I cannot describe how amazing it feels to chain jumps on a moving opponent. The Ducktales influence is much more blatant, and untarnished, in the constant collecting of shiny gems — kinda regressive, but deeply enjoyable.

 

 

Contrary to its venerable model’s, SK’s physics are pixel-perfect — like, literally. You can flirt with chasms and stand a mere pixel away from your death — all this while retaining total control. SK’s brand of Platforming is a perfect mix between the Super Mario and Sonic blueprints: deliberate and precise as the former, easy-going and smooth as the latter. Handling the MC feels deeply fulfilling, no matter what you do; and since the game kindly gives you infinite lives, you don’t ever have to worry about an untimely Game Over. 

 

The Verdict: I stopped playing right the first level, because: a) I got a nice feeling of completion, and b) said first level’s awesome theme track was looping in my head already, and I needed a break lest it stayed stuck in my head for the next seven days. Still, there is no doubt I wanted to keep playing, which led to an bittersweet epiphany: back in the days, my dislike of Platformers had nothing to do with the genre as a whole, and everything to do with the fact that my motor skills were — and still are — not good enough to master less-than-perfect controls. But hey, better late than never: I can now revel in 8-bit Platforming 35 years after the facts, thanks to Shovel Knight — which is very much a New Classic of mine!