Shovel Knight (2014, Playstation 4) Review

 

DIGGING THROUGH HISTORY

Shovel Knight is an almost perfect side-scrolling platformer. At the crossroads of ’80s pixel art, classic fairy tales, and modern game design, you take on the role of Shovel Knight and set out to rescue your partner, Shield Knight, from captivity. An evil enchantress has kidnapped her, aided by her “Order of No Quarter” — eight different knights, each ruling over their own domain, standing between you and her castle.

I was never much of an NES player growing up — I stuck to home computers — but Shovel Knight gives me a glimpse of what I missed. The melodic soundtrack borrows the playful bleeps and bloops of the NES sound chip, while the limited color palette paints the world in sharp, contrasting tones. Vibrant backgrounds create the impression of a world stretching far beyond the two-dimensional levels. That’s how we absorbed games back then: imagination filled in the gaps where the graphics fell short.

Shovel Knight combines this aesthetic with truly top-tier modern gameplay mechanics. It’s you, your armor, and your shovel being tested again and again. Every level revolves ingeniously around a specific theme that constantly evolves before culminating in a challenging boss fight. Yacht Club Games makes it all seem effortless, but there must have been relentless iteration and playtesting behind it. The effort has paid off.

In the Clockwork Tower, for example, I navigate conveyor belts and have to time my jumps with pinpoint precision while mechanical monsters circle around me. The boss at the end, who initially seems almost laughably simple, transforms in the second phase into a colossal tank that tests every skill the level has drilled into me. Other stages include laboratories, graveyards, and castles designed with the same elegance. The underwater level uses water resistance to challenge your jumping ability in entirely new ways. Everything feels so intuitive, so natural — every challenge belongs perfectly within its environment.

Armed with my shovel, I bash enemies along the way. They come in a wonderfully varied assortment with unpredictable attack patterns: flying, shooting, knightly, undead, mechanical, magical, and more. In true NES fashion, only two buttons besides the D-pad are used, and that’s exactly how it should be. Magic attacks are unleashed with a simple button combination. The downward shovel-drop attack is among the most satisfying mechanics I’ve ever experienced in a platformer.

Combat is great and all, but platforming is where Shovel Knight truly shines. The constantly shifting conditions keep me on edge. All the classic ingredients are here: bottomless pits, slippery surfaces, disappearing platforms, and sinking platforms. But the challenges quickly become more inventive. You use the shovel as a pogo stick, bouncing off enemies. You ride enormous beasts through dangerous areas. Aboard the airship, you have to time your jumps according to the wind — and that’s only scratching the surface.

The levels are also a joy to explore. The shovel quickly digs up hidden treasures. If a wall looks suspicious, you can strike it and uncover secret rooms behind it. The gems you collect are more than just points — you can spend them on all sorts of upgrades in one of the two villages on the world map. These towns are packed with side-scrolling secrets and characters to talk to. Their hints and tricks echo games like Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Even the world map itself holds surprises — some of the game’s most frustrating challenges are found there.

Thankfully, the controls are tight, checkpoints are perfectly balanced, and help is available. After the opening, relatively simple stages, you’ll need every advantage you can get. One of them — the chalice you refill at Troupple Pond — can practically trivialize certain boss fights. Without its health boost, the game becomes brutally difficult. The bosses are frantic. Most bounce around wildly and attack from every direction. Others are more imposing, swatting you aside like an insect. And they are fantastically designed. Their personalities shine through so vividly that you can almost hear the voices behind the dialogue boxes.

There is a coherent story here, and the ending delivers a brutal twist. But it’s in the sheer joy of play — in the meeting between the classic and the modern — that Shovel Knight truly demonstrates its strength. Its technical limitations become a source of inspiration, while every unnecessary gameplay flourish has been stripped away in favor of minimalist perfection. What remains is pure challenge — and the determination it inspires. This is not a game you put down easily.