Shovel Knight - Did it live up to the hype?

[babinro]

Shovel Knight is a game that has received an absurd level of hype on shows I frequent and enjoy. People like The Completionist, Continue, and Caddicarus are quick to call this one of the best games of ALL TIME.

I've been burned by hype before *cough* GTA4...

I'm wondering if the regular gamers of the escapist can help shed some light on this title.

- Is it really a game you've gone back to play over and over again?
- Do you consider it superior to it's inspired classic's?
- Is it better or on par or superior to the flashier current day scrollers like DK Tropical Freeze and Rayman series?

Most importantly though...if it's simply just 'good'...is it worth the asking price?

Personal Recommendation Info: I couldn't get into games like Rayman, LBP, or the AVGN game despite wanting to. I'm not a huge scroller buff like I was back in the NES days but I still enjoy SOME of them. I loved games like Dust: An Elysian Tale and Rogue Legacy.

 

[Orange12345]

- Is it really a game you've gone back to play over and over again?

No admittedly but I did finish it (which is rare for me)

- Do you consider it superior to it's inspired classic's?

Yes in virtually every way, Shovel Knight manages to capture everything that is great about retro 2d platformers and sheds all the nonsense that weighs them down.

- Is it better or on par or superior to the flashier current day scrollers like DK Tropical Freeze and Rayman series?

I haven't played DK or Rayman, but I will say that if you like platformers you could do much worse then Shovel Knight

Most importantly though...if it's simply just 'good'...is it worth the asking price?

Shovel Knight (in Canada) is 16.99$ in my opinion I would say it is absolutely worth every cent. the only real sort of complaint I can make about the game is that it is a bit short. I finished the game* and according to steam spent 5+ hours playing. But it's short in the same way Portal is, there's no fluff or filler it's all polished goodness. I know the NES graphics may make you think lazy nostalgia money grab but it's not, the has been an immense amount of effort put in to making the game burst with color, atmosphere and character. All in all if you like platformers shovel knight is something you should definitely check out

*There are achievements and collectables you can go back and get after you finish for 100%, I didn't really do much of that

 

[babinro]

Thanks Orange

Hoping to get a few more takes on the game before the most recent steam sale comes to an end.

 

[Post Tenebrae Morte]

It's a really great game, certainly needs to be recommended more. A lot of it can be easily complete in a good day of playing, but there does exist a good bit of challenges you can put on yourself to make things a little more interesting.

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

Its a side scrolling, 2D pixel based game.
Just by those virtues alone I wouldn't pay more then ?5 for it regardless of how good it is.

But thats just me.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well if you go back will depend on how much you are into platformers, if Rogue Legacy was something you kept on doing then this will probably also fit the bill.
Not sure if some other game at some point did things in exactly the same way as Shovel Knight, but the important part is that they didn't cut corners on their content as many indie devs need to. They took all the lessons from Mario, Metroid, Castlevania and who knows what else, and then put even a little more on top.

Does it compare to modern platformers... well not really. It is not a modern game, everything was kept as expected on NES. The graphics are well done for a pixelated game, but it is pixelated non the less, all NPCs have about 2-3 animation frames, and all menu use take about 10 steps more then required, but you can rebind all controls(KB or controller) which is amazing since most triple A titles struggle with that concept.

 

[babinro]

Awesome. Thanks all

Sounds like the game will be well worth the money.
Just can't go into expecting a top 10 best games of all time level of hype.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

I didn't realise anyone was hyping it, but yeah, it's a good game. It's certainly the best retro platformer I've played.

Which reminds me, I still haven't beaten the very last level.

 

[Olas]

It's good, though probably overhyped all the same. Many good games are. I find that when the general public likes something, nobody wants to be that guy who's got criticisms.

 

[StriderShinryu]

- Is it really a game you've gone back to play over and over again?
I didn't, but I rarely play games through multiple times. I probably will play it through again at some point though.

- Do you consider it superior to it's inspired classic's?
I'd say it's at least on par with them, yes. It also has some fun different things like the breakable checkpoints and armour suit modifiers that change how you play that you didn't really see back then.

- Is it better or on par or superior to the flashier current day scrollers like DK Tropical Freeze and Rayman series?
Once again, I'd say it's pretty much on par. It's a damn solid 2D platformer that stands up with some of the best in the genre, modern or classic.

Is it worth it?
Absolutely. If you like 2D platforming inspired by the classics (and you do mention liking Rogue Legacy) then it's definitely worth the asking price. As far as 2D platforming goes, it's much better than Rogue Legacy (though RL does have it's unique charms as well).

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I had a lot of fun with Shovel Knight but I haven't gone back to it after beating it the first time. I played through about half of it immediately after beating it once but I haven't beaten it more than once. It's a great game and I see myself going back to it before I put my Ducktales cart back into my NES if that's worth anything. This is also one of the few 2014 games that I paid full price for without any kind of regret so there's that too.

 

[gsilver]

I'm playing it (for the first time) now thanks to today's Steam Sale, and it's pretty fun. I am planning on finishing it.
Though among recent games of its type, I easily prefer Freedom Planet. But then again, I kind of missed the NES in its heyday and instead played the Genesis/Saturn. I will (and have) replayed Freedom Planet multiple times. I don't think that I'm going to do that with Shovel Knight.

I kind of hate games where the walls are made of spikes, and while there are *some* insta-death spikes in Shovel Knight, it doesn't dominate the level design (unlike Meat Boy, VVVVVV, et. al.)

 

[Raggedstar]

Got it yesterday from Steam sale. I'll pitch in my thoughts.

1. I'm playing it right now (a little over halfway through), so I can't tell you whether I've gone back and played it again after finishing. There is an achievement system in-game, and some of them are pretty demanding and require multiple playthroughs (many of which involve speedruns and perfect platforming). If you're the type that likes that, go nuts.

2. Like many, I didn't grow up with or hold much emotional value with your Mega Mans, Castlevanias, Marios, etc. It was just a generation I wasn't around for or didn't indulge in it's heyday. HOWEVER, I will say that from observation and playing Shovel Knight today, I'll agree with the sentiment that this is pretty much superior to those games in every way. It's a retro game, but also appreciates modern knowledge and technology. The graphics are vibrant, the controls and camera movement is smooth as butter, great level design, moderate difficulty without getting too bullshit (no lives as well, but it's like Dark Souls where you lose your treasure and need to reclaim it on your next go), and never had a single glitch in the 3 hours I've played. Also, the music kicks ass (and there IS a soundtrack available).

3. Personally I prefer Rayman Origins/Legends, but more because I prefer the art and game style over it. I like the fast-paced, high impact platforming the games have (with a soft, story-book style of art). But Shovel Knight does seem to be made with a lot of love and careful design. Might be a bit difficult to directly compare it with a $60 product such as Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze ($40-60 for Rayman Legends at launch, depending on platform).

In-short, perhaps over-hyped (maybe a TAD over-priced, but it depends on how what worth you put games like these), definitely not among my top 10 of all time, but a very solid platformer and I'm happy it's become sort of the indie darling for 2014. I'm technically not in the game's market of 80s NES kids, but I'm really enjoying it for what it is: a very tightly designed, charming, retro 2D platformer. And that's just fine.

And as a side-note, I also love Rogue Legacy and Dust: An Elysian Tail.

Now A Hat In Time on the other hand...*grins* well, I AM a kid that bathed in the glory of 90s 3D platformer collectathons who is hungry for another. THAT is an under-served genre and market besides Mario and the odd Ratchet and Clank. We'll see how that turns out, as 3D platformers are a genre that indies never really flocked to (due to the resources required and how easy it is to screw them up).

 

[stroopwafel]

Shovel Knight was every hyped? I can tell you it's a very fun game and I'm an old enough fart to have been around when the classics this game riffs on were the shizzle. It actually reminds me most of Ghouls 'N Ghosts but less frustrating. This and Cave Story are definitely my most favorite indie games. Played them on 3DS where I feel they are most at home.

 

[Ieyke]

By my estimation, Shovel Knight is the best game to come out in like 7 years (since Portal 1).
It's an awesome blend of elements of classic MegaMan, MegaMan X, Super Mario Bros 3, Castlevania, and Ducktales.

Would I say it's SUPERIOR to the games that inspired it? No.
Super Mario Bros. 3, MegaMan X and MegaMan X4 are essentially perfect games.
Castlevania's a whole different kettle of fish from a gameplay perspective.

Shovel Knight lives up to the EXTREMELY high bar those games set, but it doesn't necessarily surpass it. They're very similar, but also just quite different.
I absolutely hold MegaMan X4 and X1 as the best of their breed, but those 2 games are near the top of all videogames ever made as essentially perfect.

Shovel Knight is a masterpiece in its own right and absolutely worth its full price.
If I could be bothered to figure out how to operate all the various virtual stores it's available on, I'd probably own it for every platform it's available on.

I beat it about 4 times now.
There's a lot to it, and even more still coming out.

 

[Avalanche91]

Having not been exposed to much hype at all, what expectations I had were definitely met. A game that felt like a classic but refined and streamlined to suit a modern age. Definitely worth your time.

 

[DrOswald]

Shovel Knight is a game that has received an absurd level of hype on shows I frequent and enjoy. People like The Completionist, Continue, and Caddicarus are quick to call this one of the best games of ALL TIME.

One of the best games of all time is a bit overstating it, I think. It is certainly one of the best side scrolling action platformers I have ever played. And that is the thing right there, 2d action platformers are an extremely underserved genre right now outside of extremely unpolished indie games.

So when one of the best (and highly polished) 2d action platformers ever appears in that environment people are going to hype it up a little excessively.

- Is it really a game you've gone back to play over and over again?

Yes. But again, it falls in a severely under served genre and is one of my favorite genres.

- Do you consider it superior to it's inspired classic's?

In many ways yes. Think more modern sensibilities applied to the genre (you get check points, saved games, the narrative isn't absolute shit) but without compromising the core value of the game.

- Is it better or on par or superior to the flashier current day scrollers like DK Tropical Freeze and Rayman series?

Not really comparable, the genres are too different. You might as well compare Mega Man 2 to Super Mario Bros 3. It does execute extremely well on it's core concepts like those games do.

Most importantly though...if it's simply just 'good'...is it worth the asking price?[/quote]

Absolutely.

 

[Brain Tumor]

- Is it really a game you've gone back to play over and over again?
After it first released I played it to completion, and then replayed it a couple of times to use the built in cheats. I backed it on Kickstarter, so I was hyped on it from the get go.

- Do you consider it superior to it's inspired classic's?

Superior? No, but I consider it to be just as great as many of my favorite games of the like. That is a hard thing to do too since nostalgia is a huge factor for the old titles as well. For a game made this year, to be on par with something like Megaman 2, is really great IMO.

- Is it better or on par or superior to the flashier current day scrollers like DK Tropical Freeze and Rayman series?
Honestly, I like the old stuff much more than the new stuff. I just couldn't get much into the newest Rayman games or the DK games. They just didn't have the same feel as the previous titles. But I was very much into Shovel Knight, and was not dissapointed in the slightest.

Most importantly though...if it's simply just 'good'...is it worth the asking price?
I think it is definitely worth the price, and its not even complete yet. It still has more content coming, as all of the Kickstarter stretch goals have not been met yet.

Personal Recommendation Info: I couldn't get into games like Rayman, LBP, or the AVGN game despite wanting to. I'm not a huge scroller buff like I was back in the NES days but I still enjoy SOME of them. I loved games like Dust: An Elysian Tale and Rogue Legacy
I think you will enjoy Shovel Knight. I especially like the fact that it is also a bit on the harder side like some of the old stuff as well. It does not hold your hand in the slightest.

Hope my opinion helps you out at all.

 

[Mumbly]

I'm not sure what kind of hype surrounded the game, but personally I do like it a lot. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's something I always like in "retro" games. Nostalgia with some healthy self-deprecation is the best kind of nostalgia.

 

[gsilver]

Well, there is a difference here between this and something like Rayman or AVGN.

Rayman is a collect-a-thon platformer, AVGN is a precision platformer (tons of insta-death walls), and Shovel Knight and Dust are both action platformers. I haven't played Little Big Planet, or Rogue Legacy, so I can't comment on those.

Liking one type is no guarantee that you'll like the others.

Personally, I'm heavily slanted towards the action platformer side. I liked Dust, Shovel Knight, and Freedom Planet a lot, while stuff like Super Meat Boy just leaves me cold. I haven't played AVGN, but from the videos that I've seen, I'd probably just get frustrated by all of the death traps.