• As part of the relaunch of Skullheart, ALL previous threads have been archived. You can find them at the bottom of the forum in the Archives (2021) section. The archives are locked, so please use the new forum sections to create new discussion threads.

Shovel Knight is out.

Humdinger

Actually a fish
Joined
Jun 13, 2014
Messages
1,230
Reaction score
741
Points
113
Age
34
Steam
Lucerpal
a12bd8198a3e94c2a52a8a9a22aefacc_large.gif


So shovel knight is out on most available platforms..and it's a solid piece of nostalgia based gaming. People can be a little skeptical of nostalgia based indie titles these days. There is no guarantee of quality or whether a game will take you back to when you were a kid. Resurrections of dead titles that we formerly loved can end in betrayal and a little bit of heart ache when it turns out that we are being gouged for money or the game just ends up being really bad.

But Shovel Knight, this dude loves you. He really wants you to put some pjs on and drink Hawaiian punch as you join him in his adventure to defeat the dreaded order of no quarter. It's like the 80s or 90s all over again without all the bad parts. Thus creating the sensation of a sugar high giddy inner child playing videogames for the very first time. And just look at those top of the line graphics. Makes me want to bust out a crt and some pixie sticks.

u0acsp3.png
vHAz4HO.png


Gameplay recalls bits from Zelda 2, Ducktales, Castlevania, Mario, and a whole lot of Megaman 2. So you know some of the best games of the nintendo era all rolled up into a sort of knight themed frankenstein's monster, but it's done in a way which sort of makes the game feel like the perfect synthesis of all these parts. It is never too hard unless you make it that way which is I think a big deal in old school style videogames. Does the designer make the game too hard for an extended audience or dumb it down in some way. Shovel knight chooses the perfect middle ground. Check points can be destroyed in order to collect loot and using healing options is entirely optional. So you can get your soul crushing dark soul's-esque experience or just a sort of leisurely jaunt through a different era.

And the most important feature of all, there is a code that replaces all the nouns in the game with the word "butt".


WIvggdx.gif


it's 15$ and you should go buy it. Also Zubaz is in it.


468px-Baz.png


My rating 9/10 Ecto Cooler Juice Boxes and a Blue Eyes White dragon Yu-Gi-Oh playing card.
 
Last edited:
i already got it and enjoyed it very much

when's playable shield knight?
 
When it's done, but I can't wait personally.
 
The soundtrack is marvelous. One of my favorites is whenever you experience the dream sequence where you fight to save the falling Shield Knight. On the surface, the game is simply fun and charming, but when you dig deeper, you can see the plot unravel some moments that are amazing.
 
Played it, and loved it! I don't even remember being that hype during the Kickstarter, but after playing the first three levels, I was already looking forward to the sequel. I know for sure that I would have been crazy about this game when I was a kid.

I also like how the game's difficulty is initially very fair, but ramps up a lot once you start dodging relics and breaking checkpoints. I'm hoping at some point I can find enough time to go for that HurryUp Achievement. I might also try to beat the game with the Giant Cheat, because that's just too much fun.

When it's done, but I can't wait personally.
Wait, are they actually doing a playable Shield Knight? I don't believe she was an option during the KS vote (because I wanted to vote for her), but I can't remember if they were originally planning to implement her anyway. I know for sure that Plague Knight, King Knight, and Specter Knight are coming though, as well as the gender swap mode.
 
Why is this thread so empty?
Easily made it's way into my top 10 games.
Have not beaten it yet, but enjoying it so very much.

I also like how the game's difficulty is initially very fair, but ramps up a lot once you start dodging relics and breaking checkpoints. I'm hoping at some point I can find enough time to go for that HurryUp Achievement. I might also try to beat the game with the Giant Cheat, because that's just too much fun.
Wait, are they actually doing a playable Shield Knight? I don't believe she was an option during the KS vote (because I wanted to vote for her), but I can't remember if they were originally planning to implement her anyway. I know for sure that Plague Knight, King Knight, and Specter Knight are coming though, as well as the gender swap mode.
dodging relics? Do you mean not getting the power-type items?

Also are you for real on that playable knights? oooohhhh holy hell I am excite.
 
dodging relics? Do you mean not getting the power-type items?
Right. They're officially called "Relics" in the pause menu, and in the enclosed instruction book!
Also are you for real on that playable knights? oooohhhh holy hell I am excite.
Yup, Dig-the-Vote was a thing! I have no idea how they're going to implement them though. Specter Knight would seem kinda OP since he can fly around and teleport and stuff, but I guess we'll find out what they do. The devs might even rearrange some of the stages for all we know!

And yeah, looking back, I definitely don't see Shield Knight listed on the old voting site. Man, I hope they really do have something planned for her at some point. I just imagine they could do some really clever things with her, like allowing her to bounce off of hazardous areas with her shield, or letting her push enemies around with the shield instead of just whacking 'em. A more defensive oriented playstyle could be really fun.
 
I backed the game and I must say: Its everything I hoped for. I've finished the game on NG+ recently and boy it is awesome. The pixel-graphics and animations are beautiful, the soundtrack is amazing (I'll buy the album for sure) and the gameplay is really smooth and fun.

During my first run I was a little sad because it was really easy, I didn’t even had to learn the bosses or anything. But NG+ was much better, it was much more Mega Man-esque in difficulty.

I simply cannot wait for the playable boss knights, I was amazed by Specter Knights animations and can't await to play him.

If you like platformers, buy this, now! Its even on GOG so if you're a strict enemy of DRM or Steam, buy it there. Or buy it on 3DS or WiiU, but buy it! It deserves the attention and I hope it becomes a success and YCG can make Super Shovel Knight with 16-Bit style graphics.
 
Just was to step in and say I played this game and it is awesome! If you remotely like any NES platformer you will enjoy this.
 
Shovel Knight confirmed for retail, launches in October

shovel-knight-wii-u-3ds-boxart.jpg


Yacht Club Games has confirmed that Shovel Knight is making its way to retail. The physical versions are planned for both Wii U and 3DS.

In North America, Shovel Knight’s physical release is planned for October 13. Europe will be receiving it on October 16. Pricing is set at $19.99.

Of course, like the digital version, every boxed version will also receive FREE future updates as they become available:​

Specter Knight’s Campaign
A full campaign starring the shadowy scythe spinner!

King Knight’s Campaign
A crazy campaign with the gilded goob himself!

Battle Mode
Duel with up to 4 players as your favorite heroic or villainous knight! (Wii U/PS4/XB1/PC exclusive)

Body Swap Mode
Did you ever wish Shovel Knight was a lady, or Shield Knight was a dude?
Well, now you’ll be able to change them all around, along with the rest of the cast!​

Oh, and one more thing: every boxed copy of Shovel Knight will include a lavish instruction booklet similar to the Kickstarter reward. No 2-page inserts here! You deserve a full manual, to hold in your hot little shaking hands and pore over as you wait to get home!

plague_title.png


Shovel Knight’s retail version wasn’t the only important news shared about the game today.
In a blog post, Yacht Club Games touched on the upcoming Plague of Shadows content, Battle Mode, and a tease of Nintendo exclusive content.

Plague of Shadows will arrive before the boxed version in October, according to Yacht Club Games.
The team is “in the home stretch and are polishing every detail, pixel, and potion right now.”

Even in the chaos of all this new stuff, we are still plugging away on new features.
New single player adventures are always fun, but it will soon be time to shake it up in Battle Mode!
Lots of playable characters, stages, battle types, options, and more are coming!


Here’s a taste:
battleSK_BK.gif

We hope everyone is looking forward to the wild battles!

Last but not least, Yacht Club Games shared an interesting tease regarding Nintendo exclusive content:

Wow…was that too much information? Stay tuned this coming month because we have even more crazy cool news to reveal. For instance, a final Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows release date and trailer! Also… we’ve heard the cries of bringing more exclusive content to Nintendo platforms. It might not be quite what you expect… but keep an eye out for another MEGATON announcement soon!

My money is on something Zelda related.

original.jpg


Maybe the Megaton Hammer as a weapon or Darunia as a boss.
 
I'm hoping that Plague of Shadows and the Freedom Planet DLC come out around the same time, so I can enjoy playing them back to back just like I did their releases last year. Great to hear that some of the other new features might be coming soon too.
My money is on something Zelda related. Maybe the Megaton Hammer as a weapon or Darunia as a boss.
Maybe it'll be a sidequest where Shovel Knight helps dig Wart out of the exceedingly deep hole that Nintendo buried him in. Hey, they already resurrected three other toads, so why not?
 
inb4 everyone says "Shovel Knight in Smash Bros."

In seriousness, I love that they're doing a boxed version, I would rather get that than a digital copy.
 
Plague DLC is Near Completion!

Yacht Club Games published a new trailer for Shovel Knight’s free DLC expansion, Plague of Shadows.


In other news, Yacht Club Games confirmed that Plague of Shadows wrapped up development earlier this week.
Fans can expect a release date “very, very soon”.

"We’re happy to share that, as of August 5th, Plague of Shadows has completed development!
Now the game is in the “submission phase” where we coordinate with everyone to make sure it arrives on your system without a hitch.
This can be a mystifying step, since we need to coordinate with a lot of teams beyond just our own.
Once we hear word back, we’ll be able to share a true final release date. But expect it very, very soon!
In the meantime, get ready for updates in the near future detailing the new campaign!”


14973564894_8497bbe624_o.gif
 
Last edited:
Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows Launches on September 17th

shovel-knight-plague-of-shadows.jpg


Yacht Club Games has revealed that Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows will launch on September 17th.
This applies to both Wii U and 3DS, and it’s apparently for all regions where the game is available.

Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows adds Plague Knight’s adventure. Additionally, players can take on the new Challenge Mode.

You’ll need to clear the game as Shovel Knight before Plague Knight’s campaign unlocks.
However, developer Yacht Club Games did mention in a blog update today that a special code will be shared to unlock it from the get-go.​
 
By the way, for anyone interested, there have been a couple really cool articles about Plague of Shadows on Gamasutra [] []. The devs go into some detail describing the differences between Shovel Knight and Plague Knight, along with some of Plague Knight's mobility tricks.

I like that Plague Knight's benefits don't seem to completely overshadow Shovel Knight's. Plague can cover a ton of distance in the air, but he has to commit a lot more to his jump arcs, and switch between air attacks and bomb charges to manage his aerial momentum. It's cool that both characters have unique ways of handling even minor obstacles, and speedruns between them aren't going to look even remotely similar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wenzel
Shovel Knight – Use This Code to Immediately Unlock Plague Knight

MEJ5AmT.jpg


Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows is out now.
If you’ve already cleared the original campaign, this new mode should be available to you once you apply the update.

Yacht Club Games has also implemented a code that allows players to open up the Plague Knight adventure right away.
We’ve attached the instructions above.​
 
Just finished plague of shadows, it was amazing. There are plenty of jokes to be made here, like the game being a blast, or mona and plague knight having such good chemistry but I'll do my best to keep it bottled up.

I gotta say this has probably been the best free expansion to a game I've ever played. You can really tell yacht club put a lot of effort balancing everything and making the gameplay so deep. Shovel Knight was already probably my favorite game of all time but this only strengthens that. I wasn't a fan of the majority of the characters that ended up getting picked, but this was still an amazing experience.

I really hope that King Knight is up next, the wait for the next two expansions is going to be even more painful even though it will be that much more worth it in the end.
 
Shovel Knight’s King Knight Campaign Footage Appears

kingknight.png


During the Shovel Knight Kickstarter campaign, a number of stretch goals involved additional playable campaigns as different knights.
One of these was Plague Knight, whose Plague of Shadows free update was added to copies of Shovel Knight in 2015.
Today, Yacht Club Games confirmed, via Twitter, that the Specter Knight and King Knight campaign updates are in development and shared a gif of King Knight gameplay.​

Here’s the Shovel Knight update, as it appeared on Twitter.

Yacht Club Games has yet to provide release windows for Shovel Knight’s King Knight and Specter Knight updates and said they are being developed simultaneously.
The developer did confirm that both of these campaigns will have unlock codes, like Plague of Shadows, that will provide immediate access to these adventures.
It also said Body Swap, the feature that will gender swap characters, will launch alongside either the Specter Knight or King Knight campaign.​
 
Didn't the Yacht Club Twitter also hint at a Specter Knight campaign?
 
NICE! I loved loved LOVED Plague Knight's campaign. I'm really looking forward to all three of these updates.
 
Shovel Knights Japanese localization will be released soon.
 
So, who's your favorite Shovel Knight character, and why's it Plague Knight?
 
Because Plague Knight actually has a good characterization, plot arc, and interesting supporting characters that benefit other said points.

Also his mobility is fun as hell.
 
Wish I could play as Plague Knight
 
Favorite character? Troupple King!

Favorite Knight though? For me it's just a tie between Shovel Knight and Shield Knight. They're a cool duo. I still wish they would ditch gender swap mode and just make a playable Shield Knight instead.

I agree that Plague Knight's had the best character arc so far though. I'm really curious to see how Specter Knight's story plays out, because he's always seemed like a pretty stiff personality compared to the other knights. Maybe we'll get a better glimpse at what goes on in the Graveyard.
 
For real though why does the Plague Knight DLC not work on 3DS
 
Because Plague Knight actually has a good characterization, plot arc, and interesting supporting characters that benefit other said points.

Also his mobility is fun as hell.
This.

I would kill to play as Plague Knight in a fighting game.
 
Favorite character? Troupple King!

Favorite Knight though? For me it's just a tie between Shovel Knight and Shield Knight. They're a cool duo. I still wish they would ditch gender swap mode and just make a playable Shield Knight instead.

I agree that Plague Knight's had the best character arc so far though. I'm really curious to see how Specter Knight's story plays out, because he's always seemed like a pretty stiff personality compared to the other knights. Maybe we'll get a better glimpse at what goes on in the Graveyard.
Well, supposedly, he likes to party.

Maybe he'll just be an edgier Oliver Queen from The Arrow.
 
Wish I could play as be Plague Knight

ftfy

But seriously though, do you have it on 3DS? That sucks because Plague Knight is like my newest favoritist thing ever and it would suck badly if 3DS players didn't get it.

And yeah Spectre Knight might be promising, it was intriguing to see him go after that locket at the Plague Knight Credits so here's hoping they have a good plan for him.
 
But seriously though, do you have it on 3DS? That sucks because Plague Knight is like my newest favoritist thing ever and it would suck badly if 3DS players didn't get it.
Think I figured it out actually. You have to download the 2.2 patch, then go to another section of the 3DS store and redownload the entire game. Which is like "why" but whatever we're in there, got it working finally.

edit: HOLY SHIT YOU CAN FLY
 
  • Like
Reactions: fenster
Oh, speaking of which, hopefully you guys caught the update they posted a few days ago about Specter Knight:
http://yachtclubgames.com/2016/06/the-return-of-specter-knight-and-a-revitalizing-announcement/

He looks fun. Kinda bummed they didn't give him a natural float, but maybe that'll be an upgrade. Plague Knight also had a ton of neat stuff they didn't share until release.
I like how his health bar says "Willpower."

It implies that he's too lazy to keep fighting.

Which also implies that he's immortal/holding back.
 
Can PC Shovel Knight get the Battletoads fight?

No? Okay...
 
Think I figured it out actually. You have to download the 2.2 patch, then go to another section of the 3DS store and redownload the entire game. Which is like "why" but whatever we're in there, got it working finally.

edit: HOLY SHIT YOU CAN FLY

You ever wonder what Peacock would be like if she could throw air bombs? : ^ )
 
Think I figured it out actually. You have to download the 2.2 patch, then go to another section of the 3DS store and redownload the entire game. Which is like "why" but whatever we're in there, got it working finally.

edit: HOLY SHIT YOU CAN FLY
Get the Hover Burst.

It's great.
 
I was always a fan of the Bullet Burst myself for the horizontal coverage.
 
Okay.

Real talk?

Propeller Knight is a jerk.

He was hard to fight with SK, but with PK, he's impossible.
 
Ok I realize I'm late to the party here but I only was recently able to download the update, anyways, Plague Knight is hype. His burst is a really cool movement ability. I actually changed attack from the A button to one of the triggers cause I think he's easier to control like that. The optimal movement seems to be jump, release burst, immediately start charging burst again, double jump, release burst again. That's hard to do if jump and attack are both face buttons, at least for me, but if I'm using different fingers for jump and attack it's significantly easier. I don't THINK you can get a third burst in there before falling back to ground level? But I haven't messed with it that much yet.
Get the Hover Burst.

It's great.
Got this, idk if I like it, once the hovering kicks in it slows down your forward momentum. Might use it for certain areas but in general I don't like it cause it's slower.