Shovel Knight

GamingBoltAlex Jackson

9.5/10

Shovel Knight is a game that you should buy, plain and simple. It takes what could have been a simple nostalgia trip to a new level and shows that shovelry is alive and well.

KeenGamerMichael Maitland

9/10

Shovel Knight is a sweeping classic action adventure game with awesome gameplay, memorable characters, and an 8-bit retro aesthetic. And the game is simply awesome.

Shovel Knight is yet another fantastic indie addition to the continually growing Vita catalogue. It might lack Vita-specific extras (and is therefore a pointless purchase for people who already own the game on some other platform), but for old-school retro platforming fans who might have missed out on this fantastic title so far, it’s a must buy.

GameSpewRichard Seagrave

9/10

Creations like Shovel Knight prove that games don’t have to have fancy graphics or cost lots of money to be engrossing adventures. Quirky, endearing, challenging and wholly entertaining, Shovel Knight offers a slice of old-school platforming action at its best. Fans of the genre should consider this title essential, and anyone else that feels like a break from the myriad of multi-million pound developments being released left, right and centre should seriously consider giving Shovel Knight a try. You never know, you just might love it!

Worth PlayingBrian Dumlao

9/10

Shovel Knight has two goals: Defeat the evil Enchantress and quest for his lost beloved. Before him is a cadre of villainous knights, The Order of No Quarter, with orders to foil Shovel Knight's quest.

Den of GeekJoe Jasko

Shovel Knight balances 8-bit nostalgia with original gameplay ideas for an incredibly well-rounded adventure.

Attack of the FanboyKyle Hanson

Shovel Knight is a true masterpiece of retro platforming. If you ever enjoyed an NES title and wanted to relive those days then this game was tailor-made for you.

Nintendo LifeMitch Vogel

8/10

Shovel of Hope stands as an example of how excellent retro-themed platformers can be when you have a team of experienced and passionate developers working on them, and still to this day acts as a standard which other, similar releases are judged against. The interesting level designs, humorous writing, high replayability, and intuitive controls make this one an easy recommendation, although with the caveat that the full Treasure Trove release is still the better way to go. Even so, it’s tough to go wrong with this original campaign, and if you haven’t played it yet, we’d highly recommend that ...

GameSpotEdmond Tran

8/10

The floor is made of lava.

PC GamerEmanuel Maiberg

80/100

Are you a 20-40 year old who’s desperately clinging to happy childhood memories? Do you think that things used to be better and find yourself saying the phrase “back in my day” a lot? I try to avoid the allure of such nostalgia, but I must admit I loved Shovel Knight, a mostly uncompromising revival of 8-bit platformers.

GameLusterBen Denny

0/10

Shovel Knight is fantastic – plain and simple. It’s an amalgamation of all the best mechanics from classic platformers such as MegaMan and DuckTales, while also borrowing from Super Metroid and Castlevania. Shovel Knight uses all of these mechanics in conjunction to create one of the greatest games in this genre. Like most extremely nostalgic games as of late this game was funded by Kick Starter, however Shovel Knight has delivered on its promises with all of the stretch goals completed and provided in the original release of the game.

StartMenuJames Bosco

Unscored

Shovel Knight has provided a wealth of joy for me over the years, and it should come as no surprise that Yacht Club is so popular after founding a franchise with such a beloved cast of characters. At £40, the collection may seem steep for an 8-bit platformer, but if you have the spare cash then I guarantee you’ll get your money’s worth. Yacht Club has created and sustained a franchise with depth and style that you’ll enjoy when you’re playing for the first time and find yourself coming back to, picking up the shovel again and again.