Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight is one of the finest retro homages we’ve ever seen, perfectly evoking the careful platforming of older titles while introducing modern design concepts like checkpoints and a detailed inventory system. It plays a bit like a Mega Man game as each level is themed after one of the memorable bosses you’ll be facing down. Shovel Knight’s unique skills are essential to making it through, as you can dig and jump downwards on the shovel to jump farther and damage enemies.
Of course, Shovel Knight also brings the nostalgia by giving you a bunch of collectibles to nab, both in the main campaign and DLC. Shovel Knight and Plague Knight have music sheets they can collect across each level. Bringing these back to the bard in the village will reward you with gold, while the bard regales you with the song. Alternatively, Specter Knight’s campaign has a bunch of red skulls you can collect, which can be turned in later for useful new abilities. Each campaign is great on its own, but trying to collect everything only adds to the overall challenge.
