It was ported to OS X and Linux in September 2014, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One in April 2015, Amazon Fire TV in September 2015, and Nintendo Switch in March 2017.Shovel Knight is inspired by gameplay and graphics of platformer games developed for the Nintendo Entertainment...
It was ported to OS X and Linux in September 2014, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One in April 2015, Amazon Fire TV in September 2015, and Nintendo Switch in March 2017.Shovel Knight is inspired by gameplay and graphics of platformer games developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game has received critical acclaim and awards. In the game's first campaign, Shovel of Hope, players control the eponymous protagonist as he collects treasure and fights against the Order of No Quarter. Shovel Knight's primary means of attack is his shovel, which he can either use to attack enemies head-on and dig up treasure, or aim below him while jumping to bounce on enemies, similar to the pogo jump from DuckTales or the downward thrust from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Include long-range projectiles, gloves that can punch through dirt blocks, and a locket that makes the player invincible for a brief period. Aside from the main quest, which involves fighting through each level and defeating the boss at the end in order to progress through the world map, players are encouraged to collect as much treasure as possible. While the player does have infinite lives, dying will cause the player to lose some of their money, though the player can recover it by collecting the flying sacks that appear around where the player last died. For an added challenge, players can also choose to destroy checkpoints to earn more treasure at the risk of being sent back further should they die. Completing the game opens up a New Game Plus mode, which increases the overall difficulty of the game by doubling the damage Shovel Knight takes, as well as limiting the number of checkpoints in a stage, though the player retains any relics and health and magic upgrades collected during their first playthrough. There is also a password system allowing players to input codes to unlock various cheats. Free downloadable content updates add new features to the game, such as additional challenges, co-op modes, and a Body Swap mode allowing players to alter the genders of certain characters. The single-player campaigns are available on all platforms whereas Showdown is not available on the 3DS or Vita versions due to their handheld nature. Plague of Shadows casts players as Plague Knight, who uses bombs to both attack enemies and launch himself through the air. Specter of Torment puts players in control of Specter Knight, who can run up walls and use his scythe to slash diagonally through enemies and obstacles to reach new areas. Much like Shovel Knight's items, each campaign has a unique set of items for their respective characters, and hidden collectibles to unlock upgrades. Shovel Knight Showdown is a competitive fighting game in which up to four players face against each other in various match types, including depleting each other's health or collecting the most gems within a time limit.