Shovel Knight is one of those games that I bought as soon as I heard of its existence. I stumbled upon this game as a review for the ultra-popular Game Informer magazine, earning a 8.5 or a 9 (it's been months since I saw the review in the magazine. The review enticed me - it was a throwback to the good ol' days of 2D platforming (nostalgia) while harkening references and influences from beloved Capcom IPs of MegaMan and Ghouls n' Goblins (so yeah, and hell yeah!).
The review and its second opinion both loved and deeply appreciated the difficulty that was once prevalent (especially in the games of the MegaMan and Ghouls n' Goblins series) and that alone just caught my attention. It's been a while since I've played such a challenging video game. Furthermore, the review also lauded the game's soundtrack, but that was an aspect that didn't fascinate me as much. I'm more attracted to the more dynamic (and frequently symphonic) soundtracks that are more prevalent in today's gaming world (Shadow of the Colossus, BlazBlue, and God of War are some excellent examples). Like any 2D platformer of the olden days, it's the attention to detail and sprite animations that bring the game to life. And it's for the 3DS/Wii-U and I desperately need more games for my 3DS, so that was also in my favor.
I spent about 15 hours playing the game in total (8 hours for my first run and getting everything and 7 hours playing the more even more challenging "New Game+" mode). Like MegaMan and Ghouls n' Goblins, controls are tight, the colors/animations/sprites are crisp and colorful, and not one song sounds similar to another. This is one of those games that has to be played by everybody (and if you don't have a 3DS or Wii-U, then borrow or steal or do something!). It's very rewarding, being both an homage to era of the past, while still being outstanding in its own right as it's own IP.
