The genre of platformers inspired by retro games is a rather crowded one, yet somehow Shovel Knight manages to stand out. How? Because of its authenticity: it knows its heritage, but is designed in such a way that it’s not …
Time for some truth bombs. First, the downthrust ability from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was the best part of that entire, difficult-to-love entry in the series. Second, any game that is created based around that same downthrust mechanic is automatically worth eyeball time. And third, Shovel Knight is just such a game, on track to shock those eyeballs into a state of pure retro pleasure once it becomes a reality.