Just finished Specter of Torment, and man... this series really does retro the "right" way. Apparently Yacht Club Games is working on something else this year, I'm really excited to see what they come up with next! (Shovel Knight 64)

Been really enjoying this game after finally finding it heavily discounted (physical version with a printed manual - a nice touch). Completed the main campaign and currently halfway through the Plague Knight DLC. At first I was kinda bummed out that you are simply playing through the same levels. But there is enough difference in the character controls and abilities combined with increased difficulty and variations in how the campaign is subverted to keep me going.

Is the Specter Knight DLC the same way?

@dgtlty: It is similar in that you are going through each level to fight the boss knight at the end, but like you say the powers and traversal is different enough that it feels like a new thing, along with some really awesome story beats that I didn't expect.

Yes, Shovel Knight is awesome. My only complaint is there is no part of the game where he goes to the local cemetery to dig up a date (or two).

Shovel knight is fantastic. I haven't played the expansion though. Am I right in saying that if you own shovel knight you get the expansion as a free update or am I talking crazy?

@frodobaggins: Yeah I bought it on 3DS at release and I've gotten both the Plague Knight and Specter Knight expansion for free. Another bonus!

Shovel Knight on Vita is just so freaking good. The controls match up perfectly with the Vita's available inputs and the OLED screen gives the visuals a beautiful pop. It honestly looked better than the PS4 version when played on my 1080p tv. It wasn't until we got a 4K tv that it came close to the Vita's visuals.

Bought the vanilla game on 3DS a good while back, never even beat it.
Bought the Treasure Trove on Switch, and beat all of the campaigns. Such a great game, with awesome humor and really cool music. "Strike the earth" never fails to inspire!
While I initially was bummed that the DLC campaigns mostly used the same levels and layouts, the small diversions (bigger ones in the case of "Specter of Torment") and the different ways to move and attack made it feel kinda fresh still.
Looking forward to what madness they have cooked up for King Knight!

I wasn't the biggest fan of the original campaign but Spectre of Torment is incredible. Movement options are everything for me in a platformer and once you have certain items + the "grind on anything" armor, the game REALLY opens up.

It's the best game of 2014, easily.