Shovel Knight Launch Trailer Is Bananas

Looks cool

Lucille, God gave me a gift. I shovel well. I shovel very well.

Nah, as quality as this looks I'm too burnt out on retro platformers at this point.

I'm less convinced every time I see it.

I'd LOVE to redeem my code this week after backing the game, but after an update email I discovered that living in Europe probably doesn't allow me to. Which is kinda bullshit.

So another pixelated platformer, that pays homage to Castlevania, except the twist this time, is that you're a knight with a shovel instead of a sword?

This game doesn't seem bad on any level, but I'm just kind of getting burned out on this niche.

Also, love ya Scoops, but there's nothing "bananas" about this trailer. It's a bunch of gameplay clips set to some metal music.

Or maybe I'm just really tired, and it's making me a bit grouchy.

I am very much looking forward to Thursday.

Just not seeing it. Another retro platformer? Eh.

Does it actually have a power metal soundtrack?

And here they didn't even add an original "modern" touch of their own - it's painfully retro right down to plain black backgrounds. I mean seriously, in that trailer alone there is an overabundance of just black backgrounds.

With todays technology they can do so much more with this type of art style yet they choose to hold back and make it as plain as possible. Personally I think making the game as much 8 bit as possible is missing the point. You want to evoke a retro look, but do something new, not repeat what was done 20 years ago on modern hardware - that isn't something that should be applauded.

I might be interested if this is doing anything original or innovative with the increasingly tired formula of 8-bit + name check Castlevania and other classics, but they're really not giving the impression there's much there based on this trailer.

Really feeling this fad needs to end or step up its ambitions.

I'm excited to go through it.

Every game doesn't have to be built on new ideas. Sometimes games are great for synthesizing a set of established ones (a la Darksiders).

This game is more Mega Man than Castlevania, I think.

Also, I'm so fucking stoked.

This nowhere near 8 bit visuals. Go look at some NES games and come back. They did a ton with background and ennemy design so I don't know where this rant is coming from.

Brad, Brad, Brad, Brad, Brad.

Thank you...

Looks like my kind of bonkers, so I can't wait to play it. I wish developers would stop with this aesthetic, though. Not saying its bad, but its so saturated, and its hard to find it pretty/creative when its in an abundant sea of the same sea.

That's beside the point though! Also, that kind of music better be represented in the game.

Looks fun, now to decide on 3DS or the Wii U version.

Bunch of jaded people in here. This doesn't look "retro" or stylized pixel art, it actually looks like a NES game. And the gameplay looks interesting - like a weird combination of Ducktales with advanced movement techniques and items. Can't wait to get it.

I might be a bit burned out on retro platformers, but this game hits all the right spots. I'm definitely buying this.

Looks hella NES, I dig it. I wonder why the music isn't though. Either way, I'll probably buy this game for the soundtrack.

PLEASE tell me this is going to be another Brad series on the site. It just has to be.

How is it looking like a NES game not "retro"? Unless it actually is a NES game, I'm pretty sure that's the definition of a "retro" game - something intentionally designed to hearken back to an older generation, not because of hardware limitations.

Doesn't mean it's bad, but it is what it is.

The music really doesn't fit here. Game looks interesting though I wish it would look a bit more interesting. Simulating the NES look just doesn't interest me that much anymore, too many games have done that

@pyrodactyl: It's not really a rant just my disappointment in it.

Also it's not exactly 8bit per-se but close enough. IF you must I will refer to it as "retro" platformer instead of "8 bit" platformer - and I'm simply saying that they could do so much more than replicate something that existed a long time ago. Like Fez - I don't think it's the greatest game in the world, but at least he took that retro style and did something with it.

I don't know what it is, but something in this trailer hit me hard. I think I have to play this game.

Looking forward to it. Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures is my gold standard for throwback action-platformers (really, that game's also the real deal). It reminded me what sort of heights these games can achieve. Hopefully Shovel Knight can hit those highs, too.

I've heard very good things about this game. The biggest thing is that it's basically Dark Souls.

Wow, hadn't heard anything about this since last year's E3, all of a sudden it's coming out this week.

Looks great!

Eagerly awaiting my product key.

Looks like Volgaar the Viking meets Rogue Legacy meets Mega Man meets Dark Souls meets Zelda ll ?

I had initially been regretting backing for a 3DS copy but the Streetpass battles seem pretty cool.

@Veektarius: I sure hope so, epic power metal soundtracks are exactly what this genre needs! :)

This seems well made but I'm just rapidly reaching the limit on my excitement for new games that are trying to be old games.

I've been waiting for Shovel Knight ever since I first played it at PAX East 2013. I still love the 8-bit style of games and would rather play something that looks like it (or a legit NES/Master System game) than a lot of today's modern games.

My shovel is ready.

Man, that was either clips of a Let's Play edited together by someone who really cares or this game has a lot going on in it.

Darkest of shovels

Must have

Looks very weird to see so much negativity around a game that's been looking like pretty much the best thing ever for a year or so. Yeah, it has a retro look and it's a platformer, but even if you're not particularly into that (I'm not out seeking retro games at all) the game looks fantastic. I for one am very excited.

I'm still not set on the Wii U vs. 3DS thing, though. Guess I'll do the Wii U version, and depending on how I like that, I'll either grab it again or not.

I've somehow avoided seeing anything about this until now, but it looks pretty great.

The anchor on the fishing line really sold me.

I'm kind of surprised at the fatigue with retro-styled games in these comments. Assuming that each game stands on it's own, this looks like a bunch of dumb fun. Cool levels, silly ideas, diverse bosses. What else do you want? It ain't 2015 yet.

Oh, and;

"Dark Shovels", why am I the first to say this? I'm disappointed in the lot of you.

I just can't decide which platform to get it on. At this point I'm leaning towards 3DS over Wii U just because of the 3D but I'm not sure yet.

Bunch of Negative Nancies in these comments.

I need a new portable game to play so I will most likely buy this for 3DS sometime soon.

So many references! And not just game references, I am pretty sure that was the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on that world map.

So do you fight Triple H with his golden shovel?

But in all seriousness, this looks really cool!

I'm not gonna buy it.

Already Kickstarted it. :D

That's got "Breaking Brad" written all over it.

@verysexypotato said:

@keeblerdrow said:

Lucille, God gave me a gift. I shovel well. I shovel very well.

Thank you...

For me this is the first thing that comes to mind whenever I hear about this game.