Shovel Knight 2014

Is it still worth playing?

Yacht Club Games' 2014 side scrolling platformer with 8 bit graphics, first on the Wii U, 3DS and Windows. Shovel Knight returns from exile when the Enchantress unseals the Tower of Fate, and has to beat the Order of No Quarter, the eight knights who serve her. His shovel attacks, digs dirt blocks to unearth treasure and lets him bounce on enemies. The levels have checkpoints and end in boss fights against those knights. Treasure is where risk comes in. It buys health, magic, armor, shovel upgrades and Relics that use magic, and checkpoints can be broken for more at the price of a longer walk back after dying. Dying also drops the gold you carry, which can be recovered, though dying again first loses it for good. Easy to learn platforming with modern ideas of risk and reward, on an 8 bit look, is still why it is worth playing today.