Alas, 2022 has finally arrived, and with it, hopefully, new releases. One such release has our nostalgic hearts going pitter-patter with anticipation – Shovel Knight Dig.
If you’re into indie games, you’ve most likely come across Shovel Knight. In fact, the pixel hero has become sort of a legend. So much that he’s considered an equivalent to a Stan Lee cameo in a Marvel movie.
While we patiently wait for Shovel Knight Dig to come out (soon, we hope), we’ve gathered all the latest intel. Sneak a peek, and find out whether or not there’s a Shovel Knight release date yet!
Shovel Knight Dig
Source: https://youtu.be/qeFIyI5Q7Q0
Who made Shovel Knight?
The Shovel Knight franchise owes its life to none other than Yacht Club Games. However, not even they could have predicted how the world would be rocked by powerful nostalgia with Shovel Knight’s release.
Yacht Club Games can take pride not only in its success but in its transparency as well – they’re always up-front with their budget, progress, and setbacks, even going down into details regarding the development cycle: which is something other studios keep to themselves.
Yacht Club has been questioned on their originality given that, well, the game looks VERY familiar to a lot of things we’ve already seen in the industry. Sean Velasco, designer and director of Shovel Knight, doesn’t deny the claims that Shovel Knight took inspiration from old 8-bit games. According to Velasco, that’s somewhat common practice in the industry. Even Super Mario used Donkey Kong jumping mechanics. But that’s the beauty of it – developers find their muse and, inspired by it, create something new.
Aside from developing Shovel Knight, Yacht Club also published Cyber Shadow. In this retro-styled side-scrolling platformer, you become a ninja named Shadow in a world dominated by synthetic lifeforms. Join Shadow as he attempts to uncover what set off this path of inevitable doom while slashing through his enemies.
How did Shovel Knight become popular?
Each Shovel Knight review claims that Shovel Knight’s charm lies in its vivid visuals that draw inspiration from old-school NES games. As a matter of fact, the 8-bit and 16-bit designs in the tale of our favorite knight mimic games like Castlevania and Mega Man. So, if you find yourself yearning for the classic pixel art style of the 8-bit era, definitely give this noble knight a chance.
Although some might argue that Shovel Knight is lacking in complex game design, its charm and the Shovel Knight characters more than make up for it. Despite their simplistic design, every character in Shovel Knight is a bit of an oddball, and we love them all the more for it.
Take Shovel Knight, for instance, who proves time and time again that shovelry ain’t dead after all.
Even the chiptune soundtrack fits perfectly! Nevertheless, most of us failed to see the certain depth of each handcrafted song.
High Above the Land, for instance, is a song for the Propeller Knight stage inspired by the Propeller Knight. But what most of us failed to notice, is that its choppy sounds emulate the sounds of a propeller cutting through music.
How do Shovel Knight games play on different devices?
Shovel Knight 3DS was released simultaneously with its PC and Wii U versions in 2014. From then on, we’ve had the benefit of enjoying various Shovel Knight platforms. like Shovel Knight Switch and Shovel Knight PS3. Since Shovel Knight titles appeared on multiple platforms, their differences in features aren’t much of a surprise.
The 3DS version of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, unfortunately, doesn’t feature Co-op Mode or Shovel Knight Showdown. It does, however, include the StreetPass Arena, and the ability to trade Play Coins for gold in the Shovel of Hope campaign. Stereoscopic 3D and touchscreen functionality also make it incredibly immersive and fun to play.
The Treasure Trove version for Switch features 5 unlockable Co-op themed challenges. Treasure Trove for PS3, on the other hand, includes a fight with Kratos to unlock special gear, and Cross Save, which comes in handy if you want to switch consoles.
Whichever way you look at it, Shovel Knight is a blast to play, no matter the console.
What Platforms will Shovel Knight Dig be released on?
Yacht Club Games originally announced Shovel Knight Dig for Nintendo Switch only, but that seems to have changed in the meantime. Looks like we’ll get to see Shovel Knight Dig on PS4 and PC as well.
Shovel Knight Dig release date
Those of you fishing for an official Shovel Knight Dig release date might be a little disappointed. Unfortunately, it seems we’ll have to wait just a little bit longer. Shovel Knight Dig was first announced way back in August 2019 but ended up being pushed back because the developers needed more time. Yacht Club Games did release an official trailer, although it leaves somewhat of a bittersweet taste in our mouths.
What we know about Shovel Knight Dig
Yacht Club Games has teamed up with Nitrome to create Shovel Knight Dig. The Yacht Club team did a lot of Shovel-Knight-related work in the past decade, so it’s understandable that they wanted to switch things up and do something else for a change. We’ll cut them some slack while Nitrome takes the reins on this one.
Unlike its 8-bit predecessors, Shovel Knight Dig will be a 16-bit game, very reminiscent of old SNES releases. Furthermore, it won’t even be a side-scroller platformer. In the brand new addition to the Shovel Knight series, you’ll get to see Shovel Knight dig his way downwards through the platform.
Another pleasant surprise that awaits us in Shovel Knight Dig is Scrap Knight. She also made an appearance in the latest addition to the franchise, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon. With her trusted picker in hand, Scrap Knight arranges various items for sale, saves the good stuff for herself, and keeps it in a bag slung over her shoulder.
Frankly, we’re hoping Shovel Knight Dig comes out sooner than later. Until then, there’s not much we can do but enjoy Shovel Knight’s other editions and wait. Hang in there for Shovelry!
