next »

[TautNerve]

Can't get this tune out of my head
http://virt.bandcamp.com/track/strike-the-earth-plains-of-passage

[vinheim3]

Best tune imo is in the most frustrating stage to do with no deaths: the airship

[tieTYT]

The game already exists as one of the 100 Castelvania games. It does nothing new, or better, than any other action platformer game. It is, if nothing else, a "good" game but only because it has already been a good game for the last 20 years.

It is a nostalgia bomb and is best viewed through rosy red glasses. Otherwise its just the same stuff you've been playing forever. Which is what people like for some reason.

I can see why this would be bad to some and others wouldn't mind.  Both opinions have merit.  Besides, maybe someone hasn't played the other Castlevania games.  

Also, I think I could say similar things about Dragon Quest 8, but I really found that game to be fun.  For some reason I really enjoyed battling enemies and leveling up my party.

Being unique doesn't necessarily make something fun, and vice versa.

[Tanner]

Some of the achievements are ridiculous to the point where I know I will never be able to accomplish them.

[DavidCaruso]

I bought this and played a few hours yesterday, I'm at around the halfway point I think (7 stages in). Decent game (probably WayForward's best lolol).

The retro graphics are awesome, and it's really refreshing to see a "NES-style" retro game done with actual competence and respect for the system's limitations. The soundtrack is undoubtedly polished and well-done as well, but for some reason not much is really sticking in my head. The best music in the game is in the best level (so far), Treasure Knight's underwater level (with the campfire music coming second). In addition, I really enjoyed the addition of the Monster World-esque villages and bizarre NPCs, which is one of those little touches that modern retro games seem to lack -- super charming and funny.

The level design is the weak link here, specifically how long and drawn-out all the stages seem to be. This is actually aggravated if you play by smashing the checkpoints, as I've been doing (smashing all of the checkpoints in each level except the one directly before the boss). The game does a pretty good job of keeping it fresh by introducing new environmental gimmicks, enemies, and minibosses as you go further into each stage (and some of these are actually really creative!), but in the end it still feels like many levels are 1.5x to twice as long as they should be. (It also doesn't help that the game seems to have full health powerups after every major obstacle, making it feel like a disconnected series of encounters rather than a cohesive stage.) The checkpoint system could be a great idea when implemented with tighter levels, however, and it's definitely something I'll have to think about stealing for lower difficulty modes.

The bosses aren't very good either. They LOOK impressive and do impressive-looking things, but I think I've beaten half of them so far in the first 1 to 4 tries by just bouncing on their head with my shovel whenever I can and disregarding any damage I took (without having to learn any of their patterns). Maybe this changes when you go further into the game, though. There was a cool Megaman 2-inspired fish miniboss in Treasure Knight's stage which I was looking forward to fighting again (after I died later on), but it disappeared forever after I beat it :(

(Also, Spectre Knight's stage might be the worst designed platformer level I've played in, idk, a year. Who on the design team thought it would be a good idea to make the player, enemies, and foreground of the level basically invisible for half a stage?)

Even with all the above, though, it's still not a BAD game. Just not a really good or great one, as the hype's been suggesting. I like this more than I liked Super Meat Boy or VVVVVV. 3/5

Finally, granted that I haven't played it, but can we stop describing EVERY SINGLE FUCKING GAME EVER as "inspired by Dark Souls"? Shovel Knight claims to be inspired by Dark Souls, and so does that 3D first person shooter, that Mario 64 clone, that flight simulator, that 2D roguelike, and that Native American bobsledding racing game. Coming soon: Harvest Moon 23, INSPIRED BY DARK SOULS.

[Rat Casket]

People don't know the difference between "inspired by" and "blatantly stealing from". Or, they usually mean "game is hard and we need this kickstarter to succeed".

[Sik]

(Also, Spectre Knight's stage might be the worst designed platformer level I've played in, idk, a year. Who on the design team thought it would be a good idea to make the player, enemies, and foreground of the level basically invisible for half a stage?)

Reminds me of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=SldX5OeH13s#t=225

[HöllenKobold]

The retro graphics are awesome, and it's really refreshing to see a "NES-style" retro game done with actual competence and respect for the system's limitations.

They, uhhh, didn't adhere to any of the limitations at all.

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DavidDAngelo/20140625/219383/Breaking_the_NES_for_Shovel_Knight.php

[DavidCaruso]

(Also, Spectre Knight's stage might be the worst designed platformer level I've played in, idk, a year. Who on the design team thought it would be a good idea to make the player, enemies, and foreground of the level basically invisible for half a stage?)

Reminds me of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=SldX5OeH13s#t=225

Now imagine that except you're trying to navigate around an almost completely black screen and can only reorient yourself every 5 or 6 seconds (when lightning flashes briefly, revealing where you are, where the enemies are, and what the level geometry is all at once).

Also, sup!!! I used to go by "Sonic 65" on Sonic Retro years ago, I didn't know you were on these forums now. Are you still working on the MD homebrew platformer?

The retro graphics are awesome, and it's really refreshing to see a "NES-style" retro game done with actual competence and respect for the system's limitations.

They, uhhh, didn't adhere to any of the limitations at all.

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DavidDAngelo/20140625/219383/Breaking_the_NES_for_Shovel_Knight.php

Yeah, I read that article, which is why I said "respect" rather than "adherence". The fact that they actually read up on the limitations and systematically decided which ones they were going to break, and how, is way more effort than many other games seem to put in, I think. Not to mention hiring virt and using Famitracker rather than the PXTone/SFXR pipeline I think a lot of people use (or GXSCC haha). I don't really care about slavish adherence to restrictions as much as it "feeling" like it could have been done, and I think this game looks enough like a widescreen late-generation Famicom game (about on par with e.g. Gimmick!). The heavy parallax is probably the most "jarring" difference but I can easily forgive it.

[Rat Casket]

Its definitely a rip of this classic stage that I'm surprised nobody mentioned and you should all feel bad.

[The Monster King]

Its literally nothing. Don't waste the 15 bucks.

but it's fun 

Whoa now. I wouldn't go sayin that.

People don't know the difference between "inspired by" and "blatantly stealing from". Or, they usually mean "game is hard and we need this kickstarter to succeed".

Its definitely a rip of this classic stage that I'm surprised nobody mentioned and you should all feel bad.

why are you so mad that a digging platformer is doing well why do you hate this game so much what is this anger vs a megaman video juego are you threatened by a digging platformer vidcon what is your stake in this why are you being such a child hiding yourself behind a shield of petty insults[url]

[Rat Casket]

too bad my game has no digging, mawfucka

[The Monster King]

well if it doesn't have digging it doesn't have anything

[Rat Casket]

My problem with digging is that it had to be context sensitive to not break the rest of the games systems. Almost exactly how Shovel Knight does it. Which is, effectively, not digging at all.

[Sik]

Now imagine that except you're trying to navigate around an almost completely black screen and can only reorient yourself every 5 or 6 seconds (when lightning flashes briefly, revealing where you are, where the enemies are, and what the level geometry is all at once).

That sounds more like the "all lights off" level from When Tails Gets Bored (except you aren't even revealed the level layout, it's pure trial and error there).

EDIT: no, I haven't played the game yet, no money for that x_x; (and no credit card to make the purchase...)

Also, sup!!! I used to go by "Sonic 65" on Sonic Retro years ago, I didn't know you were on these forums now. Are you still working on the MD homebrew platformer?

ROFL, what are you doing here? XD

Eh, not really, until I get bored again and feel like resuming it I suppose (though it's still my testbed for my sound engine). Have been working with Titan instead (e.g. check Overdrive).

[TheLastBanana]

rabbit, did a knight with a shovel kill your parents or something

[vinheim3]

Some of the achievements are ridiculous to the point where I know I will never be able to accomplish them.

imo the only one you need to worry about is NG+ run because there are fewer checkpoints, you don't get healing items, and everything does increased damage. On the 2nd last stage with the boss rush, there's only 1 checkpoint which is just before the boss rush. To make things easier, this is the only place you get food, but it's after every other boss.

The no death run isn't too bad once you've practiced individual stage runs breaking checkpoints for the checkpointless feat, and the speedrun feat is easily attainable since you can copy files around. I got 1:15 and only went out of my way to get Phase Locket, Dust Knuckles, War Horn and Propeller Dagger and probably only propeller dagger was useful.

I thought the game was really fun to master. Running individual stages and mastering every room finding best strats to overcome every bit was satisfying. When I was playing it more casually at the start rather than having a perfectionist attitude, it did get boring so I can see why others would feel the same way.

[SundownKid]

The thing about the no death run is that if you quit the stage and reload, you can try it again. It's not like it ends the moment you die (except on map encounters, which you may want to avoid). So it's easier than it sounds.

I give the game a dennouddaden in my review. I find it to be extremely awesome.

It's a bit ironic the best game Wayforward made wasn't done under the Wayforward label nor did it have the typical nice sprites that Wayforward is known for (though the sprite art is still great, just not as detailed).

Oh, and for everyone saying it preys on nostalgia... I have literally no nostalgia for NES games, the first console I really played in earnest was the Dreamcast, and I still think it's a fantastic game.

[DJFloppyFish]

I love this game, totally stands on its own imo. i honestly find this game more fun than a lot of the things it's inspired by, since it has more modern sensibilities (good checkpoints, interesting collectibles, varied level design). My only major gripe would be that the overworld map is a bit too linear, i would've liked to seen more options than just choosing one out of three bosses.     

Its definitely a rip of this classic stage that I'm surprised nobody mentioned and you should all feel bad.

that's a bit harsh, i feel like the black silhouette trick has been used in a lot of old games.

[InvertMouse]

I have heard nothing but good things about this game thus far. Really looking forward to playing it. Though it has a retro look, judging from reviews, it clearly has learned from gaming through the past few decades. Such a relieve to see great gameplay can still stand on its own !