Shovel Knight is a great game, it reminds me of megaman back in my childhood. As an adult I love the game though there are some quirks with some insta death mechanics, little things that are a nuisance for me but those were mechanics that existed in megaman back then. It was worth the purchace.
So i never bought any of these games before this collection, and strayed away from it during the 3ds era since it was "fun for all skill levels" or something like that, which to me sounds like a game which would not appeal to my "hard core gamer side" and would be ultimately boring and unsatisfying, so i stayed away. much to my surprise i think they actually did make it fun for all skill levels, and is definitely worth considering a purchase, with a caveat [SPOILERS I GUESS]. basically all these games are the same game with small variations to one another, with the story surprisingly being the most distinguishing part about them. ya the characters play differently but they ultimately are basically just rom hacks. now this is all fine and dandy to me, and i played through all of them with exception to "king of cards" as i just haven't beaten it yet (getting there!), and the story and game play are great! ✓and a ✓. the one thing that i makes me bat an eye is the $40 usd price tag. for how short these games are it seems rather steep especially compared to other indie games today that, shall i say it, has put a lot more labor/skill into the game making then the shovel knight game(s) for way cheaper price points. i would never buy this game full priced full stop, as they almost ctrl+c ctrl+v'd for most of the other games. that being said this is one of my fav's and have put 15+ hours into this game.
TLDR:
great game ✓
simple but great story✓
buy on sale
As soon as I started Shovel Knight(SK) I was brought back to the old NES days of music and aesthetics. Fans of old NES classics will compare SK to Megaman and other old 8-bit platformers. The controls are tight just like the good old days, nice level design with a slighty enhanced 8-bit color scheme and music created by former Megaman musicians. Casual gamers may have a tough time getting through the game, but veteran gamers who grew up playing Mario Bros., Castlevania and Hudson's Adventure Island will have no problems and may be a bit easy for them. You'll have to think your way through the game trying to acquire gems and items. Also reflexes and timing are key to get past on some levels. Top it all off with pattern-attack bosses and cut scenes. I have two nit-pick complaints with Shovel Knight. First, it was a bit short for me. After completing it I felt I should of had a surprise that would open up a new world. Nope. Instead you get to go through the game again with Plague Knight with a different control type and story. It's OK, but I wanted more with Shovel Knight! Also I wish there were some more power-ups than was offered. It took me about 9 hrs to complete, but I was taking my time. You could finish it quicker if you rush through it. Overall, it is a well balanced game and players of all levels will enjoy it, especially ones born with an NES controller in their mouth. If you haven't bought this by now, you really should ASAP. It's worth your money.