When it debuted in 2014, Shovel Knight set a new standard for retro games. It was a platformer that felt exactly like some brilliant, hidden gem of a late-era NES game in virtually every area, eventually ending up becoming a gaming phenomenon. But while Shovel Knight was the spark that set off a new wave of retro games, it was far from the first in the subgenre. One of the most notable developers of retro games I can recall, in fact, was Nitrome, who have been making web games and mobile games that have felt like lost SNES curiosities ever since the mid-2000s, utilizing bright pixel art, chiptune music, classic arcade and puzzle gameplay and more. They’re one of those developers that always seemed like they deserved a lot more attention from the mainstream gaming world.
So with that, you can imagine my excitement when I learned that Nitrome would be teaming up with Yacht Club Games for Shovel Knight Dig, a more fast-paced, arcade-ish platformer with roguelike elements. Seeing the world of Shovel Knight making the jump into the fourth generation style that Nitrome is known for and tackling a familiar yet different style of gameplay filled me with anticipation, ready to see if the series can adapt to such a bold new direction…well, okay,Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeonalready proved that it could when it came out last year, but now Dig is here as well, so it’s time to see if both Nitrome and Shovel Knight still have the magic touch.
For a game whose presentation evokes a generation of gaming that comes after the original title, Shovel Knight Dig is surprisingly a prequel to the original Shovel Knight and all of its expansions. As such, we begin with a more relatively simple tale here, with the evil Drill Knight stealing Shovel Knight’s bad of loot earned from various adventures before drilling downward towards an even greater treasure, creating a massive well in the process. Now our hero has to head into the well, battle Drill Knight and their squadron of treasure hunters known as the Hexcavators and wonder why several of these gems that they’re hunting for are urging them to dig even deeper…
Starting off each run by jumping into the well (okay, that or using a purchased shortcut unlocked later on that starts you off at a later level you’ve already visited), the core actions in Shovel Knight Dig are still the same as the original game, as you jump platform to platform, bounce off of enemies and slash at them. There’s a massive twist, though, and in case you couldn’t tell from the title, it involves digging. In a bit of a mix between Downwell and Dig Dug, Shovel Knight Dig is a platformer that has you travel downward in a vertical manner as opposed to left and right, and has a hefty amount of dirt for you to dig through to reach the end of each stage and some of the various secrets along the way, placing the emphasis on the “shovel” part of things this time around.
Considering how Shovel Knight is only able to dig left, right and down, not up, and how you may need to maneuver around obstacles in the dirt such as mines, or each rapidly dig across a strip of soil in order to each a secret or some hidden gems, you may think that you have to take the time to plan everything out. But given how fast everything that get, you may only have mere seconds to quickly decide what action to take, especially since dilly-dallying for too long means that a giant drill will head towards you for an instant kill. Heck, that’s not even getting into environmental hazards and enemies that can spawn. The digging controls may be easy to get into, and tunneling through a huge chunk of ground is immensely satisfying, but you really need to master being precise if you want to want to reach the end in the best condition possible.
All of that may sound frantic, but the quick pace is easily part of the charm, putting up a nice challenge as you test your platforming skills, adapting to the procedurally-generated levels, different paths and all the various hazards and surprises as they appear as quick as you can. Each level has its own unique sets of obstacles that perfectly tie in with their theme and the Hexcavator guarding each level, ranging from spores that can shrink you down, waterways to uncover that can become electrified or even dirt that fights back if don’t get out of it quickly. All of these make for memorable and well-designed levels, with randomization keeping you on your toes and making each run feel fresh in one way or another. Heck, even the arenas for the enjoyable boss fights can be different each time.
Given its quicker runs and more arcade-style feel at times, though, it shouldn’t come as too much of a shock that Shovel Knight Dig is on the quick side with its runs, and you can reach the initial ending in about four and a half hours. But there are still a ton of secrets to uncover, including new armors that grant different boosts, hidden rooms and shortcuts found by striking certain areas, various relics and items to unlock and purchase that can provide new skills and buffs, and per roguelike tradition, that ever-elusive true ending that requires you to basically solve a massive puzzle across the longest possible run of the game. Throw in the fact that the gameplay is just pure fun and perfectly blends the classic mechanics with a new twist, and there’s still quite a bit of replay value here to keep you coming back for more.
Speaking of these secrets, though, the use of having items following you around in order to unlock certain areas or bring eggs to nests where they can hatch into creatures that help attack is a notable flaw in Shovel Knight Dig, if only because it feels like one the more unfair aspects. Unlike traditional inventories, items you collect here follow behind you (with the number you can carry increased via purchasable upgrades in between runs). Take a hit, however, and the items drop off, requiring you to collect them again. Except given the speed and random level design, it can be too easy to to run into situations where you easily lose them for good. Or it can create long gaps between items and the areas you can use them in, or introduce hazards that destroy them immediately, etc.
Despite that particular hiccup, there’s still a lot to love about Shovel Knight Dig, from the thrill that comes from the challenge of collect three golden cogs in a stage to unlock a new upgrade, to the rush that comes from successfully fend off enemies that spawn in a secret room in order to get to the shop inside, to even just dying and going back to the hub world, if only because it’s a delight to look at. Nitrome’s vivid pixel art visuals are stunning as always (and they deliver another killer soundtrack as well), but while the huge enemies and various detailed terrains are quite the sights to behold, there’s something about how with only a few screens, we get this this huge glimpse into the world of Shovel Knight. It’s where colorful merchants hawk their wares, colorful NPCs of all shapes and sizes walk by and give tips as you interact with them, defeated bosses sit by the campfire…it does a lot with just so little.
And really, that last sentence sums up Shovel Knight Dig perfectly. It’s this more bite-sized, quicker take on the formula, but it has so much to check out that you can easily find yourself coming back for run after run. So with that, it is safe to say that yes, Nitrome and Yacht Club still have that magic retro game touch.
Closing Comments:
Shovel Knight Dig finds our spade-wielding hero heading in another new direction, and while this trip goes downward, they manage to strike gold here as well. Addictive gameplay, gorgeous graphics and impressive levels that play host to a lot of unique challenges all get mixed together in order to create another winning action game worth checking out for fans and newcomers alike. It truly is another gem that’s been dug up here.
