Shovel Knight Title

Digging A Modern Classic


Shovel Knight Title Screen


Game Specs for Shovel Knight

NOTE: When possible, the game's official manual or official documentation from the game maker's company is used — with spelling or terminology presented as is, despite some translation errors.

SPOILER ALERT: Some of the categories below may have a question mark to conceal important or secret revelations in the game. If you would like to see the unknown revealed, a rollover option or external link will be attached to the question mark.

Title: Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight
Company: Yacht Club Games
Yacht Club Games
Developer(s)/Designer(s):
  • (Programming) David D'Angelo
  • (Programming) Ian Flood
  • (Art) Erin Pellon
  • (Design) Sean Velasco
  • (Art) Nick Wozniak
Composer(s)/Musician(s):
  • (Sound) Jake "Virt" Kaufman
  • Manami Matsumae (contributed 2 Tracks)
Year: 2014
Release Date: June 26, 2014 (Wii U Version)
System: Wii U, Windows, Steam, 3DS, OSX, Linux, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One
Genre: Adventure, Platformer
Ratings/Suitable For Age Group?: E for Everyone Rating from ESRB
E for Everyone (Mild/Cartoon Violence)
Arcade Version?: No
Port To Other Game Systems: Wii U, Windows, Steam, 3DS, OSX, Linux, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One
Part of Franchise: No
Rarity/Availability: Not rare, but available as physical copy or digital download across several systems/consoles.
Add'l Game System Peripheral Needed To Play?: All are optional, but not necessary to play:

The Wii U offers an Amiibo Shovel Knight - an exclusive character that unlocks two-player, co-op gameplay!
Yes, the Shovel Knight Amiibo figurine...

This Gold Edition Amiibo Shovel Knight - released late in 2019 - is an exclusive character that unlocks features for the Wii U, 3DS and Switch.
And the Gold Edition Shovel Knight Amiibo figurine!

This special amiibo - released in December, 2019 - is compatible with the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Switch. It unlocks the Custom Knight mode for Shovel of Hope, co-op challenge stages in Shovel of Hope, Baron Set costume for Shovel Knight Showdown and Fairy of Shovelry in any Shovel Knight game.

Additionally, optional controllers can be used with Wii U version.
1 or 2 Player: 1 Player
(2 Player Co-Op possible with Shovel Knight Amiibo on Wii U)
Number of Reserve Players: 1 Player
1-UP's: No
Life Meter: Shovel Knight Life Meter
Yes — start with 3, can build up to 10.
Password:
Shovel Knight Register Your Name screen for inputting passwords or names.

Yes (Inputting Passwords is possible, but not quite the classic sense because the game already saves progress.)
Battery: No (But, being that the game is on modern systems, it saves progress digitally.)
Continue?: Yes - Unlimited
Perspective/Orientation Gameplay: 2D and Horizontal/Vertical (Retraceable/Freedom to Backtrack)
Number of Levels: 8 Areas inhabited by the Order Of No Quarter Knights, the Tower Of Fate, plus the Village, the Armor Outpost, Wandering Travelers and several other landmarks on the World Map.
Checkpoints?: Shovel Knight gets between 4 and 6 checkpoints per stage to save his progress.
Yes, but varies between 4 and 6 per Stage.
Save points?: No, but game can be saved at any point by accessing Return To Map option.
Uninterrupted Play?: Upon death of Shovel Knight, play stops and resumes from last checkpoint.
Internal Map(s)?: Screenshot of Shovel Knight's World Map screen.
Yes. World Map is an interactive part of gameplay.
Score?: No
Difficulty Settings: No
Time Limit?: No
Hero(es)/Heroine(s):
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight portrait during dialogueShovel Knight springing to action

Shovel Knight
Sidekick(s)/Cast?:
Of All Heroes, None Shone Brighter Than SHOVEL KNIGHT And SHIELD KNIGHT
Shield Knight

But Without Champions, The Land Was Seized By A Vile Power:  THE ENCHANTRESS And Her ORDER OF NO QUARTER!
Enchantress and her Order Of No Quarter
(clockwise from left to right: Mole Knight, Polar Knight, King Knight, Specter Knight, Propeller Knight, Treasure Knight, Tinker Knight and Plague Knight)

Portrait of the mysterious, BLACK KNIGHT
Black Knight

and various other characters

Weapons: RELICS:
Shovel Knight Relics and Gear Subscreen

Shovel Knight Flare Wand Relic Flare Wand (Conjure fiery blasts!)
Shovel Knight Dust Knuckles Relic Dust Knuckles (Dash through dirt and foes alike!)
Shovel Knight Alchemy Coin Relic Alchemy Coin (Toss a coin for a chance at riches.)
Shovel Knight War Horn Relic War Horn (Clear space around you with a powerful blow!)
Shovel Knight Fishing Rod Relic Fishing Rod (Cast into a pit, and wait for a bite!!)
Shovel Knight Phase Locket Relic Phase Locket (Escape from all harm... briefly.)
Shovel Knight Throwing Anchor Relic Throwing Anchor (An unstoppable arc of destruction.)
Shovel Knight Mobile Gear Relic Mobile Gear (Ride over hazards and reach higher places!)
Shovel Knight Propeller Dagger Relic Propeller Dagger (Soar through the sky blade first!)
Shovel Knight Chaos Sphere Relic Chaos Sphere (An orb of boundless combat potential.)


Items: GEAR:
Shovel Knight shops at the Aerial Anvil for Shovel Blade and Armor Upgrades.
Shovel Blade Upgrades:
  • Shovel Knight Charge Handle Shovel Blade Upgrade   Charge Handle (Hold your attack to unleash a powerful charge slash!)

  • Shovel Knight Trench Blade Shovel Blade Upgrade   Trench Blade (Dig up a whole pile in one mighty motion.)

  • Shovel Knight Drop Spark Shovel Blade Upgrade   Drop Spark (Slash to spark the ground when you're at full health.)

Shovel Knight shops at the Aerial Anvil for Shovel Blade and Armor Upgrades.

Armor Upgrades:
  • Shovel Knight Stalwart Plate Armor Upgrade   Stalwart Plate (Your original armor. Simple, yet sturdy.)

  • Shovel Knight Final Guard Armor Upgrade   Final Guard (Drop half as much gold when you fall in battle!)

  • Shovel Knight Conjurer's Coat Armor Upgrade   Conjurer's Coat (Sacrifice some protection for a higher magic limit, and harvest magic from defeated foes!)

  • Shovel Knight Dynamo Mail Armor Upgrade   Dynamo Mail (Perform two consecutive shovel drops to unleash a powerful charge slash!)

  • Shovel Knight Mail Of Momentum Armor Upgrade   Mail Of Momentum (Heavily plated. Keep your footing when struck, but stopping may be a problem!)

  • Shovel Knight Ornate Plate Armor Upgrade   Ornate Plate (Flashy! Acrobatic! Useless!)

Screen with Shovel Knight, Goatician, Gastronomer and Magicist in Village
  • Shovel Knight Meal Ticket   Meal Ticket (Get from Goatician and give to Gastronomer to upgrade your health meter.)

  • Shovel Knight Magic   Magic Upgrade (Buy from the Magicist to maximize magic and increase Magic Meter.)

Power-Ups:

Shovel Knight receives either Ichor of Renewal, Boldness and Fortune for his Chalices from the Troupple King.


Chalices holding Ichor of:
  • Shovel Knight Chalice Of Ichor Of Renewal   Renewal (Refills all health and magic.)

  • Shovel Knight Chalice Of Ichor Of Boldness   Boldness (Become invincible for 10 seconds.)

  • Shovel Knight Chalice Of Ichor Of Fortune   Fortune (Absorb nearby treasure for 60 seconds.)

  • Shovel Knight Treasure   Gold/Treasure (Treasure to purchase Gear and more.)

  • Shovel Knight Magic Jars   Magic Jars (Replenish your magic meter.)

  • Shovel Knight Food Selections   Food (Eat up for more health.)

  • Shovel Knight Music Sheet   Music Sheet (Collect these to have the Bard play back music for you — essentially a sound test.)

Power-Downs: No
Main Enemy: Shovel Knight's Main Enemy... Revealed
Spoiler alert! Click here to see
Person/Place Being Saved:
The Land and Shield Knight?
Objective/Goal: Seal the Tower Of Fate and save Shield Knight
Ending?: Yes
Secret Code(s)?:
Shovel Knight allows for cheat codes to be activated.

Yes! Currently, several cheat codes are available.
[Click here for details from Secrets & Tips - CHEAT CODES, CHEAT CODES AND MORE CHEAT CODES Section of Shovel Knight Review.]
Stage Select: No
Invincibility: Yes
[Click here for details from Secrets & Tips - CHEAT CODES, CHEAT CODES AND MORE CHEAT CODES Section of Shovel Knight Review.]
Extra Players: N/A
Continues: N/A
Sound Test: No
Additional Secret Codes: Several
Trivia/Little Known Facts:
  • During the Kickstarter campaign for the funding of Shovel Knight, donors who pledged certain money amounts to the cause, earned special privileges in the creation of the game. Several of these privileges helped to immortalize the generous donors in a number of ways:
    • All donors of $200 had their portraits placed within the walls of the Hall Of Champions!

      Shovel Knight visiting the Hall Of Champions, where portraits of donors of the Kickstarter campaign dwell.

    • All donors of $1,000 had the opportunity to create the Wandering Travellers (Baz, Reize, Mr. Hat and Phantom Striker)!

      Baz Reize
      Mr. Hat Phantom Striker


  • The Feat known as "Only You" serves as a wink and nod to the old Smokey Bear campaign, in which, Smokey declared that "Only you can prevent forest fires!" This Feat is accomplished by Shovel Knight digging up the campfire and placing dirt on its dying embers to help "prevent forest fires".

    Traditional Smokey Bear sign.

    Traditional Smokey Bear sign with shovel.

    Shovel Knight accomplishing the Feat of 'Only You'... by preventing forest fires responsibly by putting his campfire out.

  • The game's composer, Jake "Virt" Kaufman, created the vintage, chiptune soundtrack using FamiTracker software.

    Jake 'Virt' Kaufman created his masterpiece soundtrack for 'Shovel Knight' using FamiTracker software.

  • The XBox One version of Shovel Knight features special cameos by the Battletoads, a classic title found on the NES with subsequent releases on various systems.

    The Battletoads make a surprise appearance on the XBox One version of Shovel Knight.

    The Battletoads make a surprise appearance on the XBox One version of Shovel Knight.

  • The PlayStation 4 version of Shovel Knight features a special cameo by Kratos, the protagonist from the God Of War series.

    Kratos from the God Of War series makes a surprise appearance on the PS4 version of Shovel Knight.

    Kratos from the God Of War series makes a surprise appearance on the PS4 version of Shovel Knight.

  • The logo of Yacht Club Games can be found in a hidden area in King Knight's Pridemoor Keep.

    King Knight's Pridemoor Keep has a hidden logo for the Yacht Club Games company.

    King Knight's Pridemoor Keep has a hidden logo for the Yacht Club Games company.

    The Yacht Club Games logo.

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