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Review: Shovel Knight for Xbox One

Written by James T. George

Following up on last week’s PlayStation release, Yacht Club Games has also launched their side-scrolling platforming adventure Shovel Knight on the Xbox One. I had the opportunity to follow-up my review of the game by playing much of the Xbox One version, and I’m happy to say that the experience is nearly identical to the other versions, while also including platform-specific features such as Achievements. This release, much like PlayStation versions, features its own exclusive bonus character appearances. For the first time in years, players will get to experience the Battletoads as a playable boss.

Phil Spencer's shit - what a tease!

Phil Spencer’s shirt – what a tease!

The Battletoads,  a property originally developed in 1991 by Rare (now owned by Microsoft) has been rumored for a revival in recent years, and while I’m happy to see them pop up in Shovel Knight, I’m still holding out for a true Battletoads game in the near future. Phil Spencer, who heads up Microsoft’s Xbox Division, has a history of teasing gamers during press events by way of graphic t-shirts, and he had no problem sporting the Battletoad logo back at a Windows 10 event in January, so we may still be in store for some Battletoad related surprises as we inch closer to E3 in June.

Shovel Knight has done what few third-party developers have done: launch a game on every major platform. The game is now available on All Sony platforms, both Nintendo Platforms, Xbox One, PC, Mac, and Linux. The game was originally launched via Kickstarter, quickly raising enough money to allow them to pursue multiple platforms. That all culminates now with the Xbox release, which is as polished and entertaining as the others. Check out our full review of Shovel Knight here.

With the game now available on just about everything, this new release only reaffirms our original review: This game is a must play.

Austin’s Note: I’ve spent a multitude of hours with Shovel Knight both on Xbox One and on Wii U, and I cannot recommend the Xbox One version high enough. It’s absolutely stunning in the full HD that the Xbox One offers (note: I only play GamePad on the Wii U) and earning achievements is a treat all in itself. If you’re on the fence at all about this game: go get it. Decide you’re absolute favorite console, and buy it for that console. Get it for the 3DS if you have a long plane ride, whatever you have to do, just make sure this title is in your library.
Must-Play-HiRes

Shovel Knight for Xbox One was provided to LevelSave for review purposes and was played on the Xbox One.

About the author

James T. George

Jim, a proud native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, enjoys a variety of things other than games, movies, music, sports, and technology, but usually falls prey to character limits when filling out

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