Pro-tip: There's a secret final boss locked behind Joustus, in addition to some fun character/plot stuff It's nothing mindblowing, but not something I'd recommend skipping entirely
When King Pridemore joined King Knight's crew. I was dreading the inevitable moment that leads to King Pridemore's negative attitude towards King Knight in the Shovel of Hope campaign. I knew it was bound to happen but I desperately wanted this to be an alternate timeline where things go better. That post credit scene was more of a gut punch to me than it had any right to be.
sharzin lalebazri yes but in plague of shadows king pridemoor is king and king knights sweeping the floor Still feel bad for the glidewing members Especially the talking birder
Today I finished King of Cards and this represents me clearly. I knew it was bound to happen, yet I really wished that King Knight had a more... prideful ending. But in the end, he just embraced what he thought he was.
this is how I see the 4 stories Shovel of Hope is an epic adventure story, Plague of Shadows is a love story, Specter of Torment is a melancolic story and King of Cards is straight up a commedy story I love how the 4 stories have their own flavor like this
The scepter of swiftness is great for bypassing entire platforming segments if you know their layout beforehand, all you need is a straight line you can travel across and a floor at the other end and your good, plus it acts just like the shoulder bash when you hit a wall with it. You'll also go straight through enemies that you kill with it, expanding the places where you can use it to speed through areas. Newgame+ speedruns are going to be abusing the fuck out of this item.
I ended up using it to grind for gold on the first (or second, I can't remember) Tower of Fate level, you go through the liquid samurais and can speed towards the secret exit. And with the upgrade that sucks in gold when you spin you can get the gems off the samurais almost immediately.
Solid ranking... But the shorter levels is a plus for me. It waa perfect for controling the pacing of my time playing it...sometimes i had 5 min to kill so i just went there and finished a level. It was great!
my only complaint is that you can't re-fight most of the bosses in the game. They really are fun and it's a shame you only get to beat them once before they vanish.
@@bookswithbek2702 What's cool about it, is that you could make this it work in real life. If I had printer and laminator, i'd make a bunch of cards and try to make it myself. I don't know how the rules would work, Either each player gets random cards, and each match they can replace 1 card or the winner can steal a card. Or, you use a draft system, or maybe you just have multiple copies of everything so people can just build their own deck. You could roll a die to determine where the gems go.
@@DannyDog27 idk, maybe ? Every likeable aspect of the enchantress is completely obliterated by that annoying ass bossfight that happens in EVERY CAMPAIGN
I find it really cool that your final ranking is the exact opposite of mine. This just goes to show how amazing all of these campaigns are, and what an amazing journey Yacht Club have taken us on.
I was thinking the same thing! It especially surprised me because I also play games gameplay first. It’s crazy how even valuing the same thing I came out with a completely different opinion!
Plague knight is my absolute favorite. I love just flying through levels and then actually fighting bosses, unlike specter of torment where you just jump and spam attack button while specter bonks his head against whoever happens to be near.
@@thatonepersonwhoeatscheese7348 dude, opinion or not, if you dislike something for a petty reason like that, you’re going to get backlash either way. we are allowed to dislike someone else’s opinion, as long as we don’t become idiots and scream and yell about it.
Actually I found king knight's story to be the most emotional of all of them, specifically because of the ending. What happened with his mom almost made me cry...
I know this video is incredibly old, but I still wanted to post my take on the placement of each campaign. I honestly think King of Cards was my favorite. I liked Joustus, it was a fun minigame that wasn’t forced down my throat so I didn’t get annoyed by it, while simultaneously giving rewards for playing Joustus so it felt more fulfilling, even if that reward was just more Joustus cards. The boss fights were some of my favorite ones yet, mostly because it rarely reuses bosses from Shovel of Hope like the others. Sure, you can still fight the rest of the Order of No Quarter, but aside from Specter Knight, who acts as Black Knight in this campaign, they’re all optional and even sort of secret like Propeller Knight. The unique bosses in the forms of Specter Knight’s “playable” moveset, King Pridemoor, Troupple King, King Birder, Specter Knight’s “playable” moveset merged with his boss fight (and the more difficult version of the darkened screen mechanic thanks to the background), the King’s Essences, and of course Giga Cardia were all fun boss fights that I thoroughly enjoyed. I also think that King Knight’s moveset was the smoothest of the bunch, it felt great to play as him and have the terrain matter more, along with every Heirloom be fun to use and, as you mentioned before, much more balanced than the others. Beyond the subtle change of King of Cards being on top, my comparison between the campaigns in Treasure Trove is pretty similar to yours. 1. King of Cards 2. Specter of Torment 3. Shovel of Hope 4. Plague of Shadows 5. Showdown
I tried both paths all plains, all lich yard, etc. And w/o an order and I can just say that both were equally satisfying and fun, completly would recomend both
Personaly, this is my favorite campaign so I guess I'll talk about why. #1- Gameplay I found myself enjoying playing KoC more than any other shovel knight campaign. I think King Knight's moveset is basic, but fun to use. I also liked the shorter levels with no boss at the end because it made it better to go in and collect the merit badges than a huge level with a boss I had to go through for 1 red skull, or cipher coin, etc. I also liked the boss fights and the secret one you get for beating Joustus. #2- Character's I found King Knight my favorite character out of them all. I'm not as big on his design, but I liked his childish attitude and his general not really careing attitude. I found the ending good, he was a jerk and then he paid for it. The other characters like Trouple King and the mom were fun additions and it gave the game a fun sort of vibe. #3- Airship I liked the Airship more than the other "hubs" in the other campaign's. Shovel Knight kind of had the town's, but those were just for buying stuff, Plauge Knight had the little lab but it was just a place on the map, Specter Knight just had the castle, which I liked because of the fun secrets like the robot, but King Knight's airship is the best for me. Its a little hub world, were you can talk to people, play Joustus, buy stuff, and do other fun things. And you can get to it anytime at the map by pressing a button. #4- Joustus I liked Joustus. It was fun. #5- Secrets/Endgame Content I looove all the stuff to do once you finish the game. You can find all the secret exits, beat all the Joustus people, get all merit badges and Joustus cards, beat the secret boss, do the secret propeller knight battle, fight all the order of no quarter and beat them in Joustus as well, do the secret with the horse and the fairyland etc. That's why I loved KoC and will be 100%ing it ASAP
@@joshtheostrich1173 oh, he's a dullahan, not a robot. And I guess he technically counts as a secret since he's behind a wall. But really, the best secret in that hub is petting the meemec. And the glidewing kinda has something like that if mona and the spinewolves are beaten. If you check the background on the top floor, you can see mona pet one of them.
Your criteria for the final ranking I very very much agree with, I know several people who tell me that story is the most important thing in a game or act like graphics are all that matter (which they are allowed to have that opinion). But to mean I don't care if your game is the most beautiful game ever with the best story of the year if the gameplay is lackluster I won't be able to put my energy into playing it. For example death stranding apparently has a really good story from what people tell me, but for at LEAST the first 6 hours basically all you do is walk from point a to point b to point c so and so forth. Good graphics,music, and story when added to good gameplay are what make a game a masterpiece in my opinion, which is why shovel knight treasure trove is so good as a collective.
Shovel Knight has been on my backlog for such a long time! This video though has reinvigorated my interest in picking the game up especially with all the other campaigns... that honestly I didn't know existed 😯 Amazing analysis mate, I'm keen to binge some videos of yours now!
The Horns of Heralding and Staff of Swiftness are acceptable because they're attacks King Night has in the campaign. Plus the staff reveals more secrets than it first appears...
0:12 "And now it's time for me, (that guy who won't shut up about the Phase Locket for some reason,) to give my opinion on King of Cards." Yes, that is primarily how I think of you ;)
I personally found king of cards the most fun out of the 4 Joustus was surprisingly fun for me (im generally bad at strategy) I also really liked the map layout more. It helped make the world feel more alive and not just a series of stages to beat. Also the shorter levels gave me more options to take a break if i felt like i nedded to
I absolutely agree that the heirlooms were excellently balanced, i usually used the confetti horns for boss fights it or just clearing rooms full of weak enemies, and the scepter of swiftness is great but I didn't use it to it's full potential of sequence breaking the level design, the things speedrunners can pull off with it and the turncoat heirloom are ridiculous. the armor sets were balanced well too, with the only one that really feels underpowered being the one that lets you run since you have several other options for faster movement. all in all this is definitely my favorite campaign, i love the gameplay style, the new overworld layout, the bosses, joustus, music, I love everything here. joustus can easily be frustrating if you try to rush into it, but if you properly take the time to consider your moves and deck, it's surprisingly in-depth and feeling like I was outsmarting my opponent by forcing them into a trap and thinking several turns ahead was intensely satisfying after I got the hang of it. it has an extra boss fight tied to it as well, which was really cool. and since I did play joustus i really got to appreciate all of the music, which is easily my favorite soundtrack out of all the campaigns. maybe it's partly because I've played it more recently than the other campaigns, but I have king of cards music play in my head far more often than say, specter of torment or plague of shadows. I hear the shovel of hope OST pretty often too, but that's mostly the iconic themes like the plains and credits
Hmm, it looks like you missed out on the really cool secret accessed through Joustus. You need to finish all the houses of Joustus and also beat Cardia in the Glidewing, and then talk to her again.
Hyve: *Gives Plague Of Shadows last place and loves Mona* *Plague Knight wants to know your location* Oh, and uh, I guess ranking for me IMO. 1) Plague Of Shadows 2) King Of Cards 3) Specter Of Torment 4) Shovel Of Hope
I like the change in direction with the shorter levels. I also like how each playable character feel like they’re inspired by NES characters. Shovel Knight = Ducktales, Plague = Mega Man, Specter = Ninja Gaiden, King = Wario Land. Also Treasure Trove kind of reminds me of the Stars Wars movies because Star Wars have prequels that change the way (maybe) you watch the original trilogy, and here, the Order of No Quarter campaigns change how you play one another a second time. Another thing with Star Wars is that the first movie was simply just “Star Wars” but then was called Episode 4 A New Hope when the prequels came out, and here, Shovel Knight’s campaign was just called “Shovel Knight” but then Specter Knight’s campaign came out and it was changed to Shovel of Hope My rankings: 4. Plague of Shadows 3. Shovel of Hope 2. Specter of Torment 1. King of Cards King of Cards is over Specter of Torment because I just like how King plays over Specter. Also in Shovel of Hope, Plague of Shadows, and King of Cards, there were many places to check out like the Villages, Joustus Houses, Hall of Champions, but in Specter of Torment, there was only the Tower, which was a cool hub world, but there weren’t as many cool things to do. So despite Plague of Shadows being last, it’s still great. And I just like King of Narts better than Specter of Torment. But after all that, I enjoyed watching this video.
My scores Gameplay: 1 specter 2 king 3 shovel 4 plague Story: 1 specter 2 plague 3 king 4 shovel Music: 1 king 2 specter 3 plague 4 shovel Overall: 1 specter 2 king tie for 3 shovel and plague
I really love King of cards, I still don't know what is My favorite King of cards or specter of torment. And I also didn't like showdown that much because of the lack of fun single player content.
Just today I finished the last campaign (King of Cards) and as a geek on good card games, I'll admit that Joustus is hard to really embrace. But once you do, once it clicks, oh boy. As for the overall ranking: 1. For me, Shovel of Hope is better and 1st because although you said gameplay is the most important thing, I'll never forget the feeling of the first time playing Shovel of Hope. The dream sequences, the tension of the fights, the first time I fought the Boss Gauntlet, the first time I saved Shield Knight... The emotion I felt back then was unrivaled, and for that, Shovel of Hope is 1st in my list. 2. 2nd probably King of Cards for the reasons you said, pretty balanced, good humor, I was truly flabergasted by the fact that King Knight's motivation was being the best at a card game. It feels ridiculous. Yet, the ending really left me with a bad taste in my mouth. It was like watching a monumental car crash accident. You know it ain't gonna end pretty but you can't stop yourself from watching it. 3. 3rd must be Specter of Torment, but I know it is a completely biased and personal opinion, because I just made my experience miserable by doing a "Checkpointless, No Darkness upgrades, No Will upgrades, 60000 gold ending" run, and it really made my experience with Specter Knight just horrible. It was the most miserable three and a half hours of Treasure Trove. Yet I know the story, the mechanics and the overall gameplay is great, I also hated that it had no in game map. I love in game maps, and the hud with the bosses just felt bleak. 4. And of course, the passive way of playing Plague of Shadows made it an easy 4th place, although I learned to enjoy the movement options of Plague Knight. And although everything I wrote, I can't disagree with anything you said in the two videos. Great ranking!
In my opinion Gameplay: 1- Specter of Torment 2- King of Cards 3- Shovel of Hope 4- Plague of Shadows (just realized there is an ''of'' in each game's title) Music: 1- Shovel of Hope 2- Specter of Torment 3- Plague of Shadows 4- King of Cards Story: 1- Plague of Shadows 2- Specter of Torment 3- King of Cards 4- Shovel of Hope Overall: 1- Specter of Torment 2- Shovel of Hope 3- Plague of Shadows 4- King of Cards
Excellent video. I appreciate how you make sure to stress that much of what you have to say is just your subjective viewpoint. I personally really enjoyed the bite-sized level structure. The other campaigns' levels would typically play with a gimmick for a few rooms, then drop it for the rest of the level to make way for a new gimmick. Because of this, I often didn't feel much of a sense of progression. Here, each level is centered on 1 or 2 gimmicks that are built on all throughout the level. Levels ending in a tough, lengthy platforming segment rather than a boss also felt more appropriate to me; you're tested on what you've learned throughout the level, whereas boss fights are something you have to learn mostly independently from the rest of the level (though they do sometimes incorporate some of the level's gimmicks). I also enjoyed the less linear map. I liked that it gave you a reason to choose one level to play over another, albeit not an especially meaningful one. Also, the secret exits were a much more satisfying reward for discovering hidden areas to me than the in-level collectibles from past campaigns. And can I say that the secret/treasure placement in this campaign is easily the coolest in the series? King Knight's unique moveset provided the opportunity for some really creative secrets, my favorite of which being the secret exit in one of the Lost City levels. There's a drop-through dirt pile next to a wall that you couldn't bash, so there's seeming no way to get a spin to drop through the pile, but you're able to lure a Fleeto from farther in the room over to the pile and bash into it to get a spin. Some scattered final thoughts: I liked the point you made about King Knight being defined by his limitations. For me, platforming is the most important aspect of any game that features it, and King Knight's limited moveset did wonders in making the platforming engaging. Joustus was surprisingly deep and fun for me and brought my experience up a lot, but I can totally see that it's not for everyone. Finally, I would love to see you make a video on King Knight's NG+. It doesn't make you rethink how you play quite as much as Specter Knight's, but it still brings some interesting concepts to the table. The gold multiplier made levels basically rain cash if you avoided damage, which made buying all the Joustus cards from Chester much quicker.
In my opinion King Knight is better, sometimes Spectre Knight is very repetitive, with only scythe dash and wall walking, if I only spam the attack button in air I win, and that's different in King of Cards, I need more strategy... I desagree the final, if the story was a trash and no music, Spectre of Torment would be 4. Very good video, and sorry for the bad english.
I respect your list! Shovel Knight is really my favorite thing ever. So really I love hearing people's opinion on it. Personally I can't really decide how to rank the 4 campaigns. They're all in my opinion outstanding! Showdown is also in my opinion phenomenal. I love all the love and attention to detail on it. I've been playing Shovel Knight for a long time so really I adore everything about it. Sure it has flaws but I will say it'll always be my favorite thing of all time.
Nice thorough review! Great detail and explanations. I have to say I had a very different experience. I loved the Super Mario style level switch up. I place less emphasis on items since I always play things vanilla if possible. The new tracks in KoC were incredible (Trouple pond + Cardia especially). Joustus was a great strategy game (not so much card game) -- if you play it as intended you'll get a decent challenge, but it can be cheesed by coming back with op cards later (the challenges have fixed decks for joustus which is where you'll get the best experience). Level design wise, KoC had some of the best of the series, Yacht Club definitely treated this like their big finale. Awesome boss design too. I don't know if I'd rank them, since each experience brings pros/cons and is more based on personal preferences. Shovel knight is a nice classic experience that still holds up. Plague was overall just an alternate version of Shovel knight. Specter changed things up bringing in a total overhaul to match the air dashing mechanics. KoC overhauled almost the whole experience, and using the world/engine/characters to deliver a very different final product. All excellent.
I think there's one big aspect that King Knight actually tackled in a vastly superior way than any of the prior campaigns - Money. From the beginning of the game to the very end, there was so much for me to buy. They did a fantastic job adding a bunch of very high cost upgrades to ensure that collecting money is always worthwhile. Even considering Specter Knight's campaign was crafted brand new, I was disappointed to notice that I had like 60000 gold I couldn't spend on before I got to the Enchantress in his campaign. This makes the moment to moment gameplay so much more satisfying in King Knight's campaign - all the money you're collecting is useful from the first stage to the very last stage. The subweapons were balanced much better in King Knight's campaign for the most part, except the aforementioned bubble item being a little cheap relative to the rest of his heirlooms (though again, he needs to be able to hit a wall when shoulder bashing out, or else it can't bail him out).
King of Cards is my favorite anime and jrpg. Ok but seriously though, I do have to say my opinion on this game is that I found it very enjoyable. While I do find joustus really enjoyable, I do still have to agree with your list of specter knight, king knight, shovel knight, and plague knight. Specter knight just had the best gameplay feel throughout the entire thing, the plot I will say I have forgotten over the past 2 years, though I remember the music being really good. King Knight was very enjoyable with it's gameplay, and personally, was the easiest of all the modes. Maybe it's just the shorter level length because of how they split it up, but it seemed easier to me. The story was really funny to me at moments, with the ending also making me feel like the bad guy even if I expected it, and the music, while it was mostly reused, was still a bop. Shovel Knight was really good gameplay wise, but definitely the most basic to me. The music and story were good, and that's about all I can really say about it. Plague Knight... it was alright. The story was nice and enjoyable, but the gameplay... really didn't do much for me. It wasn't that fun to me with how it all played, and was the campaign I took the longest to beat only because I got bored with it and didn't enjoy it all that much.
Its fascinating to me that even though I also play games gameplay first my final ranking is so different. It’s crazy how even valuing the same thing I came out with a completely different opinion! Great video! Love hearing others thoughts on this franchise!
Short summary of my thoughts? Best campaign of all four. I largely agree with your rankings, with Plague Knight being my least favored campaign and Spectre Knight being my most before King Knight. But, for some reason, I enjoyed King Knight's kit a lot more than I did Spectre's. While yes the rail armor is fucking awesome and the items are fun, King Knight's kit was just overall better. The rats for vertical attacking, the sceptre for brushing enemies, and the frog for platforming. All unique to contrast King Knight's very limited moveset. And, his limited moveset makes for the most fun I've had. And it seems to be a trend, the simpler the moveset the better. Spectre's and Plague's were a pain for me to pick up, and should I lose the muscle memory I'd have to burn through some levels just to get the hang of it again. Plague moreso Spectre. But, a shame you didn't enjoy Joustus. I enjoyed it so much I end up wanting it to be playable on my phone! It is simple but it has depth. An easy game to pick up, but a difficult one to master. Plus the added sprite art for all things Shovel Knight is much appreciated by people like me. And yes, while the new soundtrack is few and far between, they're still really good. The story, oh man. Did I feel bad. (Spoilers ahead) The entire time I knew King Knight was always a bit of an asshat, but I actually grew quite fond of the characters around him. They were written so well, I think I nearly teared up at the ending. The time his mother finally refers to him as King Knight, was that of which when she was disappointed. And, I honestly enjoyed playing as the childish asshole. With his bawling and pompous throne taunts, and every cutscene after the major boss. My largest and only complaint with King of Cards was probably after the credits. You see him in Pridemoor Keep, gilded and glistening. He finally catches a moment to enjoy his unearned grandeur. Only for a certain Knight in blue to trot in and shut the door. I really, really wished I could have fought Shovel Knight as King Knight the way Plague Knight did. And I would willingly lose, because it felt like a hollow victory.
Gameplay: Specter of Torment 1 King of Cards 2 Shovel of Hope 3 Plague of Shadows 4 Music: Specter of Torment 1 Shovel of Hope 2 King of Cards 3 Plague of Shadows 4
I was late to the Shovel Knight party. I bought it a few months before the release of King Knight's campaign. I really enjoyed playing as Shovel Knight, however, once i started the Spectre Knight campaign...it was a clear winner. The gameplay is so addictive and fun. Just here to agree.
To me, these are my personal rankings of these games based off of story and gameplay. 1) specter of torment- the story was a different tale on what shovel knight offered us. It was serene, dark, and subtle; just like the character. The story flows perfectly; adding many twists and turns with the added flashbacks making all the more of an enjoyable story. All the side characters are memorable and funny, and the final ending scene with reize left an emotional impact. The level design flows perfectly with specter’s gameplay style; hacking and quickly moving off of enemies is so satisfying and challenging. Sure the sub weapons are over powered, but all are interesting enough to bear some usage. 2) plague of shadows- this game has in my opinion, the best story and characters in the whole franchise. Plague being hilarious and endearing, Mona just being my favorite character, Percy just being one of the best comic relief characters in a work of fiction, and the magicist actually being given some good character development. The gameplay, while being the most challenging, is the most entertaining to use. Sure just about every arcana you get is useless, but the arsenal of bombs and sub equipment to them are amaizing, due to how different and useful every single one and combination is. And the final scene is one of, if not the most wholesome thing I’ve seen in a game for a long time. Mona and plague’s Romance is so funny and cute that I kept the animation on my tv for over ten minutes. The level design is the worst out of all of them, but the ending boss and story make up for it completely in my opinion. 3) king of cards- while being very different from the others, the level, map, and gameplay design was a fresh breath of air. The shorter level design I like, and the over world boss fights fits with the story; as your the adventure dashing through the land, stumbling upon unexpected but rather funny dialogue with your enemies and rivals. The story fits the character and is rather charming and a fun ride to see what will happen next. Mom is wholesome and sweet and the romantic tension between priemoor is rather enjoyable. Pridemoor is like the dad king never had. Cooper, Doe, and bard knight are a great supporting cast. Just one major problem though. Like every rpg, king of cards adds the troupe of adding a side character that does a few semi important things; and never leads. I’m sorry I know it fits with the character wanting an ontourage, but I just hate that troupe as it just adds an extra weight. And I love joustus as a game mechanic. In real life I’m a major fan of card games, being an avid mtg and yugioh player, and joustus is the perfect blend of cards and chess all in one I did end up beating every player and house of joustus and every new card, deck type, field, and opponent were fun to play against. Sadly there’s two flaws. One, new cards you obtain out right replace old cards, practically making most of what you collect useless (kinda like real life tcg). And two, tons of trial and error gameplay with most not being fun. Strategy is bread and butter to my nerdy little mind but no how much I plan out my moves, I still lost. And the most often there is a lot of misplaced power segments. Meaning some people are extremely easy while others are incredibly difficult for no reason. For example, Mona and Horace who are the leaders of some house of joustus were easily first try wins for me and the people who you fight on your airship and standard opponents can take over half an hour each. Well over all this game offered some of the best mechanics and gameplay, it doesn’t over shadow the compelling and entertaining stories and characters the other two offered And 4, sadly is shovel of hope- this mainly come off of me replaying the game. Six years ago when I was 10 I played this game and loved it. However when king of cards came out, I re played all the games in order to re-fresh my mind to compare them. And now since I matured, while having a better understanding of character development and story writing, I depressingly say that I don’t like this game as much I used to to. Don’t get me wrong, I love this game and the franchise as a hole, but I feel shovel of hope was the foot hold on setting the premise of the world and the others building off of the already great things that were put into place. And though the story is great, it’s not the best. The writing of it is very fidgety and complacent at times. Every other one has a great, smooth, and compelling story to offer. From plagues love chemistry to Kings ever changing and flowing conquest, shovel just doesn’t compare. (get it? Chemistry;...... I’ll shut up now). It’s vey good with a spectacular pay off, but the story is very inconsistent with a slow beginning and middle, with a suddenly quick end where I often ask myself, “how did I get here”. The ending is amazing, but sadly doesn’t leave much of an impact like plague or specter did. It still does have and amazing end however. I’m very sorry for the negativity, but the story is often the main thing I focused one these games due the importance of them all wrapping into each other, but I feel if we get another campaign revolving around black knight, I believe it could fix the problems I have with it. Now on to the good stuff. The gameplay is flawless while building upon all the staples we see in the franchise, that rather make it endearing and fun. The side characters aren’t the most memorable but fits with the message of your character. The warrior traveling the land to find his beloved, only to make essential stops at nearby towns to gather equipment to prepare for upcoming challenges. Overall I still love shovel of hope, but sadly, my nostalgia can’t really compare to what I believe was perfected in the others that came after it. Anyway this analysis was far to long for its own good. If anyone is reading this I apologize and thank you for your patience. Has a great day.
Awesome video! Here's my personal ranking for the campaigns: 4. King of Cards Great game (obviously, it's Shovel Knight), but I found beating bosses and making progress in the game to be worse than the others. Joustus is fun and extremely challenging a lot of the time; it's great except for getting 100% of cards means spending 4 million gold on Chester 3. Specter of Torment Specter Knight is my second favourite knight to play as because of the unique slashing mechanic and the music is incredible (Tools of War might just be my favourite Shovel Knight theme), but the main problem with it is the same as in King of Cards: Without the structure of levels and bosses, you didn't feel like you were exploring much or getting anywhere until the end. Still 10/10 2. Shovel of Hope The one that started it all! Honestly playing as Shovel Knight is just incredible and the stages seem perfectly suited around him. The story is great and there is literally nothing wrong with it. But... 1. Plague of Shadows I think this is the best because of how unique it is from any game I've ever played. The challenge of the game comes from the moveset of Plague Knight and not in the stage design - you have to go about beating the stages in a different way. The love story is incredible and just flying across the screen as Plague Knight made me happy in a way no game has ever made me feel. 11/10 Sorry this was long; again great video and whoever reads this have a good day (or night)
Here are my game rankings: Gameplay: 1. King of cards 2. Specter of torment 3. Shovel of hope 4. Plague of shadows Story: 1. Plague of shadows 2. King of cards 3. Shovel of hope 4. Specter of torment Music: Idk I really liked the “tango for the troupple king” in PoS but all the tracks are fine. They’re very similar in all games. Sooo I agree with you on your point with the items, they’re much more balanced. With the world map I think I kind of like more than the other games, even though there are flaws with it. I think joustus is fine but nothing that great. The movement I think is more brilliant than in the other games because it’s just so satisfying and rewarding doing cool parkour. For the story I think it’s really great, I like that there’s something different than in the other games. You don’t really save the world. I Liked king knights personality in the same way as you did. I still think it’s not as great as plague of shadows, mostly because Mona’s the most complex and interesting character in any of the Shovel knight games. The PoS ending was also the most satisfying imo.
Though I disagree with some of what you discussed, I must applaud how well presented the content of this video was. You raised your personal issues, but also acknowledged that they were your opinions and in a very convincing way. I was really able to appreciate your thoughts despite not relating to them myself, which isn't something a fair few content creators consider when writing analytic/evaluative videos like this. Better than AntDude's Shovel Knight video for sure!
Gameplay IS the most important aspect, I agree! With the music, you could just turn it off and put on your own if you don't like it. The story gives some context as to your journey, but some games don't NEED a story to be fun. Consider Tetris. The music is good, but I prefer my own. There is absolutely no story. The main thing is the gameplay, because that's what you're experiencing THE MOST. I'm not against you on this. I actually completely agree! I'm glad I get to see someone's breakdown on it, even if it's just opinionated.
I know that Plague Knight had the least music added, however I enjoyed the music from Plague Knight the best out of all four of the games with Waltz for One, The Final Note and Alchemy. I also wanted to say that incompleto sin ti is amazing and wished they did a non 8-bit version like Waltz for One to Le Bouquet Magique.
I think king of cards is the best out of the four because it uses walls to his advanteges but it has a little twist to it making it unique and joustus is a fun card Game with strategy and its so underated
I found Joustus really really fun, despite originally thinking I wouldn't like it. It's a little bit challenging sometimes, but I found that it never got to the level where I was actually having trouble. Also, I don't know why, but I really love collecting all the unique character and enemy cards. I battled some characters multiple times just to get unique cards I might not even use, just because I wanted to. Also I'm glad I'm not the only only who definitely, absolutely does not have a crush on Mona.
Thanks for making the video. It was great as always. I would just like to say that I love playing showdown, I would highly recommend going back into it and checking it out again bc of one sole reason, with limited moves and whatnot it forces you to analyze and create the best strategy for yourself to win. Anyway great job and thanks for making shovel knight videos.
I actually played showdown and clocked in more than 20 hours on battle mode alone and more if I count story etc it’s a much more fun experience when u get to learn all the characters move sets and go in depth like mr hat is capable of hopping on his platters in midair allowing for infinite airtime and the enchantress hovering around with dark strafe(her charge move) gives a lot of movement options. Also I learned that the rat heirloom functions so much better as a double jump/ projectile which also translates into his campaign where the explosion is more powerful making fights attacking airborne opponents much easier and satisfying including the bosses I know I’m late responding to this video but I’m gotta say the rat bomb is underrated. Edit: also I like to think of king knight as Dio when I cast scepter of swiftness idk why it just seems fitting
I'm pretty biased on some element in a game and that is (the variety that support replayability) because I get to see how much time I get to enjoy the game. so my personal ranking are: 1st: King of Cards- different type of levels / a lot of different music to hear (it is recycling but I don't really care as long as its feel fresh on the different levels of the same location) / not a fan of joustus when I played it for 100% but when i go back and replay it when I'm bored, it actually pretty fun (bc I don't care much of losing cards anymore) / some of the heirlooms offer a different type of mobility / the one time boss fight is really disapointing bc the boss fight is really fun to play using different heirlooms (the rematch in challenge mode is alright. but I'd liked to enjoy my boss fight without time limit please). 2nd: Plague of Shadows- there is a lot of customization in your bomb attack that I went into the levels with different combination / fun to replay the stages using different arcana except for the first two tower of fate level. 3rd: Specter of Torment- the only curios that I'm always used is will skull, hover plume and the skeleton sentry and I don't enjoyed it (because it fell like I abused it) / for me the judgement rush lose its awesomeness because it is pretty much the same as the vanilla move (dash slash) / I'm mostly replay this to hear the remixed music and to play Horace's Challenge. 4th: Shovel of Hope- its great but I don't feel any satisfaction with the relics / I only replay this for the tower of fate's level (the boss rush, black knight [third fight] and the remnant of fate is crazy fun boss battle). *bonus: Showdown- really hope I have a friend to play this with / Trying to unlock everything is really fun / After everything has unlocked, I just play this when I'm really bored....
First off, yeah, I'd like to see a New Game + video. I think that there's a lot to say about this sort of mode, with how it turns money, which otherwise has no purpose in a NG+ playthrough, into a whole new system in its own right. Talk about making it an entirely new kind of currency. Second, I think your rankings are honestly pretty fair. I think sometimes it's hard to explain that one game being lower doesn't make it bad, so I understand your stress over putting the other games where you put them. Personally, I'd put Shovel of Hope on Par with King of Cards, but I totally agree that the Phase Locket kinda messes with the difficulty. I really do think that a high magic cost or longer cooldown would've gone a long way, or at least designing bosses with certain relics in mind. Sometimes they actually pull it off - I'd wager that the SoH fight against Specter Knight works well even if you have the locket, just with the way you're attacked - but fights like Polar Knight are definitely made a lot easier with that thing. This is similar to what you said about the Enchantress and Black Knight fights in Specter of Torment, with the most fun fights being ones where the most powerful subweapon isn't really reinforced like it is elsewhere. (Also, I think maybe it's just that this thing is cursed for you. Like, literally everything involving the Phase Locket is your least favorite part of whatever it shows up in, mainly Specter Knight's story and Shovel Knight's gameplay. Maybe consider selling that thing to somebody, I know a guy named Chester who'd take that off your hands.) I also agree about the whole deal with the music - there's not a ton of new music, and even fewer standouts compared to the other games. I could listen to Hidden By Night on repeat for a WHILE. (Incidentally, there's a stellar acoustic cover of it that I highly, HIGHLY recommend checking out, with how you said you loved that song.) Only other thing I really feel like I wanna say is about Plague of Shadows. The devs went on record saying that it was designed originally to be a sort of Richter Mode to Shovel of Hope - the same levels, or at least as identical as possible, with an entirely new character to run around them in - and so wasn't built as the ground up to fit Plague Knight the way every other playable campaign was. I think this is what you were trying to convey in this video, when explaining why Plague Knight was still 4th in the gameplay category, so I figured I'd point out what I could to help. Anyway. I've rambled enough. I think your video is stellar, and I honestly think you did a dang fine job. As someone who adores hearing someone talk about game design the way you do, I applaud you and your excellent work. Honestly, your talk about the subweapons makes me wanna make a video myself - I think this is a topic that lots of developers could learn from, I don't see Mark Brown making a Game Maker's Toolkit video for this any time soon. I'm on Twitter as @TahmisGoogboi if anyone is interested in talking more - I just love talking shop about game design. I look forward to whatever you make next, Mr Minds! \o
1. King of cards: Has lots of new bosses and the new gameplay. I always like having new bosses and king of cards nails it. 2. Shovel of hope: Does it really need an explanation? 3. Specter of Torment: I love specter knight and gameplay is great. 4. Shovel knight showdown: I like how all the characters are playable in a super smash bros. style game, but all of the characters’ stories end in the same boss fight. I’m just not very impressed overall. 5. Plague of shadows: Everything from the previous game is recycled in my opinion. This even happens during the same time as shovel of hope. Plague of shadows is really just replaying shovel of hope with Plague Knight.
Joustus was my favorite aspect of King of Cards in comparison to the other campaigns. It's what bumps it to being my 3rd favorite, with my order being the inverse of yours. (Plauge #1, Shovel #2, King #3, Specter #4) Maybe I'm just too eager to spout Yugioh memes and pretend that King Knight is Kaiba. Also, this was my least favorite story. It had some funny moments, but what really brought it down was the ending. Even before you play the game you know King Knight is going to betray absolutely everyone that hails him as a hero, and it underpins the entire adventure. I have a similar problem with Specter of Torment, but King Knight's ending ends up being so much more hollow. Even worse is that this is what ends off Shovel of Hope altogether.
I agree with most points in the video, but I can't rank king of cards or spectre of torment over each other. Regardless, I especially agree with the fact that the gameplay ranking was always going to be the final ranking! Great video in general though!
Competitive shovel Knight showdown rules 3 stock 6 minutes Showdown sudden death off auto balance off hazards off items off Legal stages are Event horizon celestial plane. village house of joustus and undervillage potionarium enchantress is band on event horizon because she can go in to the top corner and shoot diagonally down and fly nearly infinitely any other unbeatable strategies will be band these are me competitive rules
The way I ranked the adventures 1st: Plague of Shadows: I LOVED this SO MUCH! the mostly samey level design from Shovel of Hope didn't bother me at all as it convinced me to think outside the box and ask "What can Plague knight do that Shovel knight can't" The story is my favorite of the 4 and the added sections are where you find most of those Cipher coins. this mode was the only one I 100%, the only one I've beaten on the harder mode, and the only one where I've done the penniliess/upgradeless/no tonic run while PLAYING the hard mode. I used the float a lot when I started but I found real power in sticking with the OG burst and the spin attack. 2nd: Specter of Torment: a wonderfully tragic story with original music, and I would say is better mechanically for most people compared to Plague knight. his gameplay flows very naturally and entices reckless play where Plague knight would err on the side of caution before laughing and blowing stuff up. I loved the megaman style choose any boss order and one of the few times I could say "yeah, you could win against any of them starting out". 3rd: Shovel of Hope: the one that got this whole content pack going, really solid and really good despite the fact I cannot play a single megaman game to save my life. admittedly I just use the phase locket and chaos orb to kill most bosses, and wall crush gimmicks can go starve out to die in a desert hole. the fact he is the most horizontally challenged kinda irks me because of propeller enimies. 4th: King of Kards: frankly fools too. This was the campaign where I realized how much I hate bottomless pits. it was always an argument with myself between mana and items, while the card mechanics are fun you need those damn booster packs and rare cards to beat those cheating bosses. King knight was a brat through and through, the side characters were fun, but everything in the 3rd area can go die.
I loved joustess, I love card games like magic and netrunner which is why king of cards is my favorite. Oh and I love mario games so thats another reason
Fantastic video as always! However, I think I'll have to disagree with you on the shorter levels being a negative. While this kind of structure probably wouldn't work for some of the other campaigns, I feel that it fits King Knight's gameplay perfectly. As you said, his moveset is a lot more limited, and because of this, it would probably be more difficult to blaze through a longer level with lots of ideas as seen in the other campaigns. However, with these kinds of short levels, it's much easier to focus on getting better at dealing with a single mechanic, since most of these levels feature only one type of mechanic to focus on, and it feels like progress is being made more frequently. It's also way nicer for collection: instead of having to beat the entire level again to get a single red skull or cipher coin, you just have to play through a short level. I'm also the kind of guy who loves looking for secrets and secret exits, so this style of gameplay was right up my alley, as there were a lot of secrets that required careful searching and planning to discover, and getting to them with King Knight's limited moveset was often half the fun. I'd love a video on NG+, by the way. That was probably the most challenge I've ever had with this game, and, like Specter Knight's NG+, it required thinking about items and item usage in a whole different light and gave an awesome twist to the normal gameplay.
First off, great video. I have to agree that although Plague Knight is my favorite character, I'm real sad that it was the first DLC and missed the opportunity to do something like what SoT did with re-mixing levels and such. I absolutely LOVE the potion variety and customization with Plague's kit, and his story is such a neat spin on a simple cliche. I loved SoT's story in that it felt like less of a spin off (like Plague Knight was), and directly enhanced the story of SoH. But yeah, SoT knocked it out of the park with the level design, and I think KoC took that same concept and implemented it in a different way. I think they had a huge challenge of introducing a new gimmick unique to almost every level and making the player learn it and be challenged by it, especially with the shorter levels. It's remarkable that they pulled that off for the most part (though that Ladder Factory level can go fuck itself; I've always been annoyed by the flying machine levels). Although Joustus wasn't really my thing either, I still 100%'d the game and enjoyed Joustus for the most part, it just seemed like such a cheesy thing to focus the story around. But hey, I guess that was the idea.
Kings of cards is actually the first campaign I finished. I know I know, I'm the worst. When shovel knight released it just didn't appeal to me even though I bought it. But I always try each new campaign when it came out. I got hooked on king knight's movement. Plus I loved joustus. I mean I did everything but NG+. I loved it so much I tried to look up review and it led me to your channel before you released your review and I watch your other video about the other campaigns. Because of you I went back and beat Specter of Torment (it was amazing). And I am working on beating shovel of hope. Love your videos.
Jake Kaufman definitely went all out on the soundtrack on this, I most certainly disagree with your statement on the music. Specter Knight was actually my least favorite.... Never finished it LMAO 😅
I personally enjoy the shorter burst stages in that they allow gimmicks to be fleshed out more and allow for more gimmicks and dynamic level design overall
I pretty much agree with your final ranking, though for slightly different reasons. I still haven''t finished Plague Knight's campaign as I find his movement awkward and lacking any sort of flow that you get with the other three. Regarding Joustus: I am not a fan of card games and was dreading that this addition would be mandatory. I felt pretty so-so about it for the first two houses of Joustus, but then I started getting really into it. I'd strongly encourage you to revisit it - as you start to build up a more powerful deck it becomes really fun and involving, and as others have mentioned, there is a fantastic secret boss available if you clear all the houses.
Really liked your review. Your a kind and easy to watch guy (I just started watching you) and your just so fair with the other games it's not even funny. Personally my stack of favorite games goes Plague of Shadows, King Of Cards, Shovel Knight, Specter Of Torment.
I liked the shorter levels, especially in finding out the best speedrun route. On Joustus, I think it has a lot of depth to it. You completely miss the flipping, reversal, conveyor, bomb, smash, graveyard, and triple arrow cards, which add a lot of variety. There's a reason people are trying to make physical versions of it (and even made a TableTop Simulator version). Frankly, it would be kinda foolish for YCG to not capitalize on it. As for NG+, I think it is worse than Specter by a country mile. The player loses far too much money each hit, even considering the multiplier, and it becomes far too much of a hassle to use the Heirlooms. One might as well just do bosses (mostly) no damage, basic moves only. Immediately picking up the hearts is nice, though. As for Showdown, the Story mode is very unbalanced and random. Percy's Targets and the Mirror boss at the end are either ridiculously easy or insanely difficult depending on the character (and even then both quickly get out of control). Not to mention getting into a Treasure class against 3 opponents on the crowded Campsite stage, which typically kills an entire run. The characters are generally quite unbalanced, with Specter Knight being the equivalent of Meta Knight (complete with 3 different forms of recovery when most characters have 1, if that), poor Shovel Knight being outclassed by everyone else (without _any_ recovery moves), and the high knockback turning most matches into parry-offs into the fiery pit (which gives larger characters more power).
Oh, wow! Your campaign ranking is literally an exact inversion of mine🙃 And from the sound of things, your heirloom tier list would be pretty much mine upside-down as well. I'm a shadowy reflection of you :3
I personally think King of Cards is my new favorite campaign, you made some fair points but U personally thought the story really got you connected to King Knight despite his faults, and despite the way we see him I really thought he would change by the end despite where it takes place in the lore, the shorter levels also in my opinion complemented his play style as sometimes playing as King Knight for long periods of time with lots of challenge can be fun but overwhelming. Finally, I think Joustus was hard and tedious, but also super satisfying and rewarding upon winning, and while it’s optional you could always come back to it later. Anyways great video! Would love to see your thoughts on new game +!
Bet no one will find/read this comment But.......if you do read it I'm really bored waiting for him to upload a new video but yet exited for - ABOUT THE GAME - I didn't really mind about op items in the game. It's a joy for me to use it. And for the music it was....humm......what would king knight say about it? Maybe something like ... MY MY SUCH ROYALLY, LUXURIOUS AND ABSOLUTELY JOY TO ME TO HEAR IT. FINALLY A MASTERPIECE FOR SOMEONE AT A PLACE SUCH AS MINE. I LOVE IT !!. And about the story I decided to see it through king knight's own eyes He is just the one who dreamed about being a king and when he heard about the cards game that will crown the champion of it THE KING OF CARDS he drops out every thing to join And finding out that hole in the rules about defeating the judges he saw the opportunity to win easily And then all of a sudden that ruff ruff came and decided to DARE fall in love with his MOM that was just his nightmares coming true And when the Enchantress gave him the chance of having a REAL kingdom and become THE KING by just abandoning HIM and some others I thought it would give me the chance to choose what am I going to do But when HE mentioned MY MOM I honestly felt like EVEN IF I HAD THE CHOICE OF SPARING YOUR LIFES OR THROWING YOU TO YOUR END.......... I WOULD HAVE THROWN YOU OF MY SHIP THE FIRST TIME YOU PUT YOUR EYES ON MY MOM
I had some difficulty with Joustus at first, too. However, once I got through to the end game and had some more powerful cards at my disposal, I went back through and did all the Joustus stuff and was rewarded with a FANTASTIC secret boss. I will say though, I cheated a little bit by closing the software if I knew I was going to lose so I would go back to my last save without losing any cards. Anywhale, it was fun. I personally didn’t like King Knight’s character, but the gameplay more than made up for it, and it was funny to hear Kaufman go full classical for the music in this one. Anywhale, I went through and collected everything, even the cards, and didn’t regret the time I spent. I’m planning on doing the new game plus versions of each campaign next, but I’m stuck at the boss rush for Shovel Knight at the moment.
Honestly I tend to agree with.... like 90% of what you say in all these videos, so my ranking is about the same. I don't care so much about the balance of side items that are just a matter of "don't like, don't use", and while I see how some of them are almost thoughtlessly powerful, it just doesn't bother me. (So I'm just kinda neutral on it, I find most challenge arbitrary anyway, so I don't see not using them as any more arbitrary than anything else. I know people who still fail hard at the game even with all those items anyway, so take it for what it's worth) End of the day, I'm just glad to see everything release for this game finally, and I'm really impressed with the quality of it all! I think I still like playing on the 3DS the most, just cause the effect does REALLY make things pop, but there's also a reason I own the whole series 3 times over. lol
Putting Gameplay as the highest weighting is the correct decision. Also saying that King Knight is defined by its limitations makes perfect sense now to me. At my first playthrough his playstyle felt awkward and limited, but with time it started to make sense and you get a grip the more you play aka it gets more fun. Can't say the same with Plague Knight because I couldn't feel the flow with him but that's my own opinion and gaming experience.
Something I really appretiate about showdown is that, even though each character has such a small moveset, they have a lot of move synergy. King knight can shoulder bash his rats. Black knight can shoot his dark wave through his rocks. Polar knight can plow his snowballs, and a million more examples. It felt like the first time I learned you could use any attack on wiifit trainers soccerball or playing rivals of Aether. Perhaps in won't be endlessly replayable like melee, and ultimate feel, but it is build on a STRONG foundation. Hopefully we can see more platform fighters from yacht club sometime in the future.
The story was a joy to experience as always I was a bit sad that King Knight didn't really have character development but it was expected as his story is much more light. I agree with you that the old level structure was preferable. I better felt like I was making progress with the megaman-esque design. Plus, I was disappointed that there were no other bosses through the tower of fate like the other games (Black Knight, Boss Gauntlet) Great video! 👍
If i thought about them more critically my ranking would probably change but in terms of just how generally positive i feel when i think about each campaign i think it'd be -1st Plague -2nd King -3rd Specter -4th Shovel
King Knight's campaign is honestly the weakest for me just because it pissed me off to no end. I died a lot in all of the previous campaigns but they didn't make me want to pull out my hair as much as this one did. There are just so many annoying segments like the beetle in the lost city with spikes everywhere and dragons shooting at you from *off-screen.* I scarcely use items in shovel knight but I had to spam the bubble just to get past it.
As someone who loved the joustus feature, I can say that if you liked it the way I did, and included it in the gameplay segment of ranking, king knight would’ve won. It is surprisingly very deep in terms of strategic possibilities, and it made me think a lot. My only complaint with it is that the tutorial “level” of it wasn’t enough to explain everything, and that it doesn’t let you vs really smart opponents with super strong cards instead of having “boss abilities” that is just them cheating at the game. Long story short, the joustus was amazing, but they didn’t go far enough with its potential.
I'm not really good at strategy games either, but I genuinely enjoyed Joustus a ton. Beat every single opponent, including the final super boss. A majority of my losses came from the one turn puzzles that don't really punish you for losing, but I still had to think about what my opponent can do before I make my move. I had a lot of tense moments with Joustus. King Knight's New Game+ is way too stressful for me. I often die while trying to get my money back, or get hit over and over, thus losing more of it, especially in boss fights. If you wanna make a video on it, I'd appreciate that since Idk if I'll even finish King's ng+. I think Showdown is fun, and while I've taken a break from it recently to play other games, I enjoy unlocking all the characters and playing quick matches against family members and friends on occasion. For my personal ranking for the main 4 games I'd say 4th: Shovel of Hope 3rd: Plague of Shadows 2nd: Specter of Torment 1st: King of Cards (I do think KoC and SoT are interchangeable though, as I may prefer one depending on which I'm currently in the mood for playing. Same thing with SoH and PoS) Tldr: King Knight is super fun to play and I like the characters, story and presentation a lot
I don't know, man. The entire Shovel Knight Treasure Trove is good, and pretty easy, but it still feels kinda...unfair? most of the times I die. Don't get me wrong, I beat it without much effort, but the times I did die, it felt unfair, unbalanced, maybe a little unpolished. Like I was expecting a little more refinement, and that feeling of "it's completely my fault" I get from games like Celeste. I can see why people like Shovel Knight, but I wouldn't say it's as good as people say it is. It's well above average, but definitely no Hollow Knight kind of masterpiece.
It’s sad to see shovel knight go, I still wish we could have gotten a propeller knight dlc, he was a fun character and I think he would have had a really great and unique story mode in terms of gameplay mechanics
My HC is that King of cards is a story King knight tells the rest of the bosses while they’re having that big dinner thing. He got beaten by specter knight just like everyone else but whenever Donovan isn’t listening, KK somehow beat him twice. Plague knight is the only one who believes him even if KK once told a version of the story where he bests plague knight
Good video!! Wanted to give my ranking. For me plague knight is at the bottom mainly because of the nippy controls and repeated levels followed by shovel knight due to me finding it difficult to control. But for my top I have to put king knight. Personally I found spectre knight a little clunky but that was at the start and as I moved through it got smoother but I just loved how fluidly n could get king knight moving as well as the light hearted story and shorter levels. All these things are preference and completely understand different opinions
Not sure if there are others feeling the same way, but Specter Knight never really clicked with me. In theory his moveset makes you want to play as slick and cool as possible, slicing through every enemy you see, jumping of walls, grinding everywhere with that black cloak. But in reality you often end up wallrunning on walls you didn't want to, just cause you got to close to it, then you'd have to awkwardly try to slip off of it, then it restarts the wall run cause you held towards the wall half a second to early, slip off again. By then an enemy has come to close so you try to dodge and slice through it but get the angle slightly wrong, slice down instead of up and fall in a pit. I feel like Specter Knight kinda has the same Problem as a lot of Sonic games, where the character is smooth and fun to control, but large parts of the leveldesign force you to do exactly what the character is bad at(i.e. precise, calculated platforming), so the entire game just feels inprecise and unwieldy. That's largely why Specter Knight is actually my least favourite campaign and King Knight my favourite, because there is exactly 0 things inprecise about him. He always does exatly what you want him to do, allowing you to actually get a feel of mastery over the character moveset after a while. At the same time the Stage gimmicks all play off of his moveset in creative and interesting ways, which make every one of the smaller levels still feel unique and memorable.
I really like king of cards. In my opinion, it's the best one. I like that you can progress trough levels fast and have a choice where and how are you gonna progress, joustus is amazing, because it's real fun to beat a boss, go to your ship and beat them In a card game, taking their cards and feeling like a god of cards
Pro-tip: There's a secret final boss locked behind Joustus, in addition to some fun character/plot stuff
It's nothing mindblowing, but not something I'd recommend skipping entirely
plus, joustus is just a really fun card game
@@ralphthejedimaster That too
Yes, this is important. You have to beat the house masters of all 4 jousts houses, then beat Cardia on the airship
Cardia is the best Shovel Knight boss. No contest.
@@abzu235 really? I actually didn't enjoy the boss fight at all. But it was definitely like way harder than any of the other bosses in the games
When King Pridemore joined King Knight's crew. I was dreading the inevitable moment that leads to King Pridemore's negative attitude towards King Knight in the Shovel of Hope campaign. I knew it was bound to happen but I desperately wanted this to be an alternate timeline where things go better. That post credit scene was more of a gut punch to me than it had any right to be.
Just remember that many years ago we already set things right. We just needed to see why we had to set it right.
sharzin lalebazri yes but in plague of shadows king pridemoor is king and king knights sweeping the floor
Still feel bad for the glidewing members
Especially the talking birder
Verserer Gred oh he’s still alive
Today I finished King of Cards and this represents me clearly.
I knew it was bound to happen, yet I really wished that King Knight had a more... prideful ending. But in the end, he just embraced what he thought he was.
this is how I see the 4 stories
Shovel of Hope is an epic adventure story, Plague of Shadows is a love story, Specter of Torment is a melancolic story and King of Cards is straight up a commedy story
I love how the 4 stories have their own flavor like this
An epic, a romance, a tragedy, and a comedy. Couldn't have put it better myself.
I really love Specter, it's a shame Hyve doesn't
By the end King Knights turns into a tragedy aswell
@@Doodle1678
a comedic tragedy
@@creeperchumsworth1219 yes definitely
The confetti horns collect dropped gold bags and were great at hitting the larger bosses and the enchantress when under the stage.
... they collected... the gold bags..?
fffffFFFFUCK
I mean I breazed through almost every boss using only the gyro boots plus decree of rejuvination
I never found the horn.
@@humbleheathen69 you get it buying drinks in the first joustus house
@@abrahamcoronelbeltran6033 oh now you tell me.
The scepter of swiftness is great for bypassing entire platforming segments if you know their layout beforehand, all you need is a straight line you can travel across and a floor at the other end and your good, plus it acts just like the shoulder bash when you hit a wall with it. You'll also go straight through enemies that you kill with it, expanding the places where you can use it to speed through areas.
Newgame+ speedruns are going to be abusing the fuck out of this item.
I ended up using it to grind for gold on the first (or second, I can't remember) Tower of Fate level, you go through the liquid samurais and can speed towards the secret exit.
And with the upgrade that sucks in gold when you spin you can get the gems off the samurais almost immediately.
exactly it's so good
Wouldn't using the bubble frog along with the charge armor be better? At least for climbing.
Solid ranking...
But the shorter levels is a plus for me. It waa perfect for controling the pacing of my time playing it...sometimes i had 5 min to kill so i just went there and finished a level.
It was great!
my only complaint is that you can't re-fight most of the bosses in the game. They really are fun and it's a shame you only get to beat them once before they vanish.
@@Indiand123 there is a mode where you can fight the bosses again if I'm not wrong...
Ariel Shapiro They have time limits and also your equipment is limited
Agreed, I like how every level wasn’t as much of a commitment as the levels from other campaigns
I like the new map for narrative reasons. Its pre-prequel, so the lands are wild and untamed. The map design and short levels fit that theme.
I never even considered that joustus was optional since I was always looking forward to the joustus areas.
same, I LOVED joustus.
I never had a problem with it, but that secret boss was very difficult if you weren’t prepared.
Sameeeee
@@bookswithbek2702 What's cool about it, is that you could make this it work in real life. If I had printer and laminator, i'd make a bunch of cards and try to make it myself. I don't know how the rules would work, Either each player gets random cards, and each match they can replace 1 card or the winner can steal a card. Or, you use a draft system, or maybe you just have multiple copies of everything so people can just build their own deck. You could roll a die to determine where the gems go.
I'm pretty sure we all have a crush on Mona, let's be honest here
erection intensifies
You’re not wrong...but the Enchantress got them thicc thighs
@@DannyDog27 bruh
Athan Am I wrong?
@@DannyDog27 idk, maybe ? Every likeable aspect of the enchantress is completely obliterated by that annoying ass bossfight that happens in EVERY CAMPAIGN
I find it really cool that your final ranking is the exact opposite of mine.
This just goes to show how amazing all of these campaigns are, and what an amazing journey Yacht Club have taken us on.
I was thinking the same thing! It especially surprised me because I also play games gameplay first. It’s crazy how even valuing the same thing I came out with a completely different opinion!
Plague knight is my absolute favorite. I love just flying through levels and then actually fighting bosses, unlike specter of torment where you just jump and spam attack button while specter bonks his head against whoever happens to be near.
@Grimm you just didn't practice enough. When you know what you are doing he isn't awkward at all
@@СергейКочетов-о3л its not that he hasnt practiced its just that people have different opinions
Bro plague knight was even easier, just jump and mash the attack button and stuff dies in 10 seconds.
@@thatonepersonwhoeatscheese7348 dude, opinion or not, if you dislike something for a petty reason like that, you’re going to get backlash either way. we are allowed to dislike someone else’s opinion, as long as we don’t become idiots and scream and yell about it.
they recycled all the levels though
Actually I found king knight's story to be the most emotional of all of them, specifically because of the ending.
What happened with his mom almost made me cry...
?
The “confetti horns” tear apart the Troupple king in his boss fight. Because he’s so big, it hits him much more than it should.
Lol i used the horns to get my money that fell into the water and he just. Died. It was hilarious
I know this video is incredibly old, but I still wanted to post my take on the placement of each campaign.
I honestly think King of Cards was my favorite. I liked Joustus, it was a fun minigame that wasn’t forced down my throat so I didn’t get annoyed by it, while simultaneously giving rewards for playing Joustus so it felt more fulfilling, even if that reward was just more Joustus cards. The boss fights were some of my favorite ones yet, mostly because it rarely reuses bosses from Shovel of Hope like the others. Sure, you can still fight the rest of the Order of No Quarter, but aside from Specter Knight, who acts as Black Knight in this campaign, they’re all optional and even sort of secret like Propeller Knight. The unique bosses in the forms of Specter Knight’s “playable” moveset, King Pridemoor, Troupple King, King Birder, Specter Knight’s “playable” moveset merged with his boss fight (and the more difficult version of the darkened screen mechanic thanks to the background), the King’s Essences, and of course Giga Cardia were all fun boss fights that I thoroughly enjoyed. I also think that King Knight’s moveset was the smoothest of the bunch, it felt great to play as him and have the terrain matter more, along with every Heirloom be fun to use and, as you mentioned before, much more balanced than the others.
Beyond the subtle change of King of Cards being on top, my comparison between the campaigns in Treasure Trove is pretty similar to yours.
1. King of Cards
2. Specter of Torment
3. Shovel of Hope
4. Plague of Shadows
5. Showdown
About the "flow" complaint: I played them in order of location (all Trouple Pond, all Lost City, etc.) and it felt totally structured
I tried both paths all plains, all lich yard, etc. And w/o an order and I can just say that both were equally satisfying and fun, completly would recomend both
Sure, you could do that and it feels structured.
Personaly, this is my favorite campaign so I guess I'll talk about why.
#1- Gameplay
I found myself enjoying playing KoC more than any other shovel knight campaign. I think King Knight's moveset is basic, but fun to use. I also liked the shorter levels with no boss at the end because it made it better to go in and collect the merit badges than a huge level with a boss I had to go through for 1 red skull, or cipher coin, etc. I also liked the boss fights and the secret one you get for beating Joustus.
#2- Character's
I found King Knight my favorite character out of them all. I'm not as big on his design, but I liked his childish attitude and his general not really careing attitude. I found the ending good, he was a jerk and then he paid for it. The other characters like Trouple King and the mom were fun additions and it gave the game a fun sort of vibe.
#3- Airship
I liked the Airship more than the other "hubs" in the other campaign's. Shovel Knight kind of had the town's, but those were just for buying stuff, Plauge Knight had the little lab but it was just a place on the map, Specter Knight just had the castle, which I liked because of the fun secrets like the robot, but King Knight's airship is the best for me. Its a little hub world, were you can talk to people, play Joustus, buy stuff, and do other fun things. And you can get to it anytime at the map by pressing a button.
#4- Joustus
I liked Joustus. It was fun.
#5- Secrets/Endgame Content
I looove all the stuff to do once you finish the game. You can find all the secret exits, beat all the Joustus people, get all merit badges and Joustus cards, beat the secret boss, do the secret propeller knight battle, fight all the order of no quarter and beat them in Joustus as well, do the secret with the horse and the fairyland etc.
That's why I loved KoC and will be 100%ing it ASAP
what robot in spectre?
Do you mean horace, the climbing minigame npc?
or the dragonarmor?
@@thecommenter6773 Horace
@@joshtheostrich1173 oh, he's a dullahan, not a robot. And I guess he technically counts as a secret since he's behind a wall.
But really, the best secret in that hub is petting the meemec.
And the glidewing kinda has something like that if mona and the spinewolves are beaten.
If you check the background on the top floor, you can see mona pet one of them.
Did anyone else find out the secret that happens when you press down once and then hold down in the Donovan armor?
@@joshtheostrich1173 I always thought that Horace was just an empty suit of armor..
Your criteria for the final ranking I very very much agree with, I know several people who tell me that story is the most important thing in a game or act like graphics are all that matter (which they are allowed to have that opinion). But to mean I don't care if your game is the most beautiful game ever with the best story of the year if the gameplay is lackluster I won't be able to put my energy into playing it. For example death stranding apparently has a really good story from what people tell me, but for at LEAST the first 6 hours basically all you do is walk from point a to point b to point c so and so forth. Good graphics,music, and story when added to good gameplay are what make a game a masterpiece in my opinion, which is why shovel knight treasure trove is so good as a collective.
Shovel Knight has been on my backlog for such a long time! This video though has reinvigorated my interest in picking the game up especially with all the other campaigns... that honestly I didn't know existed 😯 Amazing analysis mate, I'm keen to binge some videos of yours now!
Man, you deserve so much more for your work. I hope that one day your channel will grow big. Wish you all the luck man.
The Horns of Heralding and Staff of Swiftness are acceptable because they're attacks King Night has in the campaign. Plus the staff reveals more secrets than it first appears...
What secrets ?
This was an amazing ranking, you’re style is incredibly entertaining. I’m working my way through King of Cards right now
0:12 "And now it's time for me, (that guy who won't shut up about the Phase Locket for some reason,) to give my opinion on King of Cards."
Yes, that is primarily how I think of you ;)
I personally found king of cards the most fun out of the 4
Joustus was surprisingly fun for me (im generally bad at strategy)
I also really liked the map layout more. It helped make the world feel more alive and not just a series of stages to beat. Also the shorter levels gave me more options to take a break if i felt like i nedded to
I absolutely agree that the heirlooms were excellently balanced, i usually used the confetti horns for boss fights it or just clearing rooms full of weak enemies, and the scepter of swiftness is great but I didn't use it to it's full potential of sequence breaking the level design, the things speedrunners can pull off with it and the turncoat heirloom are ridiculous. the armor sets were balanced well too, with the only one that really feels underpowered being the one that lets you run since you have several other options for faster movement. all in all this is definitely my favorite campaign, i love the gameplay style, the new overworld layout, the bosses, joustus, music, I love everything here. joustus can easily be frustrating if you try to rush into it, but if you properly take the time to consider your moves and deck, it's surprisingly in-depth and feeling like I was outsmarting my opponent by forcing them into a trap and thinking several turns ahead was intensely satisfying after I got the hang of it. it has an extra boss fight tied to it as well, which was really cool. and since I did play joustus i really got to appreciate all of the music, which is easily my favorite soundtrack out of all the campaigns. maybe it's partly because I've played it more recently than the other campaigns, but I have king of cards music play in my head far more often than say, specter of torment or plague of shadows. I hear the shovel of hope OST pretty often too, but that's mostly the iconic themes like the plains and credits
The Twilight of Tomorrow is an amazing piece of music.
The Twilight of Tomorrow is an amazing piece of music.
Hmm, it looks like you missed out on the really cool secret accessed through Joustus. You need to finish all the houses of Joustus and also beat Cardia in the Glidewing, and then talk to her again.
Great video as usual. I still need to get around to playing this. Definitely would like a NG+ video though, more shovel knight is always appreciated.
Hyve: *Gives Plague Of Shadows last place and loves Mona*
*Plague Knight wants to know your location*
Oh, and uh, I guess ranking for me IMO.
1) Plague Of Shadows
2) King Of Cards
3) Specter Of Torment
4) Shovel Of Hope
I have the exact same ranking
For me, I'd reverse Shovel of Hope and Specter of Torment, but otherwise I'd agree.
I like the change in direction with the shorter levels. I also like how each playable character feel like they’re inspired by NES characters. Shovel Knight = Ducktales, Plague = Mega Man,
Specter = Ninja Gaiden, King = Wario Land. Also Treasure Trove kind of reminds me of the Stars Wars movies because Star Wars have prequels that change the way (maybe) you watch the original trilogy, and here, the Order of No Quarter campaigns change how you play one another a second time. Another thing with Star Wars is that the first movie was simply just “Star Wars” but then was called Episode 4 A New Hope when the prequels came out, and here, Shovel Knight’s campaign was just called “Shovel Knight” but then Specter Knight’s campaign came out and it was changed to Shovel of Hope
My rankings:
4. Plague of Shadows
3. Shovel of Hope
2. Specter of Torment
1. King of Cards
King of Cards is over Specter of Torment because I just like how King plays over Specter. Also in Shovel of Hope, Plague of Shadows, and King of Cards, there were many places to check out like the Villages, Joustus Houses, Hall of Champions, but in Specter of Torment, there was only the Tower, which was a cool hub world, but there weren’t as many cool things to do. So despite Plague of Shadows being last, it’s still great. And I just like King of Narts better than Specter of Torment. But after all that, I enjoyed watching this video.
My scores
Gameplay: 1 specter 2 king 3 shovel 4 plague
Story: 1 specter 2 plague 3 king 4 shovel
Music: 1 king 2 specter 3 plague 4 shovel
Overall: 1 specter 2 king tie for 3 shovel and plague
Finally some interesting shovel knight content on UA-cam. Please do a vid about NG+
I really love King of cards, I still don't know what is My favorite King of cards or specter of torment.
And I also didn't like showdown that much because of the lack of fun single player content.
Just today I finished the last campaign (King of Cards) and as a geek on good card games, I'll admit that Joustus is hard to really embrace. But once you do, once it clicks, oh boy.
As for the overall ranking:
1. For me, Shovel of Hope is better and 1st because although you said gameplay is the most important thing, I'll never forget the feeling of the first time playing Shovel of Hope. The dream sequences, the tension of the fights, the first time I fought the Boss Gauntlet, the first time I saved Shield Knight...
The emotion I felt back then was unrivaled, and for that, Shovel of Hope is 1st in my list.
2. 2nd probably King of Cards for the reasons you said, pretty balanced, good humor, I was truly flabergasted by the fact that King Knight's motivation was being the best at a card game. It feels ridiculous. Yet, the ending really left me with a bad taste in my mouth. It was like watching a monumental car crash accident. You know it ain't gonna end pretty but you can't stop yourself from watching it.
3. 3rd must be Specter of Torment, but I know it is a completely biased and personal opinion, because I just made my experience miserable by doing a "Checkpointless, No Darkness upgrades, No Will upgrades, 60000 gold ending" run, and it really made my experience with Specter Knight just horrible. It was the most miserable three and a half hours of Treasure Trove. Yet I know the story, the mechanics and the overall gameplay is great, I also hated that it had no in game map. I love in game maps, and the hud with the bosses just felt bleak.
4. And of course, the passive way of playing Plague of Shadows made it an easy 4th place, although I learned to enjoy the movement options of Plague Knight.
And although everything I wrote, I can't disagree with anything you said in the two videos. Great ranking!
My personal ranking is: 4. Shovel of Hope, 3. King of Cards, 2. Specter of Torment, 1. Plague of Shadows
In my opinion
Gameplay:
1- Specter of Torment
2- King of Cards
3- Shovel of Hope
4- Plague of Shadows
(just realized there is an ''of'' in each game's title)
Music:
1- Shovel of Hope
2- Specter of Torment
3- Plague of Shadows
4- King of Cards
Story:
1- Plague of Shadows
2- Specter of Torment
3- King of Cards
4- Shovel of Hope
Overall:
1- Specter of Torment
2- Shovel of Hope
3- Plague of Shadows
4- King of Cards
Please be joking
Nvm
Excellent video. I appreciate how you make sure to stress that much of what you have to say is just your subjective viewpoint.
I personally really enjoyed the bite-sized level structure. The other campaigns' levels would typically play with a gimmick for a few rooms, then drop it for the rest of the level to make way for a new gimmick. Because of this, I often didn't feel much of a sense of progression. Here, each level is centered on 1 or 2 gimmicks that are built on all throughout the level. Levels ending in a tough, lengthy platforming segment rather than a boss also felt more appropriate to me; you're tested on what you've learned throughout the level, whereas boss fights are something you have to learn mostly independently from the rest of the level (though they do sometimes incorporate some of the level's gimmicks).
I also enjoyed the less linear map. I liked that it gave you a reason to choose one level to play over another, albeit not an especially meaningful one. Also, the secret exits were a much more satisfying reward for discovering hidden areas to me than the in-level collectibles from past campaigns. And can I say that the secret/treasure placement in this campaign is easily the coolest in the series? King Knight's unique moveset provided the opportunity for some really creative secrets, my favorite of which being the secret exit in one of the Lost City levels. There's a drop-through dirt pile next to a wall that you couldn't bash, so there's seeming no way to get a spin to drop through the pile, but you're able to lure a Fleeto from farther in the room over to the pile and bash into it to get a spin.
Some scattered final thoughts: I liked the point you made about King Knight being defined by his limitations. For me, platforming is the most important aspect of any game that features it, and King Knight's limited moveset did wonders in making the platforming engaging. Joustus was surprisingly deep and fun for me and brought my experience up a lot, but I can totally see that it's not for everyone. Finally, I would love to see you make a video on King Knight's NG+. It doesn't make you rethink how you play quite as much as Specter Knight's, but it still brings some interesting concepts to the table. The gold multiplier made levels basically rain cash if you avoided damage, which made buying all the Joustus cards from Chester much quicker.
In my opinion King Knight is better, sometimes Spectre Knight is very repetitive, with only scythe dash and wall walking, if I only spam the attack button in air I win, and that's different in King of Cards, I need more strategy... I desagree the final, if the story was a trash and no music, Spectre of Torment would be 4. Very good video, and sorry for the bad english.
I respect your list! Shovel Knight is really my favorite thing ever. So really I love hearing people's opinion on it. Personally I can't really decide how to rank the 4 campaigns. They're all in my opinion outstanding! Showdown is also in my opinion phenomenal. I love all the love and attention to detail on it. I've been playing Shovel Knight for a long time so really I adore everything about it. Sure it has flaws but I will say it'll always be my favorite thing of all time.
Shovel knight treasure trove is awesome! Cant wait for more shovel knight in the future!
Nice thorough review! Great detail and explanations.
I have to say I had a very different experience. I loved the Super Mario style level switch up. I place less emphasis on items since I always play things vanilla if possible. The new tracks in KoC were incredible (Trouple pond + Cardia especially). Joustus was a great strategy game (not so much card game) -- if you play it as intended you'll get a decent challenge, but it can be cheesed by coming back with op cards later (the challenges have fixed decks for joustus which is where you'll get the best experience).
Level design wise, KoC had some of the best of the series, Yacht Club definitely treated this like their big finale. Awesome boss design too.
I don't know if I'd rank them, since each experience brings pros/cons and is more based on personal preferences. Shovel knight is a nice classic experience that still holds up. Plague was overall just an alternate version of Shovel knight. Specter changed things up bringing in a total overhaul to match the air dashing mechanics. KoC overhauled almost the whole experience, and using the world/engine/characters to deliver a very different final product. All excellent.
I think there's one big aspect that King Knight actually tackled in a vastly superior way than any of the prior campaigns - Money.
From the beginning of the game to the very end, there was so much for me to buy. They did a fantastic job adding a bunch of very high cost upgrades to ensure that collecting money is always worthwhile. Even considering Specter Knight's campaign was crafted brand new, I was disappointed to notice that I had like 60000 gold I couldn't spend on before I got to the Enchantress in his campaign.
This makes the moment to moment gameplay so much more satisfying in King Knight's campaign - all the money you're collecting is useful from the first stage to the very last stage. The subweapons were balanced much better in King Knight's campaign for the most part, except the aforementioned bubble item being a little cheap relative to the rest of his heirlooms (though again, he needs to be able to hit a wall when shoulder bashing out, or else it can't bail him out).
King of Cards is my favorite anime and jrpg.
Ok but seriously though, I do have to say my opinion on this game is that I found it very enjoyable. While I do find joustus really enjoyable, I do still have to agree with your list of specter knight, king knight, shovel knight, and plague knight. Specter knight just had the best gameplay feel throughout the entire thing, the plot I will say I have forgotten over the past 2 years, though I remember the music being really good. King Knight was very enjoyable with it's gameplay, and personally, was the easiest of all the modes. Maybe it's just the shorter level length because of how they split it up, but it seemed easier to me. The story was really funny to me at moments, with the ending also making me feel like the bad guy even if I expected it, and the music, while it was mostly reused, was still a bop. Shovel Knight was really good gameplay wise, but definitely the most basic to me. The music and story were good, and that's about all I can really say about it. Plague Knight... it was alright. The story was nice and enjoyable, but the gameplay... really didn't do much for me. It wasn't that fun to me with how it all played, and was the campaign I took the longest to beat only because I got bored with it and didn't enjoy it all that much.
Its fascinating to me that even though I also play games gameplay first my final ranking is so different. It’s crazy how even valuing the same thing I came out with a completely different opinion!
Great video! Love hearing others thoughts on this franchise!
Short summary of my thoughts? Best campaign of all four.
I largely agree with your rankings, with Plague Knight being my least favored campaign and Spectre Knight being my most before King Knight. But, for some reason, I enjoyed King Knight's kit a lot more than I did Spectre's. While yes the rail armor is fucking awesome and the items are fun, King Knight's kit was just overall better. The rats for vertical attacking, the sceptre for brushing enemies, and the frog for platforming. All unique to contrast King Knight's very limited moveset. And, his limited moveset makes for the most fun I've had. And it seems to be a trend, the simpler the moveset the better. Spectre's and Plague's were a pain for me to pick up, and should I lose the muscle memory I'd have to burn through some levels just to get the hang of it again. Plague moreso Spectre.
But, a shame you didn't enjoy Joustus. I enjoyed it so much I end up wanting it to be playable on my phone! It is simple but it has depth. An easy game to pick up, but a difficult one to master. Plus the added sprite art for all things Shovel Knight is much appreciated by people like me. And yes, while the new soundtrack is few and far between, they're still really good.
The story, oh man. Did I feel bad.
(Spoilers ahead)
The entire time I knew King Knight was always a bit of an asshat, but I actually grew quite fond of the characters around him. They were written so well, I think I nearly teared up at the ending. The time his mother finally refers to him as King Knight, was that of which when she was disappointed. And, I honestly enjoyed playing as the childish asshole. With his bawling and pompous throne taunts, and every cutscene after the major boss.
My largest and only complaint with King of Cards was probably after the credits. You see him in Pridemoor Keep, gilded and glistening. He finally catches a moment to enjoy his unearned grandeur. Only for a certain Knight in blue to trot in and shut the door. I really, really wished I could have fought Shovel Knight as King Knight the way Plague Knight did. And I would willingly lose, because it felt like a hollow victory.
Gameplay:
Specter of Torment 1
King of Cards 2
Shovel of Hope 3
Plague of Shadows 4
Music:
Specter of Torment 1
Shovel of Hope 2
King of Cards 3
Plague of Shadows 4
I was late to the Shovel Knight party. I bought it a few months before the release of King Knight's campaign. I really enjoyed playing as Shovel Knight, however, once i started the Spectre Knight campaign...it was a clear winner. The gameplay is so addictive and fun. Just here to agree.
To me, these are my personal rankings of these games based off of story and gameplay.
1) specter of torment- the story was a different tale on what shovel knight offered us. It was serene, dark, and subtle; just like the character. The story flows perfectly; adding many twists and turns with the added flashbacks making all the more of an enjoyable story. All the side characters are memorable and funny, and the final ending scene with reize left an emotional impact. The level design flows perfectly with specter’s gameplay style; hacking and quickly moving off of enemies is so satisfying and challenging. Sure the sub weapons are over powered, but all are interesting enough to bear some usage.
2) plague of shadows- this game has in my opinion, the best story and characters in the whole franchise. Plague being hilarious and endearing, Mona just being my favorite character, Percy just being one of the best comic relief characters in a work of fiction, and the magicist actually being given some good character development. The gameplay, while being the most challenging, is the most entertaining to use. Sure just about every arcana you get is useless, but the arsenal of bombs and sub equipment to them are amaizing, due to how different and useful every single one and combination is. And the final scene is one of, if not the most wholesome thing I’ve seen in a game for a long time. Mona and plague’s Romance is so funny and cute that I kept the animation on my tv for over ten minutes. The level design is the worst out of all of them, but the ending boss and story make up for it completely in my opinion.
3) king of cards- while being very different from the others, the level, map, and gameplay design was a fresh breath of air. The shorter level design I like, and the over world boss fights fits with the story; as your the adventure dashing through the land, stumbling upon unexpected but rather funny dialogue with your enemies and rivals. The story fits the character and is rather charming and a fun ride to see what will happen next. Mom is wholesome and sweet and the romantic tension between priemoor is rather enjoyable. Pridemoor is like the dad king never had. Cooper, Doe, and bard knight are a great supporting cast. Just one major problem though. Like every rpg, king of cards adds the troupe of adding a side character that does a few semi important things; and never leads. I’m sorry I know it fits with the character wanting an ontourage, but I just hate that troupe as it just adds an extra weight. And I love joustus as a game mechanic. In real life I’m a major fan of card games, being an avid mtg and yugioh player, and joustus is the perfect blend of cards and chess all in one I did end up beating every player and house of joustus and every new card, deck type, field, and opponent were fun to play against. Sadly there’s two flaws. One, new cards you obtain out right replace old cards, practically making most of what you collect useless (kinda like real life tcg). And two, tons of trial and error gameplay with most not being fun. Strategy is bread and butter to my nerdy little mind but no how much I plan out my moves, I still lost. And the most often there is a lot of misplaced power segments. Meaning some people are extremely easy while others are incredibly difficult for no reason. For example, Mona and Horace who are the leaders of some house of joustus were easily first try wins for me and the people who you fight on your airship and standard opponents can take over half an hour each. Well over all this game offered some of the best mechanics and gameplay, it doesn’t over shadow the compelling and entertaining stories and characters the other two offered
And 4, sadly is shovel of hope- this mainly come off of me replaying the game. Six years ago when I was 10 I played this game and loved it. However when king of cards came out, I re played all the games in order to re-fresh my mind to compare them. And now since I matured, while having a better understanding of character development and story writing, I depressingly say that I don’t like this game as much I used to to. Don’t get me wrong, I love this game and the franchise as a hole, but I feel shovel of hope was the foot hold on setting the premise of the world and the others building off of the already great things that were put into place. And though the story is great, it’s not the best. The writing of it is very fidgety and complacent at times. Every other one has a great, smooth, and compelling story to offer. From plagues love chemistry to Kings ever changing and flowing conquest, shovel just doesn’t compare. (get it? Chemistry;...... I’ll shut up now). It’s vey good with a spectacular pay off, but the story is very inconsistent with a slow beginning and middle, with a suddenly quick end where I often ask myself, “how did I get here”. The ending is amazing, but sadly doesn’t leave much of an impact like plague or specter did. It still does have and amazing end however. I’m very sorry for the negativity, but the story is often the main thing I focused one these games due the importance of them all wrapping into each other, but I feel if we get another campaign revolving around black knight, I believe it could fix the problems I have with it. Now on to the good stuff. The gameplay is flawless while building upon all the staples we see in the franchise, that rather make it endearing and fun. The side characters aren’t the most memorable but fits with the message of your character. The warrior traveling the land to find his beloved, only to make essential stops at nearby towns to gather equipment to prepare for upcoming challenges. Overall I still love shovel of hope, but sadly, my nostalgia can’t really compare to what I believe was perfected in the others that came after it.
Anyway this analysis was far to long for its own good. If anyone is reading this I apologize and thank you for your patience. Has a great day.
Awesome video! Here's my personal ranking for the campaigns:
4. King of Cards
Great game (obviously, it's Shovel Knight), but I found beating bosses and making progress in the game to be worse than the others. Joustus is fun and extremely challenging a lot of the time; it's great except for getting 100% of cards means spending 4 million gold on Chester
3. Specter of Torment
Specter Knight is my second favourite knight to play as because of the unique slashing mechanic and the music is incredible (Tools of War might just be my favourite Shovel Knight theme), but the main problem with it is the same as in King of Cards: Without the structure of levels and bosses, you didn't feel like you were exploring much or getting anywhere until the end. Still 10/10
2. Shovel of Hope
The one that started it all! Honestly playing as Shovel Knight is just incredible and the stages seem perfectly suited around him. The story is great and there is literally nothing wrong with it. But...
1. Plague of Shadows
I think this is the best because of how unique it is from any game I've ever played. The challenge of the game comes from the moveset of Plague Knight and not in the stage design - you have to go about beating the stages in a different way. The love story is incredible and just flying across the screen as Plague Knight made me happy in a way no game has ever made me feel. 11/10
Sorry this was long; again great video and whoever reads this have a good day (or night)
You did miss out on the secret final boss by skipping joustous. I'd love to hear your opinion on that boss.
Here are my game rankings:
Gameplay:
1. King of cards
2. Specter of torment
3. Shovel of hope
4. Plague of shadows
Story:
1. Plague of shadows
2. King of cards
3. Shovel of hope
4. Specter of torment
Music:
Idk I really liked the “tango for the troupple king” in PoS but all the tracks are fine. They’re very similar in all games.
Sooo I agree with you on your point with the items, they’re much more balanced. With the world map I think I kind of like more than the other games, even though there are flaws with it. I think joustus is fine but nothing that great. The movement I think is more brilliant than in the other games because it’s just so satisfying and rewarding doing cool parkour.
For the story I think it’s really great, I like that there’s something different than in the other games. You don’t really save the world. I Liked king knights personality in the same way as you did. I still think it’s not as great as plague of shadows, mostly because Mona’s the most complex and interesting character in any of the Shovel knight games. The PoS ending was also the most satisfying imo.
Though I disagree with some of what you discussed, I must applaud how well presented the content of this video was. You raised your personal issues, but also acknowledged that they were your opinions and in a very convincing way. I was really able to appreciate your thoughts despite not relating to them myself, which isn't something a fair few content creators consider when writing analytic/evaluative videos like this. Better than AntDude's Shovel Knight video for sure!
Gameplay IS the most important aspect, I agree!
With the music, you could just turn it off and put on your own if you don't like it.
The story gives some context as to your journey, but some games don't NEED a story to be fun.
Consider Tetris. The music is good, but I prefer my own.
There is absolutely no story.
The main thing is the gameplay, because that's what you're experiencing THE MOST.
I'm not against you on this. I actually completely agree!
I'm glad I get to see someone's breakdown on it, even if it's just opinionated.
I know that Plague Knight had the least music added, however I enjoyed the music from Plague Knight the best out of all four of the games with Waltz for One, The Final Note and Alchemy. I also wanted to say that incompleto sin ti is amazing and wished they did a non 8-bit version like Waltz for One to Le Bouquet Magique.
I think king of cards is the best out of the four because it uses walls to his advanteges but it has a little twist to it making it unique and joustus is a fun card Game with strategy and its so underated
I found Joustus really really fun, despite originally thinking I wouldn't like it. It's a little bit challenging sometimes, but I found that it never got to the level where I was actually having trouble. Also, I don't know why, but I really love collecting all the unique character and enemy cards. I battled some characters multiple times just to get unique cards I might not even use, just because I wanted to.
Also I'm glad I'm not the only only who definitely, absolutely does not have a crush on Mona.
Thanks for making the video. It was great as always. I would just like to say that I love playing showdown, I would highly recommend going back into it and checking it out again bc of one sole reason, with limited moves and whatnot it forces you to analyze and create the best strategy for yourself to win. Anyway great job and thanks for making shovel knight videos.
I actually played showdown and clocked in more than 20 hours on battle mode alone and more if I count story etc it’s a much more fun experience when u get to learn all the characters move sets and go in depth like mr hat is capable of hopping on his platters in midair allowing for infinite airtime and the enchantress hovering around with dark strafe(her charge move) gives a lot of movement options. Also I learned that the rat heirloom functions so much better as a double jump/ projectile which also translates into his campaign where the explosion is more powerful making fights attacking airborne opponents much easier and satisfying including the bosses I know I’m late responding to this video but I’m gotta say the rat bomb is underrated.
Edit: also I like to think of king knight as Dio when I cast scepter of swiftness idk why it just seems fitting
I'm pretty biased on some element in a game and that is (the variety that support replayability) because I get to see how much time I get to enjoy the game. so my personal ranking are:
1st: King of Cards- different type of levels / a lot of different music to hear (it is recycling but I don't really care as long as its feel fresh on the different levels of the same location) / not a fan of joustus when I played it for 100% but when i go back and replay it when I'm bored, it actually pretty fun (bc I don't care much of losing cards anymore) / some of the heirlooms offer a different type of mobility / the one time boss fight is really disapointing bc the boss fight is really fun to play using different heirlooms (the rematch in challenge mode is alright. but I'd liked to enjoy my boss fight without time limit please).
2nd: Plague of Shadows- there is a lot of customization in your bomb attack that I went into the levels with different combination / fun to replay the stages using different arcana except for the first two tower of fate level.
3rd: Specter of Torment- the only curios that I'm always used is will skull, hover plume and the skeleton sentry and I don't enjoyed it (because it fell like I abused it) / for me the judgement rush lose its awesomeness because it is pretty much the same as the vanilla move (dash slash) / I'm mostly replay this to hear the remixed music and to play Horace's Challenge.
4th: Shovel of Hope- its great but I don't feel any satisfaction with the relics / I only replay this for the tower of fate's level (the boss rush, black knight [third fight] and the remnant of fate is crazy fun boss battle).
*bonus: Showdown- really hope I have a friend to play this with / Trying to unlock everything is really fun / After everything has unlocked, I just play this when I'm really bored....
I actually loved the smb3 map waaay more than the mega man map.
Might just be me
First off, yeah, I'd like to see a New Game + video. I think that there's a lot to say about this sort of mode, with how it turns money, which otherwise has no purpose in a NG+ playthrough, into a whole new system in its own right. Talk about making it an entirely new kind of currency.
Second, I think your rankings are honestly pretty fair. I think sometimes it's hard to explain that one game being lower doesn't make it bad, so I understand your stress over putting the other games where you put them. Personally, I'd put Shovel of Hope on Par with King of Cards, but I totally agree that the Phase Locket kinda messes with the difficulty. I really do think that a high magic cost or longer cooldown would've gone a long way, or at least designing bosses with certain relics in mind. Sometimes they actually pull it off - I'd wager that the SoH fight against Specter Knight works well even if you have the locket, just with the way you're attacked - but fights like Polar Knight are definitely made a lot easier with that thing. This is similar to what you said about the Enchantress and Black Knight fights in Specter of Torment, with the most fun fights being ones where the most powerful subweapon isn't really reinforced like it is elsewhere.
(Also, I think maybe it's just that this thing is cursed for you. Like, literally everything involving the Phase Locket is your least favorite part of whatever it shows up in, mainly Specter Knight's story and Shovel Knight's gameplay. Maybe consider selling that thing to somebody, I know a guy named Chester who'd take that off your hands.)
I also agree about the whole deal with the music - there's not a ton of new music, and even fewer standouts compared to the other games. I could listen to Hidden By Night on repeat for a WHILE. (Incidentally, there's a stellar acoustic cover of it that I highly, HIGHLY recommend checking out, with how you said you loved that song.)
Only other thing I really feel like I wanna say is about Plague of Shadows. The devs went on record saying that it was designed originally to be a sort of Richter Mode to Shovel of Hope - the same levels, or at least as identical as possible, with an entirely new character to run around them in - and so wasn't built as the ground up to fit Plague Knight the way every other playable campaign was. I think this is what you were trying to convey in this video, when explaining why Plague Knight was still 4th in the gameplay category, so I figured I'd point out what I could to help.
Anyway. I've rambled enough. I think your video is stellar, and I honestly think you did a dang fine job. As someone who adores hearing someone talk about game design the way you do, I applaud you and your excellent work. Honestly, your talk about the subweapons makes me wanna make a video myself - I think this is a topic that lots of developers could learn from, I don't see Mark Brown making a Game Maker's Toolkit video for this any time soon. I'm on Twitter as @TahmisGoogboi if anyone is interested in talking more - I just love talking shop about game design. I look forward to whatever you make next, Mr Minds! \o
1. King of cards: Has lots of new bosses and the new gameplay. I always like having new bosses and king of cards nails it.
2. Shovel of hope: Does it really need an explanation?
3. Specter of Torment: I love specter knight and gameplay is great.
4. Shovel knight showdown: I like how all the characters are playable in a super smash bros. style game, but all of the characters’ stories end in the same boss fight. I’m just not very impressed overall.
5. Plague of shadows: Everything from the previous game is recycled in my opinion. This even happens during the same time as shovel of hope. Plague of shadows is really just replaying shovel of hope with Plague Knight.
Joustus was my favorite aspect of King of Cards in comparison to the other campaigns. It's what bumps it to being my 3rd favorite, with my order being the inverse of yours. (Plauge #1, Shovel #2, King #3, Specter #4) Maybe I'm just too eager to spout Yugioh memes and pretend that King Knight is Kaiba.
Also, this was my least favorite story. It had some funny moments, but what really brought it down was the ending. Even before you play the game you know King Knight is going to betray absolutely everyone that hails him as a hero, and it underpins the entire adventure. I have a similar problem with Specter of Torment, but King Knight's ending ends up being so much more hollow. Even worse is that this is what ends off Shovel of Hope altogether.
Reaching the enchantress didn't feel scary cause you knew you may fail but because you knew you would win
Bazinga
You better read this
I agree with most points in the video, but I can't rank king of cards or spectre of torment over each other. Regardless, I especially agree with the fact that the gameplay ranking was always going to be the final ranking! Great video in general though!
Competitive shovel Knight showdown rules 3 stock 6 minutes
Showdown sudden death off auto balance off hazards off items off
Legal stages are Event horizon celestial plane. village house of joustus and undervillage potionarium enchantress is band on event horizon because she can go in to the top corner and shoot diagonally down and fly nearly infinitely any other unbeatable strategies will be band these are me competitive rules
What about Doubles? I'd say Axalongal Cave first.
If you’ll ever return I would really love to see a video about king of cards new game plus
I'm gonna craft my own Joustus board. I love card games and that one was the cherry on top of an already amazing campaign.
The way I ranked the adventures
1st: Plague of Shadows: I LOVED this SO MUCH! the mostly samey level design from Shovel of Hope didn't bother me at all as it convinced me to think outside the box and ask "What can Plague knight do that Shovel knight can't" The story is my favorite of the 4 and the added sections are where you find most of those Cipher coins. this mode was the only one I 100%, the only one I've beaten on the harder mode, and the only one where I've done the penniliess/upgradeless/no tonic run while PLAYING the hard mode. I used the float a lot when I started but I found real power in sticking with the OG burst and the spin attack.
2nd: Specter of Torment: a wonderfully tragic story with original music, and I would say is better mechanically for most people compared to Plague knight. his gameplay flows very naturally and entices reckless play where Plague knight would err on the side of caution before laughing and blowing stuff up. I loved the megaman style choose any boss order and one of the few times I could say "yeah, you could win against any of them starting out".
3rd: Shovel of Hope: the one that got this whole content pack going, really solid and really good despite the fact I cannot play a single megaman game to save my life. admittedly I just use the phase locket and chaos orb to kill most bosses, and wall crush gimmicks can go starve out to die in a desert hole. the fact he is the most horizontally challenged kinda irks me because of propeller enimies.
4th: King of Kards: frankly fools too. This was the campaign where I realized how much I hate bottomless pits. it was always an argument with myself between mana and items, while the card mechanics are fun you need those damn booster packs and rare cards to beat those cheating bosses. King knight was a brat through and through, the side characters were fun, but everything in the 3rd area can go die.
I loved joustess, I love card games like magic and netrunner which is why king of cards is my favorite. Oh and I love mario games so thats another reason
Fantastic video as always! However, I think I'll have to disagree with you on the shorter levels being a negative. While this kind of structure probably wouldn't work for some of the other campaigns, I feel that it fits King Knight's gameplay perfectly. As you said, his moveset is a lot more limited, and because of this, it would probably be more difficult to blaze through a longer level with lots of ideas as seen in the other campaigns. However, with these kinds of short levels, it's much easier to focus on getting better at dealing with a single mechanic, since most of these levels feature only one type of mechanic to focus on, and it feels like progress is being made more frequently. It's also way nicer for collection: instead of having to beat the entire level again to get a single red skull or cipher coin, you just have to play through a short level. I'm also the kind of guy who loves looking for secrets and secret exits, so this style of gameplay was right up my alley, as there were a lot of secrets that required careful searching and planning to discover, and getting to them with King Knight's limited moveset was often half the fun.
I'd love a video on NG+, by the way. That was probably the most challenge I've ever had with this game, and, like Specter Knight's NG+, it required thinking about items and item usage in a whole different light and gave an awesome twist to the normal gameplay.
First off, great video. I have to agree that although Plague Knight is my favorite character, I'm real sad that it was the first DLC and missed the opportunity to do something like what SoT did with re-mixing levels and such. I absolutely LOVE the potion variety and customization with Plague's kit, and his story is such a neat spin on a simple cliche. I loved SoT's story in that it felt like less of a spin off (like Plague Knight was), and directly enhanced the story of SoH. But yeah, SoT knocked it out of the park with the level design, and I think KoC took that same concept and implemented it in a different way. I think they had a huge challenge of introducing a new gimmick unique to almost every level and making the player learn it and be challenged by it, especially with the shorter levels. It's remarkable that they pulled that off for the most part (though that Ladder Factory level can go fuck itself; I've always been annoyed by the flying machine levels). Although Joustus wasn't really my thing either, I still 100%'d the game and enjoyed Joustus for the most part, it just seemed like such a cheesy thing to focus the story around. But hey, I guess that was the idea.
Kings of cards is actually the first campaign I finished. I know I know, I'm the worst. When shovel knight released it just didn't appeal to me even though I bought it. But I always try each new campaign when it came out. I got hooked on king knight's movement. Plus I loved joustus. I mean I did everything but NG+. I loved it so much I tried to look up review and it led me to your channel before you released your review and I watch your other video about the other campaigns. Because of you I went back and beat Specter of Torment (it was amazing). And I am working on beating shovel of hope. Love your videos.
Great vid! About King Knight's NG+, maybe do a comparative video on all of the campaigns NG+ modes
Jake Kaufman definitely went all out on the soundtrack on this, I most certainly disagree with your statement on the music. Specter Knight was actually my least favorite.... Never finished it LMAO 😅
I personally enjoy the shorter burst stages in that they allow gimmicks to be fleshed out more and allow for more gimmicks and dynamic level design overall
Hey Hyve Minds I really like your shovel knight videos and I want to watch more rankings. Keep up the good work
I pretty much agree with your final ranking, though for slightly different reasons. I still haven''t finished Plague Knight's campaign as I find his movement awkward and lacking any sort of flow that you get with the other three.
Regarding Joustus: I am not a fan of card games and was dreading that this addition would be mandatory. I felt pretty so-so about it for the first two houses of Joustus, but then I started getting really into it. I'd strongly encourage you to revisit it - as you start to build up a more powerful deck it becomes really fun and involving, and as others have mentioned, there is a fantastic secret boss available if you clear all the houses.
Really liked your review. Your a kind and easy to watch guy (I just started watching you) and your just so fair with the other games it's not even funny. Personally my stack of favorite games goes Plague of Shadows, King Of Cards, Shovel Knight, Specter Of Torment.
I liked the shorter levels, especially in finding out the best speedrun route.
On Joustus, I think it has a lot of depth to it. You completely miss the flipping, reversal, conveyor, bomb, smash, graveyard, and triple arrow cards, which add a lot of variety. There's a reason people are trying to make physical versions of it (and even made a TableTop Simulator version). Frankly, it would be kinda foolish for YCG to not capitalize on it.
As for NG+, I think it is worse than Specter by a country mile. The player loses far too much money each hit, even considering the multiplier, and it becomes far too much of a hassle to use the Heirlooms. One might as well just do bosses (mostly) no damage, basic moves only. Immediately picking up the hearts is nice, though.
As for Showdown, the Story mode is very unbalanced and random. Percy's Targets and the Mirror boss at the end are either ridiculously easy or insanely difficult depending on the character (and even then both quickly get out of control). Not to mention getting into a Treasure class against 3 opponents on the crowded Campsite stage, which typically kills an entire run. The characters are generally quite unbalanced, with Specter Knight being the equivalent of Meta Knight (complete with 3 different forms of recovery when most characters have 1, if that), poor Shovel Knight being outclassed by everyone else (without _any_ recovery moves), and the high knockback turning most matches into parry-offs into the fiery pit (which gives larger characters more power).
Oh, wow! Your campaign ranking is literally an exact inversion of mine🙃 And from the sound of things, your heirloom tier list would be pretty much mine upside-down as well.
I'm a shadowy reflection of you :3
My arch nemesis finally appears!
@@HyveMindsGames Steel thy shovel!
I personally think King of Cards is my new favorite campaign, you made some fair points but U personally thought the story really got you connected to King Knight despite his faults, and despite the way we see him I really thought he would change by the end despite where it takes place in the lore, the shorter levels also in my opinion complemented his play style as sometimes playing as King Knight for long periods of time with lots of challenge can be fun but overwhelming. Finally, I think Joustus was hard and tedious, but also super satisfying and rewarding upon winning, and while it’s optional you could always come back to it later. Anyways great video! Would love to see your thoughts on new game +!
I highly agree with the final ranking. All of them are great but Specter of Torment was just so SLEEK.
Bet no one will find/read this comment
But.......if you do read it
I'm really bored waiting for him to upload a new video but yet exited for
- ABOUT THE GAME -
I didn't really mind about op items in the game. It's a joy for me to use it. And for the music it was....humm......what would king knight say about it?
Maybe something like ...
MY MY SUCH ROYALLY, LUXURIOUS AND ABSOLUTELY JOY TO ME TO HEAR IT.
FINALLY A MASTERPIECE FOR SOMEONE AT A PLACE SUCH AS MINE.
I LOVE IT !!.
And about the story
I decided to see it through king knight's own eyes
He is just the one who dreamed about being a king and when he heard about the cards game that will crown the champion of it THE KING OF CARDS he drops out every thing to join
And finding out that hole in the rules about defeating the judges he saw the opportunity to win easily
And then all of a sudden that ruff ruff came and decided to DARE fall in love with his MOM that was just his nightmares coming true
And when the Enchantress gave him the chance of having a REAL kingdom and become THE KING by just abandoning HIM and some others I thought it would give me the chance to choose what am I going to do
But when HE mentioned MY MOM I honestly felt like
EVEN IF I HAD THE CHOICE OF SPARING YOUR LIFES
OR
THROWING YOU TO YOUR END..........
I WOULD HAVE THROWN YOU OF MY SHIP THE FIRST TIME YOU PUT YOUR EYES ON MY MOM
Omg it's happening
IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING
I had some difficulty with Joustus at first, too. However, once I got through to the end game and had some more powerful cards at my disposal, I went back through and did all the Joustus stuff and was rewarded with a FANTASTIC secret boss. I will say though, I cheated a little bit by closing the software if I knew I was going to lose so I would go back to my last save without losing any cards. Anywhale, it was fun. I personally didn’t like King Knight’s character, but the gameplay more than made up for it, and it was funny to hear Kaufman go full classical for the music in this one. Anywhale, I went through and collected everything, even the cards, and didn’t regret the time I spent. I’m planning on doing the new game plus versions of each campaign next, but I’m stuck at the boss rush for Shovel Knight at the moment.
Honestly I tend to agree with.... like 90% of what you say in all these videos, so my ranking is about the same. I don't care so much about the balance of side items that are just a matter of "don't like, don't use", and while I see how some of them are almost thoughtlessly powerful, it just doesn't bother me. (So I'm just kinda neutral on it, I find most challenge arbitrary anyway, so I don't see not using them as any more arbitrary than anything else. I know people who still fail hard at the game even with all those items anyway, so take it for what it's worth) End of the day, I'm just glad to see everything release for this game finally, and I'm really impressed with the quality of it all! I think I still like playing on the 3DS the most, just cause the effect does REALLY make things pop, but there's also a reason I own the whole series 3 times over. lol
Putting Gameplay as the highest weighting is the correct decision. Also saying that King Knight is defined by its limitations makes perfect sense now to me. At my first playthrough his playstyle felt awkward and limited, but with time it started to make sense and you get a grip the more you play aka it gets more fun.
Can't say the same with Plague Knight because I couldn't feel the flow with him but that's my own opinion and gaming experience.
I agree with your rankings!
Something I really appretiate about showdown is that, even though each character has such a small moveset, they have a lot of move synergy. King knight can shoulder bash his rats. Black knight can shoot his dark wave through his rocks. Polar knight can plow his snowballs, and a million more examples. It felt like the first time I learned you could use any attack on wiifit trainers soccerball or playing rivals of Aether. Perhaps in won't be endlessly replayable like melee, and ultimate feel, but it is build on a STRONG foundation. Hopefully we can see more platform fighters from yacht club sometime in the future.
The story was a joy to experience as always
I was a bit sad that King Knight didn't really have character development but it was expected as his story is much more light.
I agree with you that the old level structure was preferable. I better felt like I was making progress with the megaman-esque design. Plus, I was disappointed that there were no other bosses through the tower of fate like the other games (Black Knight, Boss Gauntlet)
Great video! 👍
If i thought about them more critically my ranking would probably change but in terms of just how generally positive i feel when i think about each campaign i think it'd be
-1st Plague
-2nd King
-3rd Specter
-4th Shovel
King Knight's campaign is honestly the weakest for me just because it pissed me off to no end. I died a lot in all of the previous campaigns but they didn't make me want to pull out my hair as much as this one did. There are just so many annoying segments like the beetle in the lost city with spikes everywhere and dragons shooting at you from *off-screen.*
I scarcely use items in shovel knight but I had to spam the bubble just to get past it.
As someone who loved the joustus feature, I can say that if you liked it the way I did, and included it in the gameplay segment of ranking, king knight would’ve won. It is surprisingly very deep in terms of strategic possibilities, and it made me think a lot. My only complaint with it is that the tutorial “level” of it wasn’t enough to explain everything, and that it doesn’t let you vs really smart opponents with super strong cards instead of having “boss abilities” that is just them cheating at the game. Long story short, the joustus was amazing, but they didn’t go far enough with its potential.
I'm not really good at strategy games either, but I genuinely enjoyed Joustus a ton. Beat every single opponent, including the final super boss. A majority of my losses came from the one turn puzzles that don't really punish you for losing, but I still had to think about what my opponent can do before I make my move. I had a lot of tense moments with Joustus.
King Knight's New Game+ is way too stressful for me. I often die while trying to get my money back, or get hit over and over, thus losing more of it, especially in boss fights. If you wanna make a video on it, I'd appreciate that since Idk if I'll even finish King's ng+.
I think Showdown is fun, and while I've taken a break from it recently to play other games, I enjoy unlocking all the characters and playing quick matches against family members and friends on occasion.
For my personal ranking for the main 4 games I'd say
4th: Shovel of Hope
3rd: Plague of Shadows
2nd: Specter of Torment
1st: King of Cards
(I do think KoC and SoT are interchangeable though, as I may prefer one depending on which I'm currently in the mood for playing. Same thing with SoH and PoS)
Tldr: King Knight is super fun to play and I like the characters, story and presentation a lot
I don't know, man. The entire Shovel Knight Treasure Trove is good, and pretty easy, but it still feels kinda...unfair? most of the times I die. Don't get me wrong, I beat it without much effort, but the times I did die, it felt unfair, unbalanced, maybe a little unpolished. Like I was expecting a little more refinement, and that feeling of "it's completely my fault" I get from games like Celeste. I can see why people like Shovel Knight, but I wouldn't say it's as good as people say it is. It's well above average, but definitely no Hollow Knight kind of masterpiece.
Yeah it’s just not as polished but it’s fun to play right now I’ve beat hollowknight and Celeste and most good 2d platformers
I’ll love to see king knight new game plus
It’s sad to see shovel knight go, I still wish we could have gotten a propeller knight dlc, he was a fun character and I think he would have had a really great and unique story mode in terms of gameplay mechanics
My HC is that King of cards is a story King knight tells the rest of the bosses while they’re having that big dinner thing. He got beaten by specter knight just like everyone else but whenever Donovan isn’t listening, KK somehow beat him twice. Plague knight is the only one who believes him even if KK once told a version of the story where he bests plague knight
Good video!! Wanted to give my ranking. For me plague knight is at the bottom mainly because of the nippy controls and repeated levels followed by shovel knight due to me finding it difficult to control. But for my top I have to put king knight. Personally I found spectre knight a little clunky but that was at the start and as I moved through it got smoother but I just loved how fluidly n could get king knight moving as well as the light hearted story and shorter levels. All these things are preference and completely understand different opinions
Specter Knight is definitely number 1 for me too. Great music, I love his character, and the music is probably my favorite
The final ránking is the same for me for diferent reasons
Not sure if there are others feeling the same way, but Specter Knight never really clicked with me. In theory his moveset makes you want to play as slick and cool as possible, slicing through every enemy you see, jumping of walls, grinding everywhere with that black cloak.
But in reality you often end up wallrunning on walls you didn't want to, just cause you got to close to it, then you'd have to awkwardly try to slip off of it, then it restarts the wall run cause you held towards the wall half a second to early, slip off again. By then an enemy has come to close so you try to dodge and slice through it but get the angle slightly wrong, slice down instead of up and fall in a pit.
I feel like Specter Knight kinda has the same Problem as a lot of Sonic games, where the character is smooth and fun to control, but large parts of the leveldesign force you to do exactly what the character is bad at(i.e. precise, calculated platforming), so the entire game just feels inprecise and unwieldy.
That's largely why Specter Knight is actually my least favourite campaign and King Knight my favourite, because there is exactly 0 things inprecise about him. He always does exatly what you want him to do, allowing you to actually get a feel of mastery over the character moveset after a while. At the same time the Stage gimmicks all play off of his moveset in creative and interesting ways, which make every one of the smaller levels still feel unique and memorable.
I really like king of cards.
In my opinion, it's the best one.
I like that you can progress trough levels fast and have a choice where and how are you gonna progress, joustus is amazing, because it's real fun to beat a boss, go to your ship and beat them In a card game, taking their cards and feeling like a god of cards