Yacht Club Games has announced an enhanced remake of the first campaign of its acclaimed retro platformer Shovel Knight. Titled Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX, the game promises to be the “definitive version” of the original game’s Shovel of Hope campaign, featuring new playable characters, in-game cheat codes and a rewind feature, among other enhancements.
Commemorating a decade since the initial release of Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope, Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX brings a suite of new features to make it worth a play for Shovel Knight veterans. One notable inclusion is an optional rewind feature and save states, making the game a bit more accessible for players who struggle with the game’s tough-as-nails platforming challenges and boss fights. Players no longer have to play as Shovel Knight, and can instead play the campaign as one of 20 playable characters, ranging from Shield Knight to members of the villainous Order of No Quarter to the game’s main antagonist, the Enchantress, all of whom have unique moves and playstyles.
Players will be able to tackle the campaign of Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX with a friend via local and online multiplayer. There is also a stereoscopic 3D option, for those seeking a slight alteration to the game’s retro pixel art visual aesthetic. This new version of the game will also bring back fan-favourite features which were steadily added to the original campaign in updates, such as the Custom Knight mode and the Battle Ghost Arena. The developer also advises that the game will include “300 classic gameplay-twisting cheats” bringing new ways of tackling levels. From the trailer, it appears that these cheats will include making your character gigantic and speeding up the action, among many others.
Yacht Club Games has not yet confirmed a release date for Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX, however it does have a Steam Store page for interested fans to add it to their wishlist to stay informed. For those who still haven’t played the original Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope campaign, it is on sale on Nintendo Switch, Steam, GoG.com and Humble until the 27th of June 2024 for those seeking to check it out ahead of the release of this enhanced version of the game.