Ex-WayForward staff reveal retro platformer Shovel Knight
UPDATE: Wii U and 3DS versions confirmed... if successfully funded.
Update: Yacht Club Games has confirmed in a recent Kickstarter update that it will in fact bring Shovel Knight to the Wii U and 3DS eShop if the game is successfully funded.
Backers who pledge $15 will receive a code to their choice of the PC, 3DS or Wii U version.
Yacht Club noted the reason the $10 pledges aren't eligible for the console versions is because developing for consoles requires extra costs for download codes, dev kits and certification requirements.
As of writing this the Kickstarter is at $33,571 towards its $75,000 goal with 25 days to go before its 13th April deadline.
Original story: A group of ex-WayForward staff lead by Sean Velasco - director of A Boy and His Blob, BloodRayne: Betrayal, and Double Dragon Neon - have announced its retro platformer Shovel Knight.
This marks the debut title by newly formed indie studio Yacht Club Games. As an enterprising young studio, it needs financial support and so it's gone to - you guessed it - Kickstarter.
While the crowdfunding craze may be inundated with 2D retro platformers, Shovel Knight is the work of a proven developer who's specialised in retro revivals for the past decade.
Inspired by such titles old and new as Mega Man, Castlevania and Dark Souls, Shovel Knight looks like a charming mix of the best entrants in the genre. Plus it strongly emphasises the downward sword thrust, which is probably the best thing to happen to games since double-jumping. Yet double-jumping has become commonplace while downward sword thrusts have mostly been relegated to side-attractions like Black Knight Sword. It needs to come back pronto, I say.
While Shovel Knight has only been announced for PC, Yacht Club Games would love to release it on consoles as well. "Shovel Knight is announced for PC only, but we are hoping to release on Wii U and 3DS," the developer explained on Kickstarter. "After that, the sky's the limit and we want to put Shovel Knight on as many platforms as possible, depending on our time and resources. We all own Vitas, PS3s, and Xboxes, and would love to see Shovel Knight on there too."
Backers can guarantee a digital copy of Shovel Knight upon its estimated September release by donating $10, while $15 pledges come with a PDF instruction booklet, and backers who give $50 will receive a physical instruction manual along with the digital coffee table book and a digital copy of the game.
As of now the Shovel Knight Kickstarter has raised $12,709 towards its $75,000 goal with 29 days to go before the 13th April deadline. One can always further support Shovel Knight by voting for it on Steam Greenlight.
