Shovel Knight is getting online co-op as part of a new Shovel Of Hope DX edition for its 10th anniversary
You shove to see it
Well, shovel me timbers! Shovel Knight, the retro platformer that started it all (it all being everything from a roguelike spin-off to a Dead Cells cameo) turns 10 this month, and Yacht Club Games are releasing a ultimate edition to celebrate. Entitled the ‘Shovel Of Hope DX’, this definitive-me-doo bundles in the original game with old and new features like saving and rewinding, over 20 playable characters, local and online co-op, and new modes. Grab your shovel and prepare to dig for the trailer, then look foolish as you realise it’s directly below this paragraph.
I apologise for that rogueish act of wanton bamboozlement, and I hope we can still be friends. Not least so we may one day play Shovel Knight together. I’m such a proponent of couch co-op being included wherever possible that I once lobbied RPS to introduce a ‘Holy gherkins! It’s got couch co-op!’ sticker to sit alongside ‘Bestest Best’. I even made a mock-up in Paint. It had two anthropomorphic gherkins sitting beside each other on a couch. Alice Bee (RPS in peace) did not care for it. On reflection, she was probably right. Still, it’s a fine feature, and one Shovel Knight introduced to PC in their ‘Treasure Trove’ edition. Now, it’s being joined by online multiplayer.
The other big newness in this edition - which doesn’t yet have a release date - is the ability to laugh in the face of chronology itself. “Use the power of Rewind to perfect your platforming skills or use Save States to pause and plan your next moves,” boasteth the trailer’s doobly-doo. This sits alongside over “300 classic gameplay-twisting cheats,” and extra modes. Specifically “Challenge Stages, Custom Knight, and the Battle Ghost Arena.”
“It's also our way of preserving the game's historical functionality, ensuring these elements remain available for future generations of players. And with the new multiplayer features and other enhancements, we hope it includes everything on your wish list,” say Yacht Club Games. A noble goal for a noble knight. Back in 2020, Alex Wiltshire spoke to designer David D’Angelo as part of his fantastic series of deep-dives, about how the game’s final boss was designed four times. It’s great to see Yacht Club still thriving off of a well-loved project they clearly poured an incredible amount of passion and attention into.