Bosses tend to put up a fight, with a series of recognizable patterns that take an encounter or two to learn, but many more to master. There’s a fair number of hazards to avoid, secrets to uncover, and challenging enemies to defeat. The level design in Shovel Knight is themed around the boss Knight’s you’ll encounter, ranging from Castlevania-styled gothic settings, to an aquatically themed stage filled with background gold. I found myself constantly impressed throughout the adventure on a number of fronts. Styled after the NES generation, Shovel Knight is packed with challenging level design, fun boss encounters, witty dialogue, and lots of nods to the best franchises in the genre. Developed by Yacht Club Games, and backed via Kickstarter, I can say without a bit of exaggeration that this is one of the best 2D action-platformer games I’ve ever played. Retro inspired indie games aren’t exactly new, but there are few that match the quality found in Shovel Knight, releasing this week for Wii U, 3DS, and PC.

Wii u shovel knight review