Shovel Knight may have a relatively quaint exterior, but don't let its apparent simplicity fool you.

At first it appears Shovel Knight is something of a Ducktales clone, with the eponymous knight bouncing about on his shovel like Scrooge with his cane. The knight can only bounce when hitting an enemy or specific in-game objects, however, and most of his attacks are reserved to lashing out and striking enemies with his scooper.

Every inch inspired by the traditional 8-bit platformer, Shovel Knight does fall back on established design tropes. Disappearing blocks and bottomless pits abound, for example. But the game is pleasantly distinct.