Shovel Knight: King of Cards is an exciting addition to the Shovel Knight series that introduces a battle card mini-game that engages the player between well-crafted platforming levels. There are lots of quirky and memorable characters that spring up throughout the story, especially those that stay on the King Knights’ ship.

The gameplay is challenging enough to feel rewarding, and the Joustus card game provides a fun reprieve from adventuring for King Knight. King of Cards excels at bringing variety and charm to a great platformer. Add in some family Heirlooms and alluring boss fights, and King Of Cards shines as an enticing romp into the Shovel Knight Universe.

10 The Animation

The animation style of King of Cards is not revolutionary, nor is it trying to show off. It is clean, bright, and fun. Just like the game itself. From the overworld map to the level designs, King of Cards visually recalls the excitement of turning on a Game Boy and being untethered when playing video games.

It has a nostalgic look with the precision of a modern side-scrolling adventure game. Plus, who could not fall in love with the characters that the King Knight encounters in any House of Joustus. How the King and the environment respond to controls never seems off, which is a necessity considering how technical some of the platforming becomes. The appearance of the game is inviting and works well with the gameplay.

9 The Platforming Gameplay

The challenge of King of Cards as a platformer is the variability of speed and precision required to traverse the levels. It starts out as a simple jump, bash, jump loop that familiarizes the player with the overall mechanics, as well as providing treasure side rooms that reinforce the more complicated aspects of the gameplay. After the first map, the intensity and rigor of the platforming quickly picks up, making a first-try run almost impossible.

However, there is enough balance and breaks in between that allow the player to collect themselves and get ready for the next sequence. The checkpoints in the game are spaced efficiently and dying doesn’t feel quite so bad after the first checkpoint has been reached.

8 The Overworld

Easy to navigate and understand, the Overworld maps in King of Cards look good. Even after defeating the path of enemies to move on to the next area, there are side levels and challenges that offer the player a chance to make some more gold.

There are also opportunities to find Joustus cards that can be useful in a match that may not be accessible through defeating enemies. Included in the Overworld is the Kings’ Ship, full of interesting characters, merchants, and even the Kings’ mother.

7 The Kings’ Mother

Charming? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. The mother in a flowing dress that everyone wants? Obviously. The King Knights’ Mother is not only a heartwarming character in the game, but also the medium through which the player can upgrade vigor and health stats. As with any maternal figure she is keen on positive reinforcement for the protagonist.

Yet, she understands her duty as a teacher of personal responsibility to the hopeful King. She never upgrades for free and the prices continue to climb, even for her beloved son. Be sure to stop in for a visit when perusing the new acquisitions to the ship. She will make you feel right at home after a long stint of adventuring.

6 Joustus

The card battle portion of the King of Cards takes form in the game of Joustus. Easy enough to understand, the game essentially is about using movement to force the Kings’ card onto spaces containing gems. The challenge is that opponents also have cards that can be used to shift around personal cards.

Winning requires a modest amount of foresight and strategy. Keeping an eye on the opponents’ card pool will help as well, especially when the cards start gaining abilities and the strategy deepens. Overall, the card game is a fun break from the platforming in King of Cards.

5 The Bosses

The King Knight faces a variety of bosses throughout his adventures. The big bads of King of Cards provide entertaining challenges to the player. Some bosses roam the overworld, waiting to be challenged. Others lurk at the end of a level where they set dastardly traps to thwart the player from progressing.

This can be especially frustrating when the King is running low on health and the boss takes 10 or more attacks to defeat. Luckily, developing a strategy and sticking to it works well once the player has figured out the bosses’ attacks and routine.

4 Heirlooms

The special abilities that become available to the player throughout the campaign are tied to items called heirlooms. These are typically bought from characters aboard the Kings’ ship or out inside levels.

There is a wide variety of heirlooms to be used, from simple ranged lance attacks to a screen-filling fury of razor-sharp confetti. There are also some defensive abilities like the bubble float, as well. The heirlooms are fairly priced and can really help out in a pinch.

3 Ease of Access

Having played on the Nintendo Switch, the ability to hop in and out of the game feels great. The bite-size portions between checkpoints allows for a quick rush if the player can’t get through an entire level. The card game also lends itself to jumping into a quick session since a game of Joustus only takes a few minutes to play.

Feeling satisfied after a 20-minute session of any game is much appreciated in the fast-paced environment we inhabit today. King of Cards can be picked up at almost any point and still feel like the player is making meaningful progress.

2 Heart Drops/ Vigor Jars

As with any good platformer, health management is crucial to success. With Shovel Knight: King of Cards, there are heart drops (at least on the normal difficulty setting) that allow the player to refill some lost hit points. These are especially helpful during boss fights that prove to be more difficult.

Another added perk are the vigor replenishment jars that provide more special ability powers to the player. These two small replenishing perks help the player without making the game too easy for the player. Given that the drops/vigor are typically only available after more difficult enemies, the balance of difficulty and help from the game are balanced exceptionally well.

1 The Shovel King Knight Himself

The star of the show, King Knight aspires to be the very best ruler in the land. With the help of his friends and family, he battles dastardly adversaries and remorseless foes. He masters the strategic battle of wits known as Joustus and of course manages to keep his nosy mother out of his grand plans for securing his throne.

All of these are reasons to love the charm and humor of Shovel Knight: King of Cards. But besides the enticing story and characters, the gameplay and checkpointing system make this game well worth playing, especially at such a low price. King of Cards can be enjoyed by both avid gamers and casual players as one of the most entertaining games of 2019.

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