A hidden gem if there ever was one, the Kickstarter-powered Shovel Knight was a labour of love from Yacht Club Games as they set out to create a throwback title that would connote all the gorgeous nostalgic tinges we all have when glaring at anything on consoles like the NES. Although the whole 'indie scene' is something that's overflowing a tad with the amount of titles Sony keep flooding their Playstation Plus offerings with, SK is the one that shines far and above the rest - and it's not just because of its brilliantly retro art style of cute, quirky aesthetic. Instead it's due to a perfectly-curved difficulty arc that gradually pulls you in and lets you play about with the in-game physics, only for a potentially roadblock-level like the Flying Machine to require Clockwork Orange-style levels of wide-eyed exposure to complete. With platforms that constantly fall away, moving enemies that require you bounce off them just to reach the next goal, and the notion that if you get even one thing wrong it's instant death and a swift full restart, Shovel Knight is everything so right and punishingly wrong about the decades gone by. Which other levels were you proud of yourself for overcoming? Let us know in the comments!
