10 Times Video Game Spiritual Successors Were Better Than Official Sequels
2. Shovel Knight (Mega Man 11)
2014's Shovel Knight is much more than a lover letter to a bygone era. Yacht Club's magnum opus feels like a hybrid of every great platforming title merged into one, yet still feeling unique and fresh.
Though Shovel Knight shares its DNA with DuckTales, Castlevania, and Super Mario Bros, it unmistakably draws the most inspiration from Mega Man. Not only does it have a similar level structure, enemy patterns, and platforming pits to Capcom's robot-blasting side-scroller, some chiptune soundtracks were created by Mega Man composer, Manami Matsumae.
Ironically, Shovel Knight reigned interest in the Blue Bomber more than any Mega Man game has in decades. So, when Mega Man 11 was released in 2018, it looked the super-fighting robot could make a long-awaited comeback.
Sadly, the sequel only had one new mechanic to distinguish itself from its predecessors. Apart from that, it was more of the same. For this reason, MM11 came and went without being noticed by anyone but the biggest Mega-fans.
Meanwhile, Shovel Knight was churning out content like crazy, including spin-offs and extra campaigns, which were later rereleased as a compendium alongside the original game.
During the 80s and 90s, Mega Man was a powerhouse in the 2D platforming circuit. But in the modern age, Shovel Knight reigns supreme.