10 Weird Origins Behind Iconic Video Game Weapons

The evolution of Shovel Knight and his trusty Shovel Blade is an excellent example of how creativity can often come from unexpected places. In this case, that unexpected place was a humorous observation that snowballed into the creation of one of gaming's most iconic indie mascots.  

In an interview with Nintendo, Sean Velasco, the founder of Shovel Knight development studio Yacht Club Games, discussed the origin of the Shovel attack. He claimed it originated from the dev's desire to focus on one main attack, with the down-thrust from Zelda II being a major influence.  

This motion of "bouncing down" led to digging into blocks. This further led to "digging them out from the side" and flipping enemies over with an attack. From there, the devs realized they'd all but created a weapon akin to a shovel, and thus, in Velasco's own words, they decided, "Okay, it'll be a shovel guy."  

So, the lesson learned here is to always play around because you might make the next big thing.