20 Best Video Games Of The Generation (So Far)

9. Shovel Knight

There are some games that encapsulate pure, unadulterated joy. Crash Bandicoot did it, Super Mario 64 did it, and Shovel Knight does so in, well, spades.

And if that pun made you cringe in an "Oh, you" kind of way, I recommend exploring the bowels of the first village in Shovel Knight...

Birthed from a Kickstarter project that saw developers Yacht Club aim to deliver a throwback 2D platformer as a love letter to the old school, every fact of Shovel Knight's production oozes a level of charm and warmth that makes the whole thing genuinely loveable. Contrasted against how the likes of Yooka-Laylee or Mighty No. 9 also had the same intentions, yet failed to modernise parts of the industry that are fundamentally outdated, Shovel Knight exceeds through modern graphic techniques and a vibrant colour palette, twinned with the immortal feel of side-scrolling 90s platformers.

The level design, the immaculate chiptune soundtrack - even the way the titular knight forward-flips onto every level before holding his shovel aloft as though gallantly proclaiming he'll tackle anything in his way - it's the best 2D platformer this side of Rayman: Legends, yet one with even more passion beating at its core.