Ex-WayForward devs Kickstart 8-bit ‘love letter’ Shovel Knight

Former members of WayForward Technologies, the developer behind games like A Boy and His Blob and Double Dragon Neon, have turned to Kickstarter to launch a new action-adventure game with 8-bit spirit called Shovel Knight.

The group, called Yacht Club Games, is based in southern California and was founded by Sean Velasco. Its debut game will require $75,000 to make for PC, with hopes for release on 3DS and Wii U (and possibly other platforms).

Shovel Knight, which is nearing the end of preproduction, stars a small knight who embarks on a huge quest to defeat the evil conjurer the Enchantress and save his beloved. He also has to confront a league of villainous knights called The Order of No Quarter.

"We love themed bosses and themed levels; this love is on full display in Shovel Knight!" reads the campaign page. "Each knight in the Order has been lovingly crafted to have a distinct look, theme, and personality."

The line-up of bosses, which is largely a mystery, resembles the style of Mega Man. The team is also hoping to interest fans of Dark Souls and Castlevania and cites the unified strength of graphics, story, and tone in Mother 3 as another inspiration.

"We are adhering to the NES color palette but adding many modern touches. For example, we have tons of scrolling background layers, giving a real illusion of depth."

Yacht Club also says it's "dedicated to precise control."

So what's with the name?

"When thinking of the initial concept, we started by saying, 'What if we built a whole game around a downward sword thrust? It would be great to sink into dirt, attack foes by stabbing from above, and maybe even bounce on hard ground! Ok, digging as a major mechanic … how about it’s a shovel instead of a sword? That way, we can have him use the flat blade of the spade to flip things over and slash!'"

Jake “Virt” Kaufman, the composer on games like Mighty Switch Force and Shantae, will provide the soundtrack. The Kickstarter has 29 days remaining and has raised over $16,000 so far.

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[via VG247]