On Feb. 26, Yacht Club Games released information through Yacht Club Games Presents, which went over currently developing projects as well as additional features added to released games.
The announcements began with a new game that is a collaboration between Yacht Club and Mechanical Head called “Cyber Shadow.” The story follows Shadow as he tries to stop a legion of robots from completely ruining the world. The gameplay looks quite a bit like “Ninja Gaiden” in more ways than one, with a rather significant twist. In the gameplay there are a couple shots that show off some of the abilities that Shadow can use. Quite a few of them have a very familiar pattern which may not be completely derided from “Shovel Knight” but they share many of the characteristics of the characters of “Shovel Knight.” “Cyber Shadow” is releasing in fall of 2020.
For games that are currently out, “King Knight: King of Cards” now has a multiplayer mode to the card game which was a rather strongly requested feature. They’ve also released a balance update to “Shovel Knight Showdown,” their competitive party fighting game, by reducing the length of time some of the characters can fly. They also added an additional mode where you and a friend can work together in the target gauntlet from the arcade mode of the game.
They also had an update for their upcoming rogue-like game, “Shovel Knight: Dig.” They first announced Hiveknight, another member of the Hexcavators, this game’s version of the Order of No Quarter. Hiveknight, like most of the other knights in the “Shovel Knight” series, has a strong focus on one particular trait which in his case is bugs. They also were ready to give more details about the release of the game. It is currently the only game that will be released next year.
They then announced a completely new project set in the “Shovel Knight” series called “Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon.” The gameplay of the trailer seems to follow the match four style of gameplay that we’ve seen in many other games. However, when they go into more detail about the game, we learn the many differences between this game and others of similar ilk. From the trailer, it seems to play a lot more like a rogue-like game, with puzzle elements sort of in the mold of “Crypt of the Necrodancer,” except within one screen instead of an actual dungeon and a stronger emphasis on puzzles. While we weren’t given many details about the game, they have said it still has a long way to go and were not confident to give it a release date just yet.
Yacht Club Games then began to talk about where they will be next. They said that they would be at PAX East showing off quite a few different experiences from the many games that they were working on as well as a competition. There they will have a new level for “Cyber Shadow,” the first playable demo for “Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon” and another chance to play “Shovel Knight: Dig.”
As a summary, Yacht Club Games seem to have quite a few years of intense work ahead of them. It’s quite incredible that they have so many projects currently in the works based purely off the once distant dream of the original “Shovel Knight” that has now allowed them to make new IP that we have yet to see.
Yet, as always, it is better to be cautious.
Edward Park is a third-year student majoring in English education. EP909756@wcupa.edu