Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

A fun action platformer that remains incredibly frustrating by taking a few too many cues from Castlevania's jerkiest moments, Shovel Knight is satisfying and infuriating in equal measure. It's also a damn fine callback to the days of yore in a world where callbacks are a dime a dozen, and rarely this well done.

In addition to the main levels, there are also several bonus levels that revolve around the usage of specific relics; extra boss characters that suddenly pop-up on the world map and move around, blocking off specific areas exactly like the Hammer Bros. would in Super Mario Brothers 3; a New Game+ mode that allows you to keep all of your upgrades from your previous playthrough, but limits the number of checkpoints in each level to two.

At seven or eight hours long your first time through (and a New Game+ mode once you beat it), it lasts longer than your typical throwback, and all of that time is well-spent, whether you're getting through a new stage, going back to an old one to grind for money to buy upgrades, or exploring its many secrets. It plays brilliantly, looks stunning, and sounds great.