When comparing Shovel Knight vs Cave Story+, the Slant community recommends Cave Story+ for most people. In the question“What are the best low-spec PC games?” Cave Story+ is ranked 22nd while Shovel Knight is ranked 23rd. The most important reason people chose Cave Story+ is:
In cave story you have access to tons of upgradable weapons with unique properties for different situations.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Feels great to play
Shovel Knight has very colorful pixelated graphics, a decent chiptune soundtrack, excellent 8-bit sound effects, and the controls feel really fluid and responsive. So whether you’re just running through a castle, shoveling away at gems in a tunnel, or even jumping on a dragon’s head, Shovel Knight is a blast to play.
Pro Great for couch co-op
Because Shovel Knight can be pretty hard at times, bringing a friend along can help out a lot. The two of you can work together to take down enemies and communicate the best ways to handle jumps and special skills. Plus, if one of you is more experienced with the game, that player can help the newcomer along and teach them the ropes instead of leaving them to figure out everything on their own, possibly to the point of frustration. Playing this game with another person is a fun way to bring back the feeling of couch co-op on the older retro systems.
Pro A unique experience
Shovel Knight has 2D pixel art, a simple gameplay, and a retro feel. It stands out in an era dominated by 3D titles with super detailed graphics and convoluted gameplay because of its influences from classics like Zelda, Castlevania, Duck Tales, and even Super Mario Bros. It’s not just trying to cash in on the nostalgia of older players because it’s a game that can be enjoyed by anyone thanks to its polish.
Pro Pretty fun risk versus reward system
In each stage, there are multiple checkpoints you can revive at if you die. The twist is that you can destroy the checkpoints for extra treasure. Doing this also means you’ll have to start from the beginning of the stage if you die. It’s a pretty cool way to increase difficulty and add tension to a playthrough, especially because it’s never forced on you.
Pro Tons of fun and unique weapons
In cave story you have access to tons of upgradable weapons with unique properties for different situations.
Pro Great soundtrack
Great soundtrack, superb.
Pro Great storyline
Cave Story offers a pretty deep storyline, more than one would think by just taking a quick glance at the game. There is a reason this game is still so popular after being around for so many years and it's story is it.
Pro Incredibly challenging, with hard mode for veterans
Cave Story is hard and the hard mode even harder, which makes this game great for players looking for a new challenge.
Pro Multiple versions available
After the initial release in 2004, the game has been ported to other platforms and updated along the way by various fans and indie devs.
Cons
Con Can be frustrating
While Shovel Knight captures a lot of SNES era’s good parts, it also brings back some of the bad parts. It's mostly the hidden enemies that attack you as soon as you approach their hiding spots, causing you to take needless damage or even die. This adds a really tedious trial and error aspect that forces you to memorize all enemy placements just so you can beat a stage. In addition to dealing with the enemies, the timing of jumps or using special skills at the right moment adds to the frustration. Press the button too early or too late and you'll end up back at the start of a platforming section or worse, dead.
Con Getting the best ending is almost impossible without a guide
Getting the best ending requires a few highly counter-intuitive if not nonsensical actions to be taken.
Con Disturbing story
With how cute the game looks, the story is surprisingly dark.
Con No complete version
The exclusive content based in platform means that there is no single edition that has every available option. The Switch release seems to come closest, but even it is missing some options available in other releases.