When comparing Shovel Knight vs Mercenary Kings, the Slant community recommends Shovel Knight for most people. In the question“What are the best low-spec PC games?” Shovel Knight is ranked 23rd while Mercenary Kings is ranked 93rd. The most important reason people chose Shovel Knight is:
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.
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 Deep weapon customization allows for plenty of choice in how you would like to play
This game features a good weapon customization system. The only downside is that this can lead to a certain level of grindiness – but not too much.
Pro Awesome pixel art by Paul Robertson shows off a very polished game
If you don’t know Paul Robertson, check him out. From Adult Swim animations and dozens of video games to feature films such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Paul Robertson has quite the catalog of really great pixel animations and graphics.
Pro Great game for those who like Metal Slug
Mercenary Kings is the spiritual sequel to Metal Slug: a two-dimensional, pixel-based, side-scrolling action shooter with co-op multiplayer.
Pro Online or local co-op multiplayer, up to 4 players
Mercenary Kings offers local or online co-op for up to four players.
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 Controls need to be tighter
Pressing down to shoot does not always fire at once, meaning missed opportunities. After a while this can become quite a nuisance.