Shovel Pirate
- February 14, 2024
- Neutronized
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreIn "Shovel Pirate," become a pirate on a quest to uncover wacky treasures across 15 action-packed levels. Navigate puzzles, avoid traps, and challenge friends in local PvP multiplayer, all while collecting secret treasures and enjoying charming music tracks. Simple and intuitive controls make this platformer game accessible and fun for all ages.
Reviews
- The game features charming and cute pixel art, making it visually appealing.
- It's a short but enjoyable experience, perfect for a quick play session at a low price.
- The gameplay mechanics are fun and engaging, with a unique treasure map system and simple platforming.
- The game is very short, with many players completing it in under an hour, leading to concerns about its value.
- There is a lack of innovation in gameplay mechanics, feeling repetitive and similar to previous titles from the developer.
- Some players found the game shallow and wished for more content, such as longer levels or additional challenges.
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, with players appreciating its polished mechanics and fun visuals, likening it to a twist on Shovel Knight. While some note a lack of innovation, the unique treasure map mechanics and the overall experience provide good value for the price, making it an enjoyable short game.
“A nice cute short game with fun visuals and polished gameplay; it feels like a twist on Shovel Knight where the shovel is a much more central part of the game, not just a clever weapon.”
“An hour of gameplay feels pretty fair for the price, and I loved the unique treasure map mechanics; great stuff!”
“Pretty good game for a few bucks; I also like the mechanics and the fact you can use a poopy hat, lmao.”
“There's not a lot of innovation regarding the gameplay, too.”
“An hour of gameplay feels pretty fair for the price and I loved the unique treasure map mechanics, great stuff!”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, contributing to an enjoyable experience. However, some reviewers noted a sense of repetitiveness and lack of inspiration in the visual design, feeling that it has not evolved significantly over the years. Overall, the visuals are described as polished and fitting, enhancing the game's appeal.
“And I have to praise the charming art style, super cute.”
“The visuals are cute, the music is calm and fitting, and the difficulty leans more towards the easier side.”
“Graphics look amazing as always and it feels so good to play a neutronized game on a controller.”
“My main issue was that the game felt very shallow. When I said 'SCT skin,' I didn't mean sprites were ripped off from SCT; I meant that the art style feels uninspired. After seeing it for the past 7 years, it feels same-y. I mentioned the reuse of ideas like the monkey, the same beachy level design, and the same 'get 3 objectives to win' finish line.”
“The visuals are cute, but they lack originality and depth, making the overall experience feel repetitive.”
“While the graphics are charming, they don't push any boundaries and leave much to be desired in terms of creativity.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has minimal replayability, with some users noting it can be completed in about 30 minutes. While younger players might find some incentive to revisit the game for missed items, the general consensus is that it lacks substantial value compared to other free mobile games.
“There will be a bit of replay value for a kid who may look at it and realize 'wait... I missed something,' and they'll have to go back in for the secret items.”
“For a kid, this would be at least a couple of hours of fun (and a little frustration), and then there is some replayability to it.”
“Literally no replay value whatsoever; I dawdled around and still beat this with every gem in 30 minutes.”
“Your mobile games are longer and have more replay value, and they are free. I can't really justify $3 for this.”
“There will be a bit of replay value for a kid who may look at it and realize, 'Wait... I missed something,' and they'll have to go back in for the secret items.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as calm and fitting, complementing the cute visuals and contributing to an overall pleasant experience. Reviewers appreciate its quality, noting that it enhances the game's easier difficulty.
“The visuals are cute, the music is calm and fitting, and the difficulty leans more towards the easier side.”
“The music was nice.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story in *Shovel Pirate* is not the primary focus of the reviews, with users instead highlighting improvements in controls and player movement, particularly noting differences in the mobile version.
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization appears to be effective, particularly on laptops, as users have noted that the controls are a standout feature, suggesting a smooth and responsive experience.
“Perhaps this is also a testament to the game's performance on my laptop, but I think the controls were actually a standout for me.”
