WORD OF THE DAY! 10/9/14!

OR WHY SHOVEL KNIGHT SHOULD BE 

A SMASH BROS FOR WII-U DLC CHARACTER!

shovel [shuhv-uhl]
noun
1. An implement consisting of a broad blade or scoop attached to a long handle, used for taking up, removing, or throwing loose matter, as earth, snow, or coal.

EX. It is no secret that I dig Shovel Knight.

SHOVEL KNIGHT REVIEW

Not only did I give Shovel Knight a great review but, as of right now and since its release, it has been a hot contender for my Game of the Year up against Mario Kart 8 and a few indie titles that I need to complete. The game isn't just a great action platformer in the style of Mega Man or Duck Tales, it is one of the best action platformers of all time.

And that's how I wanna start my argument for why Shovel Knight should be a DLC character in the new Smash Bros for Wii-U and what his moveset might look like.

In his titular game, he must defeat the Knights of No Quarter and acquire new skills in his quest to stop the Evil Enchantress from corrupting the land.

All along the way, Shovel Knight has dreams about his beloved long lost love Shield Knight falling from the sky. In the dreams, Shovel Knight must fight through hordes of enemies and every dream ends with him trying to catch Shield Knight. This side of Shovel Knight gives him just enough pathos to stand out from your average "save the day" types and really makes you feel for the little guy.

As for his method of combat, his "shovelry" is pretty unique and, despite having plenty of sword wielding guys in the new Smash, we don't have any knights and we especially don't have a Shovel Knight. Unlike most of the characters, I also imagine that his design focus would be about speed and mobility over power/reach. Furthermore, he has a lot of unique platforming ability and spells he can learn in the game that would lend to an exciting moveset built around digging and hopping.

And lastly, the dude has already made cameos in a bunch of indie games including Hex Heroes, Aegis Defenders, Story Wars, C-Wars, Super World Karts and so many other indie titles that he has a lot of cross representation across enough games to be fairly recognizable. And, if we've learned anything from the Smash series, a cameo in Smash can take a character from the niche market to the international market (just look at Fire Emblem).

Now, if that doesn't convince you of his value, let's take a look at what his extensive moveset might be and how it might set him apart enough to be a real interesting contribution to the series (there are a lot of moves so please hit the link below to read on):

Taunt: Drinks from Troupple Chalice. Swaps between Chaos Orb (Taunt Left), Flare Wand (Taunt Right), and Alchemy Coin(Taunt Down) and fires the appropriate projectile.

Taunt Down: Shield Knight appears and gives Shovel Knight a kiss. Activates the Phase Locket for a quick moment of invulnerability and a pause in midair. This has a limit use per stock.

Neutral Attack: Shovel Knight strikes out with his shovel first knocking an opponent up and toward him. He can juggle the opponent for two more strikes before knocking them away.

Forward Tilt: Shovel Knight dashes a short distance with the Propeller Dagger. When performed in midair, this can be used before his Side Special for extra distance through the air for recovery.

Up Tilt: Shovel Knight throws up a Throwing Anchor, a projectile that has a short angled projection that knocks up foes and falls downward. This can be used to hit opponent above or below you as it goes through platforms.

Down Tilt: While performed in the air, Shovel Knight slashes downward and the opponent is meteor smashed. While performed on the ground, Shovel Knight digs forward twice and, if both attacks hit, buries the target opponent.

Dash Attack: Shovel Knight dashes forward and knocks up foes in his path with an upward swing.

Forward Smash: Shovel Knight swings his Shovel like a baseball bat and knocks his foes far.

Up Smash: Shovel Knight throws up a Throwing Anchor in a much higher projection.

Down Smash: Shovel Knight swings his shovel down. If in the air, the knocked down and buried if they hit the ground. If on the ground, they are buried.

Neutral Aerial: Does a 360 degree spin with his shovel.

Forward Aerial: Flails forward with his shovel while kicking his little legs.

Back Aerial: Swings his head back to hit foes above him and up.

Down Aerial: Performs a shovel hop and gets a small bit of air before being able to continue a combo.

Grab Aerial: Flicks the Fishing Rod down, pulls the target up, and throws them back and over his head.

Grab: Flicks the Fishing Rod forwards, pulls him and the target closer until they connect.

Pummel: Head bumps them with his horns.

Forward Throw: Flicks them forward off of the hook.

Back Throw: Throw them up, over, and behind Shovel Knight.

Up Throw: Throws them up over Shovel Knight's head and then he headbutts them, performing a flip, before landing with a confident stance.

Down Throw: Throws them down and buries them if they hit the ground.

Floor Attack: Blows the War Horn and knocks back all opponents before righting himself.

Edge Attack: Swings his hammer overhead and a downward crescent arch.

Neutral Special: Fires a projectile. The Flame Orb fires in a straight line across the screen, the Chaos Orb bounces, and the Alchemy Coin turns all items it hits into gems and coins.

Side Special: Using his Dust Knuckles, he dashes across the screen in a short burst. If he makes contact with an enemy, he can dash forward and continue doing so as long as he makes contact with an enemy during or at the end of the dash.

Up Special: Shield Knight appears beneath him and provides him with a platform that he can stand on before jumping off. Shield Knight remains in the air for a few seconds before falling offscreen and can be used one more time by opponents of Shovel Knight. If he uses his Down Special before his Up Special, he'll perform an extra high jump and Shield Knights immediately falls offscreen.

Down Special: Shovel Knight performs a downward strike that allows him to hop indefinitely as he strikes opponents below.

Final Smash:Shovel Knight summons the Troupple King! The Trouple King leaps from the left or right side of the screen and then back. If he makes contact with enemies, he can send them flying across the screen. He then leaps from the top to the bottom of the screen, knocking opponents up into the air. If no opponents are hit by Trouple King, he instead heals Shovel Knight for 100% health if he hasn't been knocked out in the duration of his dance.

And that's it. What do you think? Does he fit in? Who would make a great Smash character?