Everyone that’s played any game from the Mega Man series has one question on their mind: When will we finally get another game to continue the legacy? Well, because Capcom wants to twiddle their thumbs with ridiculous downloadable content for game that no one plays, we Mega Man fans are forced to find an alternative. What might that alternative be; none other than Yacht Club Games’ recent masterpiece, Shovel Knight. Shovel Knight tells the tale of the titular character on a quest to find his lost love, Shield Knight, who has been kidnapped by the evil enchantress. On his quest he must face off against eight unique knights each with their own stage. It takes advantage of a Super Mario Bros. 3-style map screen that allows you to move all over and visit various stages and towns.

The gameplay is near-flawless, boasting charming 8-bit graphics. Don’t expect Shovel Knight to be a pushover like a handful of new games; this game is tough as nails. You’ll be dying over and over just to make it back to where you died to retrieve your lost gold. You main weapon is of course, a shovel. The shovel is a quick-hitting melee weapon that makes quick work of enemies by allowing upgrades in addition to a shovel bounce a la Ducktales.

Shovel Knight is the most charming, rewarding, difficult, and endearing game to come out all year. It’s the proof that making a good game doesn’t require an endless budget, just a lot of charm, hard work, and TLC. I hereby crown Shovel Knight the General Journal Game of the year.