Hollow Knight

As the video game industry gets older, we see less mind-blowing new concepts and more clever variations on established ideas. While pummelling foes with the downward shovel attack in Shovel Knight — the hugely successful title now also heading to Sony systems — we were reminded of DuckTales; that's absolutely fine, as taking great ideas and adding a unique spin is an entirely valid approach, especially when the final result is an excellent experience in its own right.

Which brings us to Hollow Knight, a Kickstarter project that has now added a — relatively obtainable — Wii U stretch goal following support from Nintendo. The name alone should tip you off a little, while the protagonist's paddle is used for a downward swipe (useful for platforming off an enemy's head) and also breaks up mounds of earth for goodies; there are obvious similarities.

That said, in no way can this effort from new three-man studio Team Cherry be accused of being anything other than an original game. Citing inspiration from sources such as Zelda II and Metroid, this is an action adventure game in which you explore a sizeable world, rather than a structured stage-based platformer like the aforementioned Shovel Knight. It also has a rather attractive, painterly art-style and a relatively muted colour palette.

You can see more game footage below.

The Wii U stretch goal is $50,000AUD, with the project having raised nearly $25,000AUD of its initial $35,000AUD goal — there are 8 days to go in the campaign; naturally it needs a major boost in its final week.

You can check out the Kickstarter page for more details. Is this a project that appeals to you?