Shovel Pirate review - " A cutesy pirate-themed platformer"

• Take down enemies with a swing of your shovel.
• Dig up treasure and buried enemies.
• The controls take some getting used to.

We’ve all dreamed of being a pirate at one point or another, sailing the high seas and finding hidden treasures. New platformer Shovel Pirate lets you become an adorable pirate searching for treasure in 2D platformer style. You’ll play as a cute little blue bird boasting a pirate bandanna and wielding a shovel. Your goal is simple: find the treasure hidden in each level while avoiding traps and enemies.

An adorable mobile platformer with old-school charm, Shovel Pirate is an excellent choice for platformer novices. The game features four controls: left, right, dig, and jump, with the dig control doubling as your attack. When standing near a ladder, the jump and dig controls change to up and down. With only four controls on the screen at a time, Shovel Pirate never feels too complicated. However, the controls do take some getting used to when using an iPad, as the four buttons, which cover the entire length of the bottom of the screen, can feel clunky at first.

Wield Your Shovel

Shovel Pirate’s defining feature is the ability to use your shovel to attack enemies and dig up treasure. As the plucky little pirate bird, you’ll explore sandy levels where enemies such as snakes, mice and monkeys await. Snakes are standard enemies that are easy to defeat with one shovel swing. Monkeys tend to take to high ground and pelt you with balls. However, a well-aimed swing of your shovel can send a ball flying right back at these primate foes.

Throughout the game, you'll notice mounds of dirt, which you can dig up. While sometimes these mounds lead to keys and other goodies, you can also dig up mice. Mice are fast-moving enemies, so you'll need to be agile to take them out.

Find Gems

Hidden in each level are three blue gems for you to find. Often, these gems are buried, so you’ll need to dig at just the right spots; however, sometimes, you'll find them in creative areas above ground. You can also dig up turnips, which you can collect to refill your health. You'll know to dig for turnips when you see two green leaves protruding from the ground.

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To unlock the whole game, you'll need to spend a few bucks; however, you can play a handful of levels before purchasing the game so you can see if you enjoy it without any risk. After unlocking the full game, you'll gain access to more complex and engaging levels featuring new foes and obstacles like masked enemies and fire traps.

Fun Puzzles

As you progress through the game, you’ll come across fun puzzles you’ll need to solve in order to progress without getting injured. For instance, in one level, you'll see a gem sitting on a small platform surrounded by spikes. To get to it, you'll need to create a safe place to land in one of the spikey sections, but you’ll need to be creative to do so.

Shovel Pirate is an adorable, entertaining 2D platformer that you’re sure to enjoy. While the control layout feels unintuitive initially, you'll get the hang of it after just a few levels. Featuring traditional platformer gameplay, cute graphics, and a fun pirate theme, Shovel Pirate is an engaging platformer on iOS that both kids and adults will enjoy. It's a simplistic yet challenging game whose short levels make it great for on-the-go gaming. Featuring the cutest pirate you’ll ever see, Shovel Pirate will be a fantastic addition to your mobile platformer collection.