Shovel Knight sells in spades, surpasses 300K units

Shovel Knight moved heaven and earth - mostly earth - to exceed 300,000 sales worldwide since launching back in June. Yacht Club's crowdfunded homage to 8-bit classics shifted 180,000 units in its first month, surpassing the dev's expectations. Shovel Knight's now close to double that figure following last month's belated launch on the European eShop.

While six figures ain't to be sniffed at, it's not yet the seven Yacht Club was aiming for after its prolific launch and critical success.

"Our new goal is the quest to 1 million sold," programmer David D'Angelo said in August, "to truly solidify Shovel Knight as a modern platinum classic! For all of you who had doubts that a Wii U game or a digital game on a Nintendo platform could sell, we hope these facts show that a good game on any system, marketed the right way, can sell."

If you've yet to dig into it, Shovel Knight comes highly recommended, and not just because it's full of shovel puns though that is a significant factor. As Joystiq's Richard Mitchell put it in his review:

"I'll admit that my glasses are exceptionally rosy when it comes to the games that Shovel Knight is trying to emulate, but the point is that Shovel Knight goes beyond simply embodying the traits of its inspiration. It builds upon them, introducing us to an eccentric world that was clearly crafted with care. The rock-solid core mechanics are supplemented with vibrant art, intricate animation and odd, adorable little characters. Shovel Knight isn't just inspired by 8-bit classics, it is inspired in and of itself."

[Image: Yacht Club Games]