Strike the Earth!

**Strike the Earth!** is the sixteenth extra level of *Just Shapes & Beats* and the forty-second level overall. It is unlocked in the Playlist by getting 1200 Beatpoints or by using the Shovel Knight amiibo figure. It is one of the four levels introduced at Update 1.3.

## Description

This level is based largely on shovels and rounded squares.

Like all of the levels featured in Update 1.3, *Strike the Earth!* features elements (of varying degree) from one the four protagonists/antagonists in *Shovel Knight*'s campaigns, with this level motif based on titular Shovel Knight.

## Layout

Segment 1
When the song starts, a track of rounded squares appears on the top of the screen from right to left. After it reaches the left, another one appears at the bottom in a similar fashion. During the second track, a smaller track will appear in the middle with similar behaviours to the other two, except it starts and stops within the centre of the stage. Afterwards, more similar tracks appear, but in this case the squares disappear faster and are randomly spawned vertically. During this, a track similar to the smaller one before is spawned from top to one and a half squares to the bottom. Afterwards, rounded squares appear at the bottom, and one more at the top soon afterwards. A light is then shone from the top of the screen a little to the right of the pile of the squares, and a shovel is thrown onto them. The shovel then digs into the top square causing the squares and itself to disappear and 8 rounded square projectiles to spawn in all directions.

Segment 2
Shovels are thrown one by one from the top of the screen. After each one is thrown, another is spawned to the left of it, until they eventually reach the far left of the screen and start the cycle again. During this, stationary rounded squares will spawn to the beat.

Segment 3
After two cycles of throwing shovels, 4 even spaced shovels are thrown from the far right of the screen. The rounded squares will still spawn, but long rounded square tracks are also spawned which go from bottom to top. During this, 4 bunched shovels will be thrown from the right, causing the top half of the screen to be hazardous. After that, another attack similar to that will happen on the bottom. Afterwards, the squares and tracks stop spawning, and 8 shovels evenly pointing in all directions will spawn one by one at a point in the left portion of the screen, and the same attack afterwards in the right portion.

Segment 4
This segment is similar to segment 2, but this time tracks are spawned from the far right of the screen that travel to the far left. During the second cycle of shovels, the shovels are thrown from the bottom.

Segment 5
After the two cycles of shovels, lots of stationary rounded squares are spawned. Following that, 4 even spaced rounded squares with shovels appear at the bottom of the screen. After a brief moment, the shovels dig into the square similarly to the end of phase one, with the 8 projectiles spawning. After that, the same attack happens except with 7 smaller shovels and squares.

Segment 6
This part is like segment 4, except during the first 2 cycles all the shovels come from the top of the screen. After the two cycles, the attack with the 8 shovels occur again. Two cycles commence again, with the second one containing shovels from the bottom of the screen.

Segment 7
A line of rounded squares are spawned and move similarly to the rotating lasers in the start of Close To Me. During this, shovels are spawned from the left and right sides of the screen. Shortly after the line of squares disappear, and a similar attack occurs, except with squares going in all 4 directions. A period of time after, instead of shovels being thrown from the left and right, they are thrown from the top and bottom parts of the screen. After another period of time, the squares disappear and lots of shovels are thrown from the left and right sides of the screen. Before entering the final segment, another shovel and square appears at the middle bottom of the stage.

Segment 8
Basically segment 2 again, but the level ends with a big shovel and square similar to the previous one.

**Hardcore changes*** In segments 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 there are lots of tiny squares spawned at the right side of the screen that travel towards the right. In segment 3 they travel from bottom to top.
* All rounded square tracks, stationary squares, shovels, and the light have briefer warnings.
* Shovels are faster in speed.
* Tracks past segment 1 are faster.
* The rotating squares in segment 7 are faster.

## Notes

* Smaller track in segment 1 is not spawning last square on left so it's not perfectly centered.
* (Hardcore) The rotating squares in segment 7 are shorter in length (missing last squares in ends of lines).

## Trivia

* This is the first and only level that uses non-alphabetical letters, being an exclamation point.
* Unlike all of the soundtracks featured in *Shovel Knight*, *Strike the Earth!* is the theme of the Plains, which does not feature *Shovel Knight* as a boss (although he is featured as a boss in a different location on a separate campaign instead).
	+ Fittingly enough, this is the first level to be unlocked in *Just Shapes & Beats*, whereas in *Shovel Knight* the Plains is the first stage of the game.

## External links

* Strike the Earth! on the Shovel Knight wiki.