Super Stardust HD

Super Stardust HD

PlayStation Store icon
Developer(s) Housemarque
Publisher(s) Sony Computer Entertainment
Director(s) Harri Tikkanen
Producer(s) Ivan Davies
Designer(s) Harri Tikkanen
Composer(s) Ari Pulkkinen
Series Stardust
Platform(s) PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable
Release date(s)

PlayStation 3

  • NA: June 28, 2007
  • EU: June 29, 2007[1]

PlayStation Portable

  • EU: November 25, 2008
Genre(s) Shoot 'em up
Mode(s) Single-player, co-operative multiplayer

Super Stardust HD is a downloadable game for the PlayStation 3 video game console developed by the Finnish company Housemarque. In Japan it is known as Star Strike HD.

The game combines the mechanics of Asteroids and Robotron: 2084 with a level of action found typically in modern games such as Geometry Wars. The game is an enhanced version of Super Stardust for the Amiga, with that game's prequel being Stardust. Super Stardust HD was one of the games given free by Sony as part of their 'Welcome Back' package due to the PlayStation Network outage in 2011. Super Stardust HD was the first title with trophy support on the PlayStation 3.[3] The game received E and 3 ratings from the ESRB and PEGI, respectively.

A version for PlayStation Portable titled Super Stardust Portable (Star Strike Portable in Japan) was released in November 2008, and a PlayStation Vita version in 2012 called Super Stardust Delta.

Gameplay

In Super Stardust HD, the player controls a space fighter craft that can move in any direction on a spherical shield surrounding a planet, while simultaneously firing in any direction independent of its movement. The primary threats against the player are three types of asteroids and various enemy spacecraft, which appear on the playfield at certain time intervals. The ship is equipped with three upgradeable weapons, a limited arsenal of bombs, and a boost capability that grants temporary invincibility and recharges after use. Each weapon is more effective against certain types of asteroid and enemies than others. Items include weapon upgrades and a shield that absorbs one fatal hit against the player's ship.

Super Stardust HD provides several modes of play, each with their own online leaderboards. The default game mode, Arcade, takes the player through a series of five planets, each consisting of five main phases, the last of which is a boss battle. Planet Mode allows the player to play any one of five planets in the same way, ending the game after the planet is complete. Both of these modes support both single-player and two-player cooperative play.

Updates and DLC packs

The Solo add-on pack (released in April 2008 and available for download via the PlayStation Store) adds several extra gameplay modes. Endless Mode pits the player against a continuous onslaught of rocks and enemies, gradually speeding up the action over time. Survival Mode challenges the player to last as long as possible while the playfield is filled with indestructible objects. Bomber Mode challenges players to score as many points as they can using only bombs and a single life – primary weapons and the boost ability are disabled. Time Attack mode challenges the player to complete a planet's worth of rocks and enemies in the shortest time possible – losing a life in this mode incurs a 3-minute penalty. The PSP version also received its own version of the Solo add-on pack, with only the Endless, Survival and Bomber modes, along with two new soundtracks. The Japanese version of the PSP game already comes with this pack.

With the release of game update version 2.40 on the July 2, 2008, PlayStation trophy support was added to the title. This made Super Stardust HD the first title with trophy support on the PlayStation 3. A total of 17 trophies are available for the game.[4]

The Team Pack was also released on July 2, 2008, which includes split-screen co-op and player versus player modes. The pack also offers an additional orchestral soundtrack in 5.1 surround and the ability to customize the player ship's appearance. The Team Pack was available for purchase from within the game and via the PlayStation Store before being removed with the 2.40 firmware. It was reinstated on July 15, 2008, in a store update after Sony's E3 press conference.

Stereoscopic 3D support was demonstrated at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show and released in June in the same year. Super Stardust HD is the first 3D game for the PS3 that runs at 720p resolution at 60 frames per second for each eye (120 frames per second).[5] The original 2D version supports full 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second.[6]

Impact Mode, released on April 2011 on the PlayStation Store,[7] introduces much higher score multipliers. With weapons disabled in Impact Mode, the primary mode of attack is a modified version of the ship's boost capability, which remains active as long as there are targets to attack nearby.

Super Stardust Ultra

A follow-up to the game titled Super Stardust Ultra, was released on February 10, 2015 in North America and Europe on February 11, 2015 for PlayStation 4.[8] It was essentially an enhanced version of Super Stardust HD, without being a direct port.[9] It adds an exclusive mode called Interactive Streaming, which is an endless mode where the game is streamed live over the Internet, and viewers are allowed to help or hinder the player. A port of Super Stardust Ultra titled 'Super Stardust Ultra VR' is set to be an October 13th launch title for the PlayStation VR, offering a unique perspective from within the cockpit.[10]

Reception and sales

Metacritic awarded the game an 85 out of 100 on PS3[15] and 69 out of 100 on PSP.[16]

In 2013, the game entered IGN's Top 25 PlayStation Network Games list in the 4th position.

Super Stardust HD has sold approximately 400,000 units for the PS3 as of September 2010.[17]

See also

References

HD
Portable
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