Super Stardust HD
Encyclopedia
Super Stardust HD is a downloadable game for the PlayStation 3
video game console developed by the Finnish
company Housemarque
. It is also known as Star Strike HD in Japan.
The game objective is similar to the classic Asteroids and Robotron: 2084
that requires the player to destroy virtually everything on screen combined with a frenetic pace that is more reminiscent of modern titles such as Geometry Wars
. The game itself is an enhanced version of the classic Amiga game Super Stardust
, itself a sequel to the game Stardust. Super Stardust HD was one of the games given by Sony as part of their 'Welcome Back' package because of the PlayStation intrusion.
A version for PlayStation Portable
titled Super Stardust Portable was released in November 2008.
The planetary shield that serves as the game's playfield is bombarded by waves of rocks that begin drifting in random directions around the planet. Each rock is made of one of three materials that is most easily destroyed by a particular weapon (though all rocks can be destroyed by any weapon). Additionally, various enemies (also susceptible to certain weapons) arrive in waves and attempt to destroy the player by either colliding with or shooting at him/her. Contact with these enemies or rocks will result in one life lost or if you have only one life it will result in a game over.
Super Stardust HD provides several modes of play, such as arcade, planet mode, and endless 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. Endless mode is where you face an endless wave of enemies where you try to get the highest score.
) 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 the player to score as many points as he/she can using only bombs and a single life – primary weapons and the boost ability are disabled. Finally, 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. Solo expansion was released in April 2008.
With the release of game update version 2.40 on the 2 July 2008, Playstation trophy support was added to the title. This made Super Stardust HD the first official title to release trophy support on the Playstation 3. A total of 17 trophies are available for the game.
A new Team Pack was also released on 2 July 2008 which includes split-screen co-op and deathmatch modes. The pack also offers an additional orchestral soundtrack in 5.1 surround and a ship editor. The Team Pack was available for purchase ingame or 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 in CES 2010 and was released in June in the same year. Super Stardust HD was the first 3D game for the PS3 that runs 720p resolution in 60 frame/s for both eyes (120 frame/s). Original 2D version supports full 1080p/60 frame/s.
A new Impact Mode (available for download via the PlayStation Store
) add-on pack was released in April 2011. The weapon system of the ship is now fitted with an experimental new matter-to-energy boost engine technology. Players can activate the boost and stay in boost as long as they can hit meteors and enemies with it. Impact Mode also features much higher score multipliers.
Metacritic awarded the game a 85 out of 100 on PS3 and 69 out of 100 on PSP.
Super Stardust HD has sold approximately 400,000 units for the PS3 as of September 2010.
Portable
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
video game console developed by the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
company Housemarque
Housemarque
Housemarque is a Finnish video game company founded in 1995. With Remedy Entertainment, it is the oldest game company still operating in Finland. They were a fusion of two smaller companies, Terramarque and Bloodhouse. The rise of the PC game market prompted these two companies with a background in...
. It is also known as Star Strike HD in Japan.
The game objective is similar to the classic Asteroids and Robotron: 2084
Robotron: 2084
Robotron: 2084 is an arcade video game developed by Vid Kidz and released by Williams Electronics in 1982. It is a shooting game that features two-dimensional graphics. The game is set in the year 2084, in a fictional world where robots have turned against humans...
that requires the player to destroy virtually everything on screen combined with a frenetic pace that is more reminiscent of modern titles such as Geometry Wars
Geometry Wars
Geometry Wars is a minigame created by Bizarre Creations as part of Project Gotham Racing 2 for the Xbox, accessible through the in-game garage. An updated version of the game, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, is available for download on the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. It can also be played in...
. The game itself is an enhanced version of the classic Amiga game Super Stardust
Super Stardust
Super Stardust is a game developed by Bloodhouse and published for the Amiga and Amiga CD32 platforms by Team 17 in 1995. The CD32 version featured CDDA soundtracks composed by Nicklas Renqvist and Niko Nyman . The game was ported to PC under the name Super Stardust '96. Super Stardust is a sequel...
, itself a sequel to the game Stardust. Super Stardust HD was one of the games given by Sony as part of their 'Welcome Back' package because of the PlayStation intrusion.
A version for PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
titled Super Stardust Portable was released in November 2008.
Gameplay
The objective of Super Stardust HD is to score as many points as possible by destroying rocks and enemies. The player controls a small fighter that can move in any direction on a spherical shield surrounding a planet, while simultaneously firing in any direction independent of its movement. The ship is equipped with three unlimited-fire weapons ('Rock Crusher', 'Gold Melter', and 'Ice Splitter'), a limited arsenal of bombs, and a boost capability that grants a brief moment of invincibility and recharges after use. The player can upgrade their ship's primary weapons, equip the ship with a single-use shield, earn extra lives and points, and increase their supply of bombs, by collecting power-up tokens dropped by certain rocks and enemies. The game is over when the player has lost all of their lives.The planetary shield that serves as the game's playfield is bombarded by waves of rocks that begin drifting in random directions around the planet. Each rock is made of one of three materials that is most easily destroyed by a particular weapon (though all rocks can be destroyed by any weapon). Additionally, various enemies (also susceptible to certain weapons) arrive in waves and attempt to destroy the player by either colliding with or shooting at him/her. Contact with these enemies or rocks will result in one life lost or if you have only one life it will result in a game over.
Super Stardust HD provides several modes of play, such as arcade, planet mode, and endless 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. Endless mode is where you face an endless wave of enemies where you try to get the highest score.
Updates and DLC packs
The Solo add-on pack (available for download via the PlayStation StorePlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
) 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
Survival mode
Survival mode is a video game mode in which the player must survive by keeping their character alive or preventing the enemy from reaching a certain location for as long as possible, while the game sends waves of enemies to the player that become stronger with each subsequent wave. Another variant...
challenges the player to last as long as possible while the playfield is filled with indestructible objects. Bomber Mode challenges the player to score as many points as he/she can using only bombs and a single life – primary weapons and the boost ability are disabled. Finally, 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. Solo expansion was released in April 2008.
With the release of game update version 2.40 on the 2 July 2008, Playstation trophy support was added to the title. This made Super Stardust HD the first official title to release trophy support on the Playstation 3. A total of 17 trophies are available for the game.
A new Team Pack was also released on 2 July 2008 which includes split-screen co-op and deathmatch modes. The pack also offers an additional orchestral soundtrack in 5.1 surround and a ship editor. The Team Pack was available for purchase ingame or 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 in CES 2010 and was released in June in the same year. Super Stardust HD was the first 3D game for the PS3 that runs 720p resolution in 60 frame/s for both eyes (120 frame/s). Original 2D version supports full 1080p/60 frame/s.
A new Impact Mode (available for download via the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
) add-on pack was released in April 2011. The weapon system of the ship is now fitted with an experimental new matter-to-energy boost engine technology. Players can activate the boost and stay in boost as long as they can hit meteors and enemies with it. Impact Mode also features much higher score multipliers.
Reception and sales
- (Eurogamer: 9/10)
- (IGN: 8.7/10)
- (1UP: A)
- (Gamespot: 7.0/10)
Metacritic awarded the game a 85 out of 100 on PS3 and 69 out of 100 on PSP.
Super Stardust HD has sold approximately 400,000 units for the PS3 as of September 2010.
See also
- List of downloadable PlayStation 3 games
- List of 3D PlayStation 3 games
- List of stereoscopic video games
External links
HD- Product page at SCEE
- Product page at SCEA
- Product page at HousemarqueHousemarqueHousemarque is a Finnish video game company founded in 1995. With Remedy Entertainment, it is the oldest game company still operating in Finland. They were a fusion of two smaller companies, Terramarque and Bloodhouse. The rise of the PC game market prompted these two companies with a background in...
Portable
- Product page at SCEE
- Product page at SCEA
- Product page at HousemarqueHousemarqueHousemarque is a Finnish video game company founded in 1995. With Remedy Entertainment, it is the oldest game company still operating in Finland. They were a fusion of two smaller companies, Terramarque and Bloodhouse. The rise of the PC game market prompted these two companies with a background in...