Super Stardust HD

Last updated
Super Stardust HD
Psn super stardust hd icon.png
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
SeriesStardust
Platform(s) PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 4
ReleasePlayStation 3
  • NA: June 28, 2007
  • PAL: December 27, 2007
PlayStation Portable
  • PAL: November 25, 2008
  • NA: December 4, 2008
PlayStation 4
  • NA: February 10, 2015
  • PAL: February 11, 2015
Genre(s) Multidirectional shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Super Stardust HD is a downloadable multidirectional shooter released for the PlayStation 3 by Sony Interactive Entertainment, developed by the Finnish company Housemarque. In Asian regions, it is known as Star Strike HD. In 2015, a port for the PlayStation 4, called Super Stardust Ultra, was released. In 2016, Super Stardust Ultra VR, a PlayStation VR compatible version that contains Super Stardust Ultra, was released for the PlayStation 4. It is also available as paid downloadable content for Super Stardust Ultra.

Contents

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. Super Stardust HD was one of the games given for 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. [1]

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

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 downloadable content 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 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. [1]

The Team Pack was also released the same day, 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 soon reinstated on July 15, 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). [2] The original 2D version supports full 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. [3]

Impact Mode, released in April 2011 on the PlayStation Store, [4] 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.

Reception

The HD edition of Super Stardust received "favorable" reviews, while the Portable, Ultra, and its VR version received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [5] [6] [7] [8] In Japan, where the Ultra version was ported for release on March 12, 2015, Famitsu gave it a score of one eight, one seven, one nine, and one eight for a total of 32 out of 40. [13]

In 2013, the game entered IGN's Top 25 PlayStation Network Games list in the 4th position. [28]

Super Stardust HD has sold approximately 400,000 units for the PS3 as of September 2010. [29]

Legacy

A follow-up, Super Stardust Ultra (known in Asia as Star Strike Ultra), was released in North America and the PAL region in February 2015 for PlayStation 4. [30] It was essentially an enhanced version of Super Stardust HD, without being a direct port. [31] 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, offering a unique perspective from within the cockpit, was released as a launch title for the PlayStation VR. [32] The title was developed by UK based company D3T Ltd. [33]

In 2022, Super Stardust Portable was added to the premium collection of PlayStation Plus.

Related Research Articles

Wipeout is a series of futuristic anti-gravity racing video games developed by Studio Liverpool.

<i>WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006</i> 2005 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 is a professional wrestling video game and developed by Yuke's that was released on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable by THQ in 2005. It is part of the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw video game series based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and is the successor to the 2004 game of the same name. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was also the first game in the series to be released on PlayStation Portable and the last game in the SmackDown!/SmackDown! vs. Raw series that was PlayStation exclusive.

<i>Archer Macleans Mercury</i> 2005 video game

Archer Maclean's Mercury is a 2005 puzzle-platform game for the PlayStation Portable developed by the eponymous British game programmer, Archer Maclean and Awesome Studios. In Mercury, the goal is to guide a drop of mercury to its appointed destination by tilting the stage, in a similar fashion to Super Monkey Ball. Levels come in different varieties that prioritize different methods of completing each level. The game was conceived when Archer Maclean used a previous minigame from Jimmy White's Cueball World and added a liquid metal physics. It was originally designed to have motion controls by using a tilt sensor peripheral for the PSP, but this version was never released due to technical constraints.

<i>Test Drive Unlimited</i> 2006 video game

Test Drive Unlimited is a 2006 racing video game developed by Eden Games and published by Atari for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Atari Melbourne House developed the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions. Being the eighteenth entry in the Test Drive series, Unlimited serves as a reboot of the franchise, discarding the continuity of the previous games. The game features over 125 licensed sports cars and motorcycles and the terrain is modeled after the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu that features over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of roads and highways.

<i>Armored Core 3</i> 2002 video game

Armored Core 3 is a 2002 third-person shooter mecha video game developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation 2. It is the sixth entry in the Armored Core series. Armored Core 3 acts as a reboot for the franchise and begins a storyline that would continue through Armored Core: Last Raven. In 2009, Armored Core 3 was ported to the PlayStation Portable.

<i>Mega Man Powered Up</i> 2006 video game

Mega Man Powered Up is a side-scrolling platform video game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game console in March 2006. It is a remake of the original Mega Man game released in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Players control the eponymous star Mega Man who must stop Dr. Wily from conquering the world using eight robots called Robot Masters. Unlike the original game, players can control these eight Robot Masters under the right circumstances. Other new features include a level creator mode and a challenge mode.

<i>Killzone: Liberation</i> 2006 third person shooter video game

Killzone: Liberation is a third-person shooter video game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It was originally released on 31 October 2006 in North America. It is a follow-up to Killzone, taking place two months after the original game. Killzone: Liberation is the only PSP installment in the series, and the first of only two for Sony's handheld consoles, the second of which was Killzone: Mercenary for the PlayStation Vita in 2013. An updated version of Liberation was released on 20 June 2023 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

<i>Star Trek: Tactical Assault</i> 2006 video game

Star Trek: Tactical Assault is a Star Trek video game for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable that was developed by Quicksilver Software, also the creators of Star Trek: Starfleet Command. The game is published by Bethesda Softworks, which published several other Star Trek games around that time. This would be the first game on a Nintendo platform to be published by Bethesda since the NES version of Home Alone in 1991.

<i>Wipeout Pulse</i> 2007 video game

Wipeout Pulse is a futuristic racing video game developed by Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. It was released in December 2007 in Australia and Europe, and in February 2008 in North America. A PlayStation 2 port was released in Europe in June 2009. The game is the seventh installment of the Wipeout series and serves as a sequel to Wipeout Pure. It takes place in 2207 and revolves around players competing in the FX400 anti-gravity racing league.

Smash Court Tennis 3 is a tennis video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios for the PlayStation Portable and Xbox 360. The game features world class tennis players such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin. The Xbox 360 version of the game featured updated graphics and new gameplay elements such as the ability to choose player emotions. The Xbox 360 version was delayed in all regions until between late August and early September 2008.

<i>Wipeout HD</i> 2008 racing video game

Wipeout HD is a futuristic racing video game developed by Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the eighth installment of the Wipeout series and was first released on the PlayStation Network on 25 September 2008 in both Europe and North America, and on 29 October in Japan. A major expansion pack titled Wipeout HD Fury was released worldwide via the PlayStation Network worldwide on 23 July 2009. A retail version was later made available in Europe on 16 October. Both Wipeout HD and its HD Fury Expansion are playable in 3D when connected to a 3D TV.

<i>NBA 08</i> 2007 basketball video game

NBA 08 is an NBA basketball video game developed by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released on September 26, 2007 for PlayStation 3 and October 12, 2007 for PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2. The PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable versions of the game were developed by San Diego Studio, and the PlayStation 2 version of the game was developed by A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games.

<i>PixelJunk Monsters</i> 2007 tower defense video game

PixelJunk Monsters is a tower defense video game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. The second game in the PixelJunk series, it was originally released in Japan on December 6, 2007 and worldwide by Sony Computer Entertainment on the PlayStation Store on January 24, 2008. The game was released for the PlayStation Portable under the title PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe.

God of War is an action-adventure game franchise created by David Jaffe and developed by Sony's Santa Monica Studio. It began in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 (PS2) video game console and has become a flagship series for PlayStation, consisting of nine installments across multiple platforms. Based on ancient mythologies, the series' plot follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior who becomes the God of War and comes into conflict with various mythological pantheons. The earlier games in the series are based on Greek mythology and see Kratos follow a path of vengeance against the Olympian gods; the later games are based on Norse mythology and see Kratos go on a path of redemption while also introducing his son Atreus as a secondary protagonist.

<i>Fat Princess</i> 2009 video game

Fat Princess is an action real-time strategy video game developed by Titan Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It was released in North America, Europe and Australia on July 30, 2009, and in Japan on December 25 the same year, as Pocchari Princess. It was included on the Best of PlayStation Network Vol. 1 compilation disc, released on June 18, 2013. A PlayStation Portable version, titled Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake, was released in 2010.

<i>Split/Second: Velocity</i> 2010 racing video game

Split/Second: Velocity is a racing video game developed by Black Rock Studio and published by Disney Interactive Studios for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released in May 2010 and was later released for OnLive in June 2011.

<i>ModNation Racers</i> 2010 video game

ModNation Racers is a 2010 go-kart racing video game developed by United Front Games and San Diego Studio for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. User generated content is a central aspect of the game, such that it uses the same "Play, Create, Share" adage as LittleBigPlanet to convey its basis in online user-generated content sharing and level creation tools.

<i>Everybodys Golf Portable</i> 2004 video game

Everybody's Golf Portable, known as Everybody's Golf in the PAL region and Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee in North America, is the fifth game in the Everybody's Golf series and the first game released for PlayStation Portable. It was released on 12 December 2004 in Japan, 3 May 2005 in North America and 1 September 2005 in Europe and Australia. The game was a launch title for the PlayStation Portable both in Japan and PAL regions.

<i>Everybodys Golf Portable 2</i> 2007 video game

Everybody's Golf Portable 2, known as Everybody's Golf 2 in the PAL region and Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 in North America, is the eighth game in the Everybody's Golf series and the second to be released for PlayStation Portable. The game featured an online mode where up to 16 players were able to play on a single course. The servers shut down on 5 December 2011, making it impossible to play online since then.

<i>Super Stardust Delta</i> 2012 video game

Super Stardust Delta is a twin-stick multidirectional shooter video game for the PlayStation Vita handheld console. It is part of the Stardust series of games developed by the Finnish company Housemarque.

References

  1. 1 2 Purchese, Robert (July 2, 2008). "PS3 trophies now in Super Stardust HD". Eurogamer . Gamer Network.
  2. Kuittinen, Ilari (June 10, 2010). "Super Stardust HD 3D story". PlayStation Blog Europe . Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe . Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  3. Leadbetter, Richard (August 8, 2009). "Tech Retrospective: Super Stardust HD". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  4. Pinnock, Daimion (March 22, 2011). "New Super Stardust HD DLC: Impact Mode". PlayStation Blog . Sony Interactive Entertainment . Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Super Stardust HD for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Super Stardust Ultra for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Super Stardust Ultra VR for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Super Stardust Portable for PSP Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  9. Carter, Chris (February 13, 2015). "Review: Super Stardust Ultra". Destructoid . Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  10. Edge staff (August 2007). "Super Stardust HD". Edge . No. 178. Future plc. p. 94.
  11. Leadbetter, Richard (June 18, 2007). "Super Stardust HD". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  12. Parkin, Simon (January 8, 2009). "Super Stardust Portable". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  13. 1 2 Romano, Sal (March 31, 2015). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1374". Gematsu. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  14. Miller, Matt (February 24, 2015). "Super Stardust Ultra: An Overly Familiar Alien Invasion". Game Informer . GameStop . Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  15. Gerstmann, Jeff (July 3, 2007). "Super Stardust HD Review". GameSpot . CBS Interactive . Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  16. Myers, Dallas (January 2, 2009). "Super Stardust Portable - PSP - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  17. Dunham, Jeremy (July 2, 2007). "Super Stardust HD Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  18. Shea, Cam (June 20, 2007). "Super Stardust HD AU Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  19. Wales, Matt (June 21, 2007). "Super Stardust HD UK Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  20. Clements, Ryan (April 17, 2008). "Super Stardust HD Solo Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  21. Clements, Ryan (December 8, 2008). "Super Stardust Portable Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  22. "Super Stardust HD". PlayStation Official Magazine – UK . No. 8. Future plc. July 2007. p. 107.
  23. "Super Stardust Ultra". PlayStation Official Magazine – UK. Future plc. April 2015. p. 87.
  24. "Super Stardust Portable". PlayStation Official Magazine – UK. Future plc. March 2009. p. 94.
  25. Rignall, Jaz (February 13, 2015). "Super Stardust Ultra PS4 Review: If it isn't Broken, Don't Fix it". USgamer . Gamer Network. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  26. Croft, Liam (February 27, 2015). "Super Stardust Ultra Review". The Digital Fix. Poisonous Monkey. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  27. Hargreaves, Roger (February 19, 2015). "Super Stardust Ultra review - Asteroids miner". Metro . DMG Media . Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  28. IGN's Top 25 PlayStation Network Games. IGN. February 28, 2013. Event occurs at 10:06. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  29. Kovalainen, Jari (September 8, 2010). "Suomalainen pelifirma tekee yhteistyötä Sonyn kanssa". Kauppalehti (in Finnish). Archived from the original on September 11, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  30. Porter, Matt (February 8, 2015). "Super Stardust Ultra Gets a Release Date". IGN . Ziff Davis . Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  31. Morgan, Thomas (February 13, 2015). "Digital Foundry vs Super Stardust Ultra on PS4". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  32. Robinson, Dave (June 28, 2016). "Your PlayStation VR Day One Guide". Crash Landed. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  33. "Super Stardust Ultra VR". d3t.