A very addictive downloadable PlayStation 3 title, Super Stardust HD is by the same developers of the original Stardust but now under their new company name of Housemarque. This was the first title to receive PS3 trophy support with a total of seventeen to collect.
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Originally founded in 1995 as Bloodhouse, Finnish developer Housemarque brought their popular Amiga title Super Stardust into the new millennium for the PlayStation 3 with Super Stardust HD. This updated version was well-received for its impressive graphics and addictive gameplay after the PlayStation Network release in June 2007. The game’s popularity increased further when it became the first PS3 title to support Sony’s new trophy system, built to rival Microsoft’s Xbox achievements.
PS3 owners scrambled to get their hands on it once the trophies were available; I had already played the game too much by that time but this update was a welcome reason to dust off my digital download. I’ve not had much experience with side-scrolling space shooters as I usually perceive them to be too difficult for me but the look of the gameplay and the promise of full 1080p sucked me in. After my first play of Super Stardust HD, the pure enjoyment of it and the impressive visuals earned this downloadable title a permanent place on my console’s hard-drive.
I guess you would need to have played Super Stardust HD to understand what’s going on here.
In the Super Stardust HD universe five planets are under the threat of destruction from gargantuan asteroids on a direct collision course. Launching your spacecraft, you must use an array of weapons to destroy them before it’s too late, but to make matters worse the evil Professor Schaumund is seeking revenge and takes this opportune moment to make a surprise attack.
Controlling the spacecraft is straight-forward as Super Stardust HD is a twin-stick shooter game: the left thumb-stick is used to move the craft while the right fires the selected weapon in whatever direction you aim it. After taking a second to master these difficult controls (sarcasm) we move onto the other buttons, which consist of a bomb that clears everything evil onscreen and a boost which allows the spacecraft to speed short distances across the play area to destroy anything in its path. There’s an interesting variation of weapons, starting with the all-round rock crusher for destroying basic asteroids and ending with others which are more suited to specific situations. It’s advised to switch to the optimal weapon once gold or ice meteors appear to break them down quickly.
Finding a shield for the spacecraft is vital to survive one extra collision before exploding.
One particular weapon called the Gold-Melter fires a constant stream of fire which can be directed by the thumb-stick. When the golden asteroids appear on the second level, I usually end up spinning the stream in circles to form an almost impenetrable shield. Weapon power-ups drop when green asteroids are destroyed and finding these improves the damage and other traits of equipment; for example, upgrading the rock crusher increases the number of shots fired simultaneously. Once a weapon is at its max level, a power-up will accelerate the rate of fire temporarily instead for an impressive amount of firepower.
Breaking asteroids only splits them into smaller chunks and thus fills the screen with debris that must be destroyed. It’s not just about meteors though: enemies come in multiple forms that all are programmed to hunt down and collide with your craft, making them harder to avoid than floating rocks. There’s a welcome variation between these bad guys. In the early levels, centipede-looking robots which turn sharply can be easily overlooked as well as mines that swarm your ship before going in for the kill. Later on, more difficult enemies that can take damage make their way into the fray, moving erratically and even firing back. Breaking up asteroids and blowing up the bad guys is surprisingly satisfying but without a shield any contact will destroy your spacecraft and remind you that, while the game is pretty, it’s also quite tough. I can usually complete it on the easiest mode but in the higher difficulties it can get overwhelming quickly; it be won’t long before all lives are lost and you’re back at the main menu.
Spinning the Gold Melter in a circle is a cheap tactic of mine.
Like any arcade style shooter game, Super Stardust HD is all about getting the best score. Destroying asteroids and enemies generates bonus points that much be picked up before they fade away so collecting these and the power-ups adds to the challenge, especially when they’re sitting within a cluster of rocks. In terms of difficulty the planets mentioned earlier make up the five stages of the game. Each is split into five phases that increase in difficulty before a final boss battle that leads onto the next level. Different tactics are required for each boss but it’s typically about avoiding their attacks and waiting for a moment to strike, although once you learn their attack patterns it’s just a case of remaining patient.
The speed of the gameplay and the concentration required to stay alive can leave players looking like they are in a trance, while the moments of downtime between levels only just allows time to prepare for the next asteroid onslaught. It’s these contrasting moments that I remember the most after a play session and what makes this simple game so perfect.
Super Stardust HD can get frantic at times – can you spot the spacecraft?
It’s not often that a title with such great gameplay will have graphics of a matching level but Super Stardust HD is a shining example. Seeing the game running at 1080p on a large TV is an important part of the experience and later parts of the game look extremely impressive with the amount of detail flying around the screen. The PlayStation 3 has no problem filling your display with massive asteroids, thousands of pieces of debris, and prowling enemies. One issue with all this detail however is that it could be hard for some players to see what’s going on, therefore increasing the difficulty enough that most lost lives are from the smallest pieces of unseen asteroid blowing up your spacecraft.
Finnish composer Ari Pulkkinen was chosen to create the soundtrack, and he then went on to produce the famous Angry Birds theme tune as well as music for a wealth of other popular games. In Super Stardust HD the thumping bass overlaid with melodic chip tunes compliments the frantic gameplay in a similar fashion to the Wipeout series. You’ll find yourself humming the melodies after playing and it won’t be long before you’re back infront the TV again, thumbs twirling away at the joypad. I often find myself playing some titles exclusively to hear their soundtrack and this is one of them; the good thing is that the gameplay is so addictive and it means you get to hear more of it.
Defeating a boss causes an explosion of debris to fill the screen.
Thanks to the arcade style, visuals, gameplay and amazing soundtrack, Super Stardust HD is a highly replayable game. An update released in 2008 added additional modes such as endless, survival, and search & destroy which are much more challenging than the standard gameplay. A multiplayer add-on called the ‘Team Pack’ was also released and provided splitscreen co-op and versus modes, further expanding the replayability. While the twin-stick shooter style of game isn’t anything new, this title revived this style of shooter for next-generation console players; the quality of visuals and gameplay really helped attract new gamers including myself.
Super Stardust HD is a rare gem that can provide as many hours enjoyment as a big budget title, but for a fraction of the price. It will definitely appeal to anyone looking for a quick pick-up-and-play game but will also provide a challenge for those looking to climb up the global high score leaderboard. Time has moved on considerably but if you own a PlayStation 3 and want some addictive gameplay in between playing the bigger story-heavy titles, then Super Stardust HD is absolutely worth your time and money.
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