Super Stardust Portable
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Super Stardust HD'' is a 2007
multidirectional shooter Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs) are a subgenre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of character mo ...
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
developed by
Housemarque Housemarque Oy (or Housemarque Inc.) is a Finnish video game developer based in Helsinki. The company was founded by Ilari Kuittinen and Harri Tikkanen in July 1995, through the merger of their previous video game companies, Bloodhouse and Terr ...
and published by
Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is an American video game and digital entertainment company that is a major subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. It primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game co ...
for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
. It was released on the
PlayStation Network PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
, with a
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
version titled ''Super Stardust Portable'' releasing the following year. An HD remake for the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
developed by D3T was released as ''Super Stardust Ultra'' in 2015. In 2016, ''Super Stardust Ultra VR'', a
PlayStation VR The PlayStation VR (PS VR) is a virtual reality headset developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was released in October 2016. The headset works with the company's PlayStation 4 video game console and is forward compatible with PlaySta ...
-compatible version that contains ''Super Stardust Ultra'', was released as paid
downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...
and a separate product in itself. The game combines the mechanics of ''
Asteroids An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
'' and ''
Robotron: 2084 ''Robotron: 2084'' (also referred to as ''Robotron'') is a multidirectional shooter developed by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar of Vid Kidz and released in arcades by Williams Electronics in 1982. The game is set in the year 2084 in a fictional w ...
'' with a level of action found typically in modern games such as ''
Geometry Wars ''Geometry Wars'' is a series of top-down multi-directional shooter video games developed by Bizarre Creations, and, later, Lucid Games. Originally published by Microsoft Games Studios, the first title was included as a minigame in '' Project Got ...
''. The game is an enhanced version of ''
Super Stardust ''Super Stardust'' is a multidirectional shooter video game developed by Housemarque#Bloodhouse_and_Terramarque_(1993–1995), Bloodhouse and published by Team 17 for the Amiga (Amiga Advanced Graphics Architecture, AGA) in 1994 and Amiga CD32, ...
'', developed by Bloodhouse, a predecessor of Housemarque, for the
Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers produced by Commodore International, Commodore from 1985 until the company's bankruptcy in 1994, with production by others afterward. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16-b ...
; Sony acquired the rights to the game before remaking it. ''Super Stardust HD'' was the first title with trophy support on the PlayStation 3. A sequel, ''
Super Stardust Delta ''Super Stardust Delta'' is a 2012 multidirectional shooter video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Vita. It is part of Housemarque's '' Stardust'' series and a sequel to ''Super Stard ...
'', was released in 2012 for the
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, then in other international territories on February 22, 2012, and was produced ...
.


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 are dropped onto the planet at certain time intervals, these 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 PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital distribution service for users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via PlayStation Network. The store offers a range of downloadable content both ...
) 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, or horde mode, is a game mode in a video game in which the player must continue playing for as long as possible without dying in an uninterrupted session while the game presents them with increasingly difficult waves of challenges. ...
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 2 July 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. 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 CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event typi ...
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). The original 2D version supports full 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. Impact Mode, released in April 2011 on the PlayStation Store, 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 A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
. In Japan, where the ''Ultra'' version was ported for release on March 12, 2015, ''
Famitsu , formerly , is a line of Japanese Video game journalism, video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly f ...
'' gave it a score of one eight, one seven, one nine, and one eight for a total of 32 out of 40. In 2013, the game entered ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
''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.


Legacy

''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 The 2011 PlayStation Network outage (sometimes referred to as the 2011 PSN Hack) was the result of an " external intrusion" on Sony's PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, in which personal details from approximately 77 million accounts wer ...
in 2011. A remake, ''Super Stardust Ultra'' (known in Asia as ''Star Strike Ultra''), was released in North America and the PAL region in February 2015 for the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
. 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 The PlayStation VR (PS VR) is a virtual reality headset developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was released in October 2016. The headset works with the company's PlayStation 4 video game console and is forward compatible with PlaySta ...
. The title was developed by UK based company D3T. In 2022, ''Super Stardust Portable'' was re-released on the PlayStation 4 and
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
.


References


External links

* * * * {{Housemarque 2007 video games Cooperative video games Multidirectional shooters PlayStation 3 games PlayStation 4 games PlayStation Network games PlayStation Portable games PlayStation VR games Sony Interactive Entertainment games Video game remakes Video games developed in Finland Video games scored by Ari Pulkkinen Video games with stereoscopic 3D graphics Housemarque games Multiplayer and single-player video games