Super Stardust Delta
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There’s something satisfying about a game that knows its own strengths. Sometimes a story or an open world or RPG elements can simply get in the way. When a developer realizes a comfortable scope for a game and focuses on the features that matter, great things can happen. Enter Super Stardust Delta. Housemarque isn’t afraid to focus on what makes the game great: frantic shooting in pursuit of high scores.
In Stardust, the goal is simple at first. You must survive waves of asteroids and enemies as they rain down on the various planets across which the game takes place. Coordination is a boon as you control your ship and weapons simultaneously with the analog sticks. The trick is to stay on the move and anticipate openings in the obstacles that constantly spawn and shift around the screen. Sometimes, the entire planet will be filled with tiny asteroids that could spell death with the slightest collision or deadly enemies intent on your destruction. Knowing how the various enemies behave is key to staying alive. Snake-like enemies will slither quickly toward you and speed up as you shoot, fleets of ships will dodge your weapons and fire back from a distance, and turrets will work together to send a wave of projectiles in your direction. Add in torrents of asteroids and planet-sized bosses, and you’ll constantly have to think on your feet.
Once you grasp the basics, the focus of the game shifts from simply surviving to maximizing you score. The longer you survive, the higher your multiplier will climb. Even one death will take you out of the running for a high score on the leaderboards, but just surviving isn’t enough. You’ll have to learn when to use your bombs, when to destroy nukes and how to efficiently collect point tokens in order to rank among the best. Here’s a quick tip: lead points into a line and then boost through them. Each token you boost through will increase the multiplier for the points you gather while boosting. Once you have a good base multiplier, boosting through your points will significantly increase your score and can mean the difference between a good score and an insane score by the end of your run.
In Stardust, the goal is simple at first. You must survive waves of asteroids and enemies as they rain down on the various planets across which the game takes place. Coordination is a boon as you control your ship and weapons simultaneously with the analog sticks. The trick is to stay on the move and anticipate openings in the obstacles that constantly spawn and shift around the screen. Sometimes, the entire planet will be filled with tiny asteroids that could spell death with the slightest collision or deadly enemies intent on your destruction. Knowing how the various enemies behave is key to staying alive. Snake-like enemies will slither quickly toward you and speed up as you shoot, fleets of ships will dodge your weapons and fire back from a distance, and turrets will work together to send a wave of projectiles in your direction. Add in torrents of asteroids and planet-sized bosses, and you’ll constantly have to think on your feet.
Once you grasp the basics, the focus of the game shifts from simply surviving to maximizing you score. The longer you survive, the higher your multiplier will climb. Even one death will take you out of the running for a high score on the leaderboards, but just surviving isn’t enough. You’ll have to learn when to use your bombs, when to destroy nukes and how to efficiently collect point tokens in order to rank among the best. Here’s a quick tip: lead points into a line and then boost through them. Each token you boost through will increase the multiplier for the points you gather while boosting. Once you have a good base multiplier, boosting through your points will significantly increase your score and can mean the difference between a good score and an insane score by the end of your run.
Anticipate enemy movements to come out alive.
Once you beat all the planets, you unlock hardcore mode, where the planet cycle will start over once you arrive at the last planet, allowing you to gain even higher scores. Even when you think you’re done, there’s always more to do. If you grow tired of arcade mode, you can always jump into one of the many mini games. In the mini games, you’ll boost through enemies to gain speed, try to survive using only bombs, control a ship with your finger, and play the game in a variety of different ways. Some, like bomber, are standouts, but they’re mostly shallow diversions from the main mode.
Stardust is the perfect example of a game that makes great use of the Vita’s dual analog sticks. The original Super Stardust HD on PS3 was excellent, and the PSP iteration, while a solid game, just wasn’t the same without two sticks. The game is built around precise movement and close encounters, and controlling your ship or weapons with face buttons doesn’t cut it. Thankfully, the Vita’s sticks work great, and allow the game to live up to its PS3 cousin.
Super Stardust Delta will put you in a trance. Dodging asteroids while fighting off enemies requires a level of focus that’s missing from slower-paced games, and the bright visuals and throbbing soundtrack help to draw you in. In order to make it through all the planets, you’ll have to find a rhythm in the music and spinning obstacles and allow your instincts to take over. There are constant moments of tension and release, and making it out of a tight situation unscathed with a higher multiplier is endlessly exhilarating.
The Vita is the perfect platform for Stardust. Now that a handheld finally has dual analog sticks, games like this can flourish. If you’re looking for an entrancing experience that requires fast thinking and allows you to compete with your friends on the leaderboards, Stardust is sure to impress.
Stardust is the perfect example of a game that makes great use of the Vita’s dual analog sticks. The original Super Stardust HD on PS3 was excellent, and the PSP iteration, while a solid game, just wasn’t the same without two sticks. The game is built around precise movement and close encounters, and controlling your ship or weapons with face buttons doesn’t cut it. Thankfully, the Vita’s sticks work great, and allow the game to live up to its PS3 cousin.
Super Stardust Delta will put you in a trance. Dodging asteroids while fighting off enemies requires a level of focus that’s missing from slower-paced games, and the bright visuals and throbbing soundtrack help to draw you in. In order to make it through all the planets, you’ll have to find a rhythm in the music and spinning obstacles and allow your instincts to take over. There are constant moments of tension and release, and making it out of a tight situation unscathed with a higher multiplier is endlessly exhilarating.
The Vita is the perfect platform for Stardust. Now that a handheld finally has dual analog sticks, games like this can flourish. If you’re looking for an entrancing experience that requires fast thinking and allows you to compete with your friends on the leaderboards, Stardust is sure to impress.
