If all of this sounds new to you, and you find yourself intrigued, don’t hesitate – go and download it right now. Super Stardust Ultra is fantastic arcade fun, and you’re unlikely to be disappointed. If it sounds familiar, it’s because the base concept has gone literally unchanged since 2007. I know this because I went back to Super Stardust HD on the PS3 to check, and sure enough, it’s exactly the same, right down to the same floating mines at the end of the first wave and the bonus asteroids at the start of the second – except here you’re orbiting a different planet, and everything looks a little nicer. The only thing that separates Super Stardust Ultra from its predecessors are the few extra modes that accompany the original Arcade mode. For the most part, they’re… eh.
In addition to series mainstays like Arcade (the standard mode) and Endless (duh), other modes originally featured as DLC like Survival (last as long as you can while tiny indestructible probes fill the screen), Bomber (score points by only using bombs) and Impact (boosting through enemies increases your speed) are included as part of the main package. These options are fine diversions, but they last only a handful of minutes each, so they’re hardly a replacement for the main Arcade game type. Interestingly enough, several other modes from prior games didn’t make the cut – which is sad, considering how much of the game is already recycled content.
In fact, the only new content to make it into Ultra includes some local multiplayer options, Blockade, and Interactive Streaming. Blockade is an interesting trifle, pitting you against a never-ending barrage of enemies while a stream of nearly impervious mines get strung out behind the back of our ship – essentially turning Super Stardust into one hell of a game of Snake. Like the other modes, it’s fun, but it’s just as fleeting as everything in Super Stardust Ultra that isn’t Arcade mode.
Interactive Streaming is actually the most interesting of the bunch – if you have a decent audience watching you, that is. By streaming your game onto Twitch, your viewers can periodically vote on different outcomes, like sending an alien onslaught to take you out, or backing you up with some much needed help. But unless you have a good sized crowd cheering you on, or wishing for your demise, it simply turns into another round of Endless – and it’s nowhere near worth the price of a double (or triple (or quadruple)) dip.
I played the hell out of this game on the PS3, the Vita, and I’ll likely do it again on PS4. But I can’t rightly imagine why it isn’t part of some sort of Cross-Buy promotion, because it’s the same damn game as it was when it came out nearly eight years ago – and the extra modes aren’t nearly worth the upgrade. If you’ve never played it before, or you’re dying to play it again on your next-gen console, Super Stardust Ultra offers up sweet arcade action that (clearly) stands the test of time. But if you’re a returning fan looking for a true successor to a modern classic, you’re going to leave disappointed.
Supply Gamesradar
Super Stardust Ultra review - App Review 4u
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