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This week's release of Super Stardust Ultra on PlayStation 4 amounts to more than a simple port of the Housemarque's twin-stick classic - a game already running at full HD and 60 frames per second on PS3. A full eight years later, new developer D3T takes the call to make an updated version, adding new modes and visual enhancements along the way - but given that the game already stood as an effects and physics showcase on last-gen, just how much more does the Ultra edition add?First off, it's worth pointing out that while the the PS4 title is not a direct port of the excellent Super Stardust HD on PS3, it's fair to say that the vast majority of the original game's rendering underpinnings are transferred across with only a modicum of improvements bearing in mind the generational leap in hardware spec. Similar to the fully patched last-gen release, Ultra runs at true 1080p with a 60fps target - modestly enhanced with signs of light post-process anti-aliasing - with rare support for stereoscopic 3D maintained in this new release too.
This is essentially the full PS3 release, bolstered by new modes to make more of the PS4's feature-set. Chief among them is interactive streaming, a broadcast-based survival mode allowing spectators to impact your run via votes - either opting for boosts to aid you, or a spike in enemy spawns to make life more difficult. Given the console's focus on social features, it's a nice touch, though a bona fide online multiplayer mode would have been more welcome here. Other additions could have easily made the cut on PS3, such as the rudimentary ship editor, or the simpler single-player modes such as Impact and Blockade.
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