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PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe
Come for the awesome gameplay, stay for the online mode.
October 3, 2009 | 1:10 PM PSTKombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe is the third edition of the incredibly addicting downloadable title from the developer Q Games. The gameplay is similar to any tower defense game but what makes PixelJunk Monsters stand out is the charm and simple to learn, hard to master gameplay.
The PSP version is called PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe. What you get in addition to the content of both PixelJunk Monsters and PixelJunk Monsters Encore, is a new island with 10 new maps, a fully featured ad hoc and online mode, two new towers and some fine tuning tweaks to the game.
What's Hot
It is no secret that PixelJunk Monsters is one of the best downloadable titles to hit the PSN, or any console for that matter. The challenge of navigating a round and then later perfecting the level is something that has kept gamers (and Kombo staff) busy for years. The PSP version, to coincide with the release of the PSP Go, is the most complete and best version of the game to date.
It starts with the new island. PJM Encore was a difficult expansion. The difficulty curve from the original to the first expansion was very high. Now that PJM Deluxe is out, the new island of Gati Gati is more smoothed out in terms of difficulty. There are a few new monsters added to the mix, the best being a boss monster that starts out flying but ends up on the ground at a certain point. One of the biggest challenges is the fact that normally ground-based units will float on balloons, which adds a few more steps to defeat them. The two new towers add some new strategy to the mix with one being a trip wire that is great for last ditch efforts of downing straggler monsters and the other being a defensive tower that depletes its energy as it powers up offensive towers around it.
The breakout feature to PJM Deluxe is that fact you can play co-op online. Through the PSN, you can find fellow gamers and tackle the levels together. There are lobbies and friends lists you can search for other players or take your chance with some quick matches. In lieu of voice based communication, PJM Deluxe has an innovative symbol system that makes it easy to communicate important information without exchanging a word. If you are stuck in a lobby waiting for other players to join, you can watch live updates of other matches happening via a ticker tape on the screen.
If Wi-Fi is out of reach, there are plenty of other ways to extend your play with PJM Deluxe. You can try and perfect the levels you have already completed or you can attempt medal challenges. They are like the Trophy challenges in the PS3 version but in the PSP version, you unlock extras in the game rather than only for a Trophy's sake. The medal challenge mode shows how easy and adaptable the tower defense formula is and provides extra challenges on top of the core game.
What's Not
The new island is fun but it might not provide the same challenge as the last addition. It is really easy to pass the level but there is a small challenge in getting a perfect rainbow. Before you get to that level, you need to retread some old levels to get enough perfects to advanced to the new stage. Even though there is a lot of new content, you still end up paying for the content you have already paid for, presumably, on the PS3. The online mode and the new level is reason enough to buy the game but if you grew tired of the original levels, you'll have to play a few again before you can get to the new stuff.
The biggest annoyance to PJM Deluxe is the game decides to zoom the camera in your character. You can temporarily zoom in but once you move, the camera zooms right back in. This might have been to get more detail out of the game but for a tower defense game, you want to see the entire playing field. The camera will also take liberties and zoom in on newly emerging enemies or when they get too close to the base you are defending. At that point, you can't see what you are doing and are at risk of making bad moves.
Final Word
This is a no-brainer. PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe is one of the best games on the PSP. The portable nature now fits the game better than when it was on the PS3 and with the online mode, it surpasses the PS3's version considerably. There is so much to love with this game that even the problematic camera doesn't seem that bad as you are captivated and wowed by at the rest of what has been accomplished. It is going to be hard to find a better title in this tower defense genre seeing that the original PixelJunk Monsters is shoring up two years of being a favorite.
What the Game's About
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe is the third edition of the incredibly addicting downloadable title from the developer Q Games. The gameplay is similar to any tower defense game but what makes PixelJunk Monsters stand out is the charm and simple to learn, hard to master gameplay.
The PSP version is called PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe. What you get in addition to the content of both PixelJunk Monsters and PixelJunk Monsters Encore, is a new island with 10 new maps, a fully featured ad hoc and online mode, two new towers and some fine tuning tweaks to the game.
What's Hot
It is no secret that PixelJunk Monsters is one of the best downloadable titles to hit the PSN, or any console for that matter. The challenge of navigating a round and then later perfecting the level is something that has kept gamers (and Kombo staff) busy for years. The PSP version, to coincide with the release of the PSP Go, is the most complete and best version of the game to date.
It starts with the new island. PJM Encore was a difficult expansion. The difficulty curve from the original to the first expansion was very high. Now that PJM Deluxe is out, the new island of Gati Gati is more smoothed out in terms of difficulty. There are a few new monsters added to the mix, the best being a boss monster that starts out flying but ends up on the ground at a certain point. One of the biggest challenges is the fact that normally ground-based units will float on balloons, which adds a few more steps to defeat them. The two new towers add some new strategy to the mix with one being a trip wire that is great for last ditch efforts of downing straggler monsters and the other being a defensive tower that depletes its energy as it powers up offensive towers around it.
The breakout feature to PJM Deluxe is that fact you can play co-op online. Through the PSN, you can find fellow gamers and tackle the levels together. There are lobbies and friends lists you can search for other players or take your chance with some quick matches. In lieu of voice based communication, PJM Deluxe has an innovative symbol system that makes it easy to communicate important information without exchanging a word. If you are stuck in a lobby waiting for other players to join, you can watch live updates of other matches happening via a ticker tape on the screen.
If Wi-Fi is out of reach, there are plenty of other ways to extend your play with PJM Deluxe. You can try and perfect the levels you have already completed or you can attempt medal challenges. They are like the Trophy challenges in the PS3 version but in the PSP version, you unlock extras in the game rather than only for a Trophy's sake. The medal challenge mode shows how easy and adaptable the tower defense formula is and provides extra challenges on top of the core game.
What's Not
The new island is fun but it might not provide the same challenge as the last addition. It is really easy to pass the level but there is a small challenge in getting a perfect rainbow. Before you get to that level, you need to retread some old levels to get enough perfects to advanced to the new stage. Even though there is a lot of new content, you still end up paying for the content you have already paid for, presumably, on the PS3. The online mode and the new level is reason enough to buy the game but if you grew tired of the original levels, you'll have to play a few again before you can get to the new stuff.
The biggest annoyance to PJM Deluxe is the game decides to zoom the camera in your character. You can temporarily zoom in but once you move, the camera zooms right back in. This might have been to get more detail out of the game but for a tower defense game, you want to see the entire playing field. The camera will also take liberties and zoom in on newly emerging enemies or when they get too close to the base you are defending. At that point, you can't see what you are doing and are at risk of making bad moves.
Final Word
This is a no-brainer. PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe is one of the best games on the PSP. The portable nature now fits the game better than when it was on the PS3 and with the online mode, it surpasses the PS3's version considerably. There is so much to love with this game that even the problematic camera doesn't seem that bad as you are captivated and wowed by at the rest of what has been accomplished. It is going to be hard to find a better title in this tower defense genre seeing that the original PixelJunk Monsters is shoring up two years of being a favorite.
November 20, 2009
