PixlBit

Super Stardust Delta is a great game, but one that’s severely lacking options. The Blast Pack is the prescribed remedy for its ailments; however, it’s not an effective dose. Four new modes with limited content just don’t do the trick.

The first of these four is Endless Mode, which happens to be the second best part of the package. The mode is as it implies: you have one life, a never ending flow of enemies, and asteroids to take down. Unlike the main mode, hitting million point markers do not bring extra lives, so you’ll go for as long as you can on this nondescript planet. It’s a great time challenging yourself and friends with the DLC to the best possible score.

Impact Mode is second on the list and it’s far and away the star of the experience. Rather than shooting your weapon, the ship has been outfitted with weaponry that’s engaged when you boost. Killing enemies will refill this boost allowing you to chain together a ton of kills for super high scores. With plenty of stuff landing on the planet at any given time, you’ll have to look at formations differently and approach them with the intent of steering into all of them in a line. This, like Endless Mode, will keep you coming back for more.

The final two modes are the weakest part of the package. Bomber Mode is slightly similar to Impact Mode in that it takes away your weapons, with the exception of your EMP bomb. You are given 10 to start and must stay alive as well as destroy as much as possible without dying. Because it’s easy to run out of bombs, it doesn’t seem to be the best approach to such a mode. Unlimited bombs with a lag time to drop each one (kind of like your boost gauge in Impact Mode) would’ve made the experience more engaging.

Unlike Bomber Mode, Twin Gun Mode is completely disposable. Here you’ll not only have your full weapon set, but an extra gun which you fire with the left stick. You might be curious to know how you move – that’s now done with tilt controls. If it sounds awful, that’s because it is. While you can go and fight on any planet you’ve unlocked in the main game, you’re definitely not going to make it through even the first with the awkward control scheme.

This DLC comes in two varieties; you can either pick it up along with the game for an extra $5 or standalone for $7.99. If you’ve already taken the plunge on Super Stardust Delta, this extra content is nowhere near worth the asking price. If you haven’t gotten the game yet, the decision is a bit tougher. With only two, maybe three, serviceable modes it’s still priced a bit on the high side, so you should seriously consider if you’re the type of person to get extended play out of the Endless, Impact, and Bomber modes before taking the plunge.