You know what I love about PSN arcade games? That nearly all of them have an amazing electro soundtrack. Super Stardust HD, Cell Factor and Wipeout HD all prove my point here, but Shatter stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of audio goodness. That aside, Shatter provides a gameplay experience which won’t blow you away, but will please fans of arcade games.

Shatter is a breakout style, block-destroying game that requires the destruction of all of the blocks in the level before progress can be made. In this sense Shatter is a classic game, but the main new mechanic introduced in Shatter is ultra-important. Suck and blow. No that isn’t an offer, and no don’t email me asking about it. Suck and blow is the ability to draw the ball, points (which also power your shield and turret), and any debris towards, or away from the paddle. This introduces a really cool risk-reward mechanic , as sucking everything towards you will help you to get more points, and thus more power and a better hi-score...but good luck with those massive blocks hurtling towards you.

Does that paragraph pique your interest in Shatter? If no, then let me give you another reason to buy this game. An amazing soundtrack. I was about to put amazing in full caps, but GGTL is too classy for that. Shatter’s soundtrack is so mind-numbingly awesome, that I found myself rocking from side to side while playing my game, probably looking like an absolute moron. If you like electro music, I’d be tempted to say that that’s enough of a reason to buy the game – especially for the low price.

Shatter’s mode selection is pretty standard fare. There’s the main story mode (and I use the word story very lightly), a mode which allows you to fight the bosses in the game over and over again, and a “bonus mode” which gives you extra points if you can keep 3 fast flying balls up in the air with your paddle...uh, yeah. The main story mode will take you around an hour and a half to complete, but, the fun comes in trying to get that frickin’ silver trophy for completing the game without ever getting a game over (I hate you level 10 boss).

All in all, Shatter offers a really cool soundtrack alongside a pretty cool game. If you don’t like arcade games on PSN/XBLA or don’t like electro music, then this game probably won’t change your mind, but if you are into one of those two things, then Shatter will offer a fantastic deal for a low price.

8/10 - Solid game for fans of the genre

Matt

Labels: Matt, Matthew Meadows, PSN, Review, Shatter

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