Now here’s something that takes me back. All the way back to 2011, which is when I played and finished the original Shatter (released a year prior), except… I don’t recall it looking this good? Oh, right. Blanked out for a second there and completely forgot that this upcoming version is in fact a remaster, complete with additional bells and whistles, aptly titled Shatter Remastered Deluxe. Groovy.
While there’s no shortage of brick-breakers nowadays, between indie releases and all the old-school titles from yesteryear, Shatter still manages to stand out in a crowded genre. How? Two words: ‘suck’ and ‘blow’. What? No! Get your mind out of the gutter, please. It’s not that kind of game. Here, the two reference the player’s ability to either push the ball away or pull it towards the paddle by holding down a button. A mechanic that may sound simple in theory, but you better believe it allows for truly skillful play – especially with certain (temporary) powerups active.
This award-winning classic delivers a high-impact experience that will push your brick-breaking skills to the limit!
Ah yes, and we mustn’t forget about the Shardstorm ability, which slows down time and turns the paddle into what can only be described as a high-power machinegun, one capable of absolutely destroying everything. And I do mean everything. First, the player has to collect enough Shards to fill the meter though, but that’s hardly a lengthy process, and it’ll be time to rip and tear again before you know it. In each of the ten distinct worlds, and get this: Shardstorm also works against every last one of the game’s nine bosses (unless I’m remembering wrong, in which case… oops).
Content? Oh, there’ll be plenty to sink your teeth into, between trying to survive Story’s 71 levels, chasing a high score in Endless, tackling all bosses back-to-back in Boss Rush, optimizing your score in Time Attack, and of course, last but not least, Couch co-op; because a game like this only gets better with a friend along for the ride. Global leaderboards made the cut too, for those really looking to get competitive.
But while that’s all fine and dandy, a lot of it simply describes the original Shatter. What’s new and exciting in Shatter Remastered Deluxe? Well, aside from the ports to consoles that didn’t even exist back in 2010, the original synth-wave soundtrack has been “remixed and remastered in 5.1 surround sound”, 4K resolution support has been added alongside an increased FPS cap to 120, a modernized UI, and a handful of visual improvements.
Can’t wait to experience this flashy new version of an absolute classic. But if you’re interested in seeing what the fuzz is about right now, Shatter (2010) is 80% off on Steam for another 34 hours, at the time of writing.
Shatter Remastered Deluxe will be breaking bricks on Steam, Switch, PlayStation 4|5, Xbox One, and Series X|S, come late 2022.
