PixelJunk™ Monsters Deluxe

Story

Monster mash

A once tranquil domain has been overrun by a monstrous batch of bloodthirsty beasts - and only you can stop them. PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe puts you into the hard-working shoes of the Forest Defender, who has been tasked with repelling these creatures looking to make lunch out of his innocent brood.

The only way you can succeed in protecting the Defender's family is by placing weapon towers at strategic points around the landscape. Defeating monsters earns you treasure which can be used to buy new towers and upgrades, and each beastie has strengths and weaknesses to be aware of, making some weapons more effective than others.

Spiders, bats, golems and other creepy-crawlies are approaching... do you build a slow yet effective Fire Tower or opt for the sharp precision of a Laser Tower? What about the swarming aerial assault of a Hive Tower? Choose wisely, as the fate of the forest's future rests in your hands...

Gameplay

Junk in your trunk

Set on well-crafted stages that allow you to quickly see where the monsters are coming from, controlling the Forest Defender around the environment is simple. You guide the diminutive hero from his home (where the vulnerable flock reside) into the wilderness, transforming trees into towers of your choice.

Each tower has its own speed, range and strength, so careful planning is required to make the most of them - for example, the Cannon Tower is strong and slow, has a short range and is particularly useful against ground enemies, while the Arrow Tower has a wide range and is fast against both ground and air foes, yet it lacks strength. You must also judge whether you should use your treasure to upgrade your towers or unlock new ones, increasing your range of attacks.

Three main islands of varying difficulty await you, each with their own number of stages. Complete a stage without any of your flock being eaten and you gain a rainbow - and the more you collect, the more stages you can open, including the PSP exclusive Gati Gati Island which hosts 11 levels not seen in the PlayStation 3 original. There are also enemies unique to the PSP version, such as the fearsome Fire Monsters, and new towers including the powerful Trap Tower.

There are even more extras in the Tiki Hut. The Hut stores all the prizes you win from completing Medal Challenges, which are special missions that require you to complete objectives such as clearing a stage without upgrading a tower. Success unlocks prizes that either help you in the main mode or earn you a nice bonus, such as a sound player to listen to some new PSP exclusive music by Otograph.

Multiplayer

Double your defence

If you're having a bit of trouble in your defensive duties, you can bring a friend along to help you out. Taking control of the red Forest Defender, a second player can join you in dashing around the environment collecting treasure, building towers and fending off foes.

Co-operative play in Ad Hoc Mode or Infrastructure Mode brings a whole new element of strategy to the game as you manage resources, plan out methods of attack and plot new ways to solve levels which may have stumped you in single player. You can even use the TikiSpeak system to swiftly communicate your thoughts and tactics to your partner.

Highly addictive and full of fun, fighting fiends with a friend in PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe is the ideal way to make the hours fly by on a long journey... and beyond.