(continued from previous page) ...available. While we wouldn’t expect competitive multiplayer from a top-down shooter, coop would have been an advantageous addition to the title. While Tiki Games has stated that they plan to update the title with a plethora of tweaks and features, neither offline nor online cooperative play is available at this time, which is a true shame. You can, however, attempt to best your friends on the title’s online leaderboards.

Regarding NovaStrike’s presentation, it’s merely acceptable. There are certainly some nice touches, such as the subtle shift in perspective whilst afterburning or the colorful water refraction, but overall, the title won’t impress on the level of a PSN title like Super Stardust HD. One guilty pleasure worth mentioning – damaging an enemy just enough so that it doesn’t explode, but rather falls out of the sky and plunges into the ocean (the game uses Havok physics). As for the audio, the explosions are brilliant while everything else simply fades into the background.

While it’s not my candidate for downloadable game of the year, NovaStrike is a solid experience that’s a great jumping-off point for Tiki Games. Although the harsh difficulty and lack of multiplayer may offset some potential players, the open areas and unique mission structure make this one worthy of several hours of your time.