''PixelJunk Monsters'' is the second game in the ''
PixelJunk
''PixelJunk'' is a series of downloadable games developed by Q-Games. The series made its debut on PlayStation 3 with ''PixelJunk Racers'', released July 11, 2007.
The series was published internationally by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayS ...
'' series developed by
Q-Games
Q-Games, Limited is a video game developer based in Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan which works closely with both Nintendo and Sony.
Foundation
Q-Games was founded by Dylan Cuthbert, who previously worked at Argonaut Software and helped create ''Sta ...
for the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
. It was released worldwide on the
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.
The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
on January 24, 2008. The game was released for the
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
under the title ''PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe''.
''PixelJunk Monsters Encore'', an expansion pack for the game, was released on April 24, 2008 in Japan; May 8, 2008 in North America; and May 15, 2008 in Europe.
In May 2016, ''PixelJunk Monsters'' was released by
Double Eleven for
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
.
In 2018, ''PixelJunk Monsters 2'' was released, incorporating 3D graphics and new features.
Gameplay
Gameplay in ''PixelJunk Monsters'' has similarities to various
tower defense
Tower defense (TD) is a subgenre of strategy games where the goal is to defend a player's territories or possessions by obstructing the enemy attackers or by stopping enemies from reaching the exits, usually achieved by placing defensive struc ...
titles. The objective is to build defense towers along the enemies' path to keep them from reaching a hut, or base. Several small creatures dwell at the base. For each enemy that survives the defense towers and reaches the hut, one creature is killed. If all creatures are wiped out, the level is failed.
Towers have distinct attributes, such as rapid fire, long range, air-focused, etc. Destroyed enemies usually drop coins and occasionally give gems, which then can be used to upgrade and research new towers.
There are a total of 21 different levels (36 with the expansion pack) at 3 stages of difficulty. There are also 3 special stages that unlock unique abilities for the player character. Several "Trophy Challenges" were also added to the game after a patch.
Unlike more traditional tower defense games, the player controls a character around the screen, collecting coins and building towers. This replaces the standard cursor controls. A second player can also join in and assist in building towers.
''Encore''
The ''PixelJunk Monsters Encore'' expansion pack includes an additional 15 levels, including layouts inspired by classic
arcade games
An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...
such as ''
Pac-Man
originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze action video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. Th ...
'' and ''
Space Invaders
is a 1978 shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Tomohiro Nishikado. It was manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and licensed to the Midway division of Bally for overseas distribution. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed shooter and set ...
''. There are also small tweaks to gameplay; for instance, the ice tower is unlocked at the beginning of every level and the Tesla tower is less expensive to purchase.
''Deluxe''
A new version of ''PixelJunk Monsters'' was available for the
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
. Titled ''PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe'', it has been described by Dylan Cuthbert as the "ultimate version" of the game. It contains all of the level content from the original game and its ''Encore'' expansion pack, as well as new levels, enemies, and towers. Additional music, videos, concept art, and other special features are also included.
Soundtrack
The music for the game was developed by
Otograph. On May 22, 2008, a soundtrack album for the game titled ''Dive into PixelJunk Monsters'' was released via the
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.
The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
. It is the first audio album to be released through
PSN.
Reception
The PlayStation 3 version of ''PixelJunk Monsters'', ''Encore'', ''Deluxe'', and the Vita version of ''Ultimate'' received "favorable" reviews, while the PC version of ''Ultimate'' and the Wii U version of ''PixelJunk Monsters'' received "average" reviews, according to the
review aggregation
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
References
External links
''PixelJunk Monsters'' official website''PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe'' official website*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pixeljunk Monsters
2007 video games
MacOS games
Linux games
PlayStation 3 games
PlayStation Network games
PlayStation Portable games
PlayStation Vita games
Sony Interactive Entertainment games
Strategy video games
Tower defense video games
Video games developed in Japan
Video games with expansion packs
Wii U eShop games
Windows games
Double Eleven (company) games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Q-Games games