PixelJunk SideScroller bringing old school to PSN this week

Fans of sadistic, retro-inspired sidescrollers will want to keep one eye on the PlayStation Network this week. Q-Games has released a launch trailer for PixelJunk SideScroller, announcing the arrival of its next PixelJunk title on October 25 in North America and October 26 in the UK.

Q-Games' latest is based on PixelJunk Shooter 2's “The Road to Dawn” bonus stage, which appeared as a diversion available on the ship's old timey computer. Now fully-fleshed out for its own spin-off, PixelJunk SideScroller features an uber-retro vector graphics style, new enemies, upgradeable weapons, and multiple difficulty modes.

“Some people reckon PixelJunk games are a little tough, and well… yes, they are a little because I think games should be a challenge,” wrote Q-Games President Dylan Cuthbert on the US PlayStation Blog, adding, “However, what we’ve done this time is scattered loads of checkpoints so even if you do die, you’ll restart really close, and we also give you the option to downgrade your difficulty setting if you get a Game Over too. We’ve created 4 difficulty levels so everyone is catered for (I hope!).”

PixelJunk SideScroller will be released as part of Sony's 'Only on PSN' October promotion, meaning PS Plus members will receive 20% off its regular $9.99 price tag. And if you're a fan of the series, be sure to read our preview of PixelJunk 4am, Q-Games' upcoming entry designed for the PlayStation Move.

Oct 24, 2011

Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries.