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A surreal experience...my favorite psp launch game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Now that you have your shiny new psp, you may be fighting over which game(s) you should get. Although you may be surprised, at this point, Lumines may be quietly stealing the show as the most stellar of the launch titles. Lumines you ask? Read on to find out.

I will flat out say that I have not been a fan of the puzzle genre since the days of super nintendo and the sega genesis. The different variations of tetris (especially yoshi's tetris attack) columns, and the original puyo puyo games always suckered me in. Yet, the years went by and at best there were only medicore puzzlers available. I began to ignore the genre altogether.

However, when I heard that the creator of Rez, (one of the most underrated niche games I've ever played which has a cult following)Tetsuya Mizuguchi, was behind this game I knew I had to have it. Other than wipeout pure, there was no game other than Lumines which really excited me at launch. And Lumines certainly does not dissapoint. It is a game with great charm that will provide countless hours of fun, even if you don't "get it" right away. The simplicity adds to this, rather than deters. This game has become the new tetris in my eyes.

The music is hit or miss and primarily house/techno but when you get into the game, landing down your blocks on the beat is a rewarding experience regardless of your preference of the song. It is not necessary at all to like the music in order to appreciate the gameplay, although it certainly adds to the value of the package as a whole. The game is essentially compromised of making 2x2 blocks of squares that are the same color. There are only two colors available but 6 combinations of squares that mix these colors. You can see the next 3 blocks you will have falling, so you can learn to plan your moves in advance. There is a line that "sweeps" side to side across the screen which will clear any and all like colored squares which you have formed. It's simple in theory, but is much harder than you'd imagine. Eventually, you will be racking huge combos with easy and super "chain reactions" reminiscent of the older columns games will occur. The greatest part of lumines is that if you have a square on the edge, the square will split in half and fall until it either lands on other pieces and or hits the ground. No suspended pieces like tetris left you with. The games's innate charm is undeniable. This is pure and simple gameplay at its finest.

There are 3 modes to this game essentially, and the primary mode is challenge mode. In challenge mode, you go through "skins" and the objective is to stay alive as long as possible and build a score as high as you can. There are "levels" and "skins" to the game. Levels are not the same as skins. Skins are the songs that play behind the background and every time the skin changes, the two different colors of the blocks will also alternate. Levels are based upon the score you receive. Early on in the game, every 4 levels you pass will unlock a new skin. The transition is seamless, however, and never interupts the gameplay.

Vs. CPU is another mode where you are essentially splitting a screen with the computer but trying to squeeze the computer into the corner. The better and better you play, the further and further you will minimize the computers playing field. This is also the same (and only) mode that the 2 player game utilizes.

And puzzle mode is the final mode. This mode is different from the others as you primarily try to form shapes with the squares you get WITHOUT clearing the squares. There will be an image at the start depicting what it is you are trying to form.

And then there is a time attack mode where you can choose from any of the skins you have unlocked and play that single skin (wihtout switching) without transitioning. Try and clear as many blocks as you can within the time limit! This mode is not really a "mode" however, as you do not progress through the game at all, you only tinker with what you have already obtained via the other modes.

If you want to unlock all the songs of lumines, you will need skill, dexterity, time, and patience. While everyone will get a lot out of the game, to unlock the final skins takes immense talent. There are 38 skins to unlock + the original skin Shining which you start the game with bringing the grand total to 39. Most of the skins are unlocked by progressing in challenge mode, and a handful are unlocked through the other two modes. Some skins are only unlocked by bringing your total playtime to a certain amount. However, some of the "final" skins to obtain are obscenely difficult. The hardest skin to unlock is without a doubt Water, Flower & Lights which requires a seemingly obscence score of 999,999 points in challenge mode to unlock. However, stick with the game and you'll persever, and who knows, you may just be able to reach that steep plateau eventually.

A great pick up and play title, Lumines is my personal favorite launch title along with wipeout pure. I have played several of the others and most have not left me overly impressed. Also, many are tried and true games that we've played before (although Wipeout also does fall in this category). This is the most original and creative of the launch titles by far The goal of getting a high score for pride has returned with avengence. And even if you are not skilled at the game at first, a) you will get better and b) you will have a blast regardless. I admit, as of this writing, I am only "decent" at Lumines. Yet, I am loving the game. Give this game a chance, and you may be surprised by what you find, even if you typically do not enjoy puzzle games. This one is highly reccomended.

One heck of a fun game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is the most addictive game I've encountered in a LONG time -- just a good ol' simple puzzle game that becomes more and more challenging as your skills improve. It sort of reminds me of Tetris, but much more sophisticated, and the different game skins are a lot of fun. Two problems with it -- First, my husband and I almost ended up fighting over the PSP to get in some Lumines game time (my husband suggested we should have bought two PSPs,). Second, the music really gets embedded into your brain after a couple of plays. It's rough trying to go to sleep at night when you have "Shake Ya Body" playing relentlessly in your head. I should probably play the game with the sound shut off ...

Must buy if you own a PSP

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I recently received a PSP as a present along with MVP Baseball and Lumines. For the first 2 weeks, I played MVP and didn't even tear open the Lumines packaging. I contemplated trading it in for another title, but with the lack of blockbuster PSP titles, I just left it lying around. I'm glad I did. This game is simply addictive genius.

First off, in most puzzle games (like Tetris), the pace progressively gets faster as you go higher up in levels. Not in Lumines. What sets Lumines apart from other puzzle games is the block clearing header which runs across the screen. This makes for an incredibly varied gameplay from level to level. On one level, the squares might come down very fast and the header moves quickly as well, requiring you to clear one or two blocks at most. On the very next level, the squares come down at a snails pace with a very slow header, forcing you to into huge combo blocks (otherwise you run out of space before the header comes and erases the blocks). It's amazing that the varied type of gameplay that you can get from such a simple game. The vs mode is also a hoot.

This game is made for the PSP, utilizing the widescreen LCD panel to its full potential. The visuals and sounds are both excellent. Pick up this game if you've liked any type of puzzle game in the past. You won't be disappointed.

Highly Addictive

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 12, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I've had this game for several months now after getting burned out on Midnight Club (which is very intricate but is rendered almost unplayable by the 1+ minute load times).

To add to the other reviews, I must say that while it is incredibly beautiful to look at, after a while you begin to shut out all the graphics and music and concentrate on the gameplay. If you play in the "normal" level advance mode, you can literally spend over two hours on one game, which is similar to Tetris. I'm not sure how many levels there are but I think 2 hours is my limit to staring at the PSP at a time (though hypocritically I have wasted entire weekends with Lumines!).

Yes, I'll attest that this is an INCREDIBELY addictive game, but be warned that it's due to it's simplicity more than anything else. Once you begin to notice all the patterns and strategy that's when the game becomes competitive, because at that point you know that you can go on indefinitely as long as you keep your concentration and not make too many mistakes...but try keeping that up for over several hours!

One of my favorite (most addictive) part of the game is the time trial where you have to get as many combinations as possible within a time limit (60, 180, 300, and 600 seconds). It has a completely different feel than the standard unlimited time mode. You will get to a certain point in your skills where you can consistantly get a pretty high score (30 combos in 60seconds for me), but every so often you'll have a game where you become unstoppable and get an unbelievably high score. Once this happens you'll end up wasting hour after hour trying to stumble on to another moment like that.

Edit 4/26/06: My current high score for 60seconds is 61 squares! 180seconds is 160, 300seconds is 243, and 600seconds is 482. The high score on the unlimited time mode is a frightening 312,938. For a quick brain teaser, the puzzle mode is enjoyable and not quite as instinctive and brainless as the regular mode. So that means yes, I'm still obsessively playing this game.

The reason why I rate it a 4 overall is because it does become extremely repetitious which leads me to ask myself,"Did I just waste six hours of my life today making little square blocks?" And that just makes me feel bad. ;-)

Highly recommended.

A game for all ages, instant classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 14, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is a very additictive and entertaining game. The controls are just right. The music is fabulous. The game isn't too easy and it isn't too hard, right in the middle. I would consider this game much better than Tetris because it is very new and unique compared to Tetris. The graphics are simply awesome. Play this game alone and you will never look at a Nintendo DS the same way again. Lumines is proof that the Sony PSP is a viable platform that is ripe with potential.

Children and adults alike will enjoy playing Lunines for hours until their PSP needs to be recharged. I like the fact that this is a game that children can play and enjoy without being subject to any form of violence.

I highly recommend this game. Lumines keeps it simple, and in doing so it keeps it real in every way.

Lumines

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

this game is very addicting, like tetris with a fresh, cool modern twist. the music is groovy, and the rhythm of the game is great. a title definitley worth checking out for psp.

Never tire of playing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

What a fantastic game. When it was first recommended to me, I thought it was going to be another Tetris. But not so! A fantastic game, it's very addictive. I never tire of playing it - and with the different modes of play, you can spend hours unlocking new levels, completing new challenges, and trying to best your own score. I highly recommend this game to anyone - great for all ages.

Dont judge a book by its cover (and price!)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: July 24, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Amplitude+Tetris+PuyoPop+funk+56$+Tax= Lumines

Thats the only way to put it!!!

Addicting

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: April 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The game is visually stimulating, the concept is simple but addicting, the sound track is pleasant. Your eyes will water from overuse.

The best PSP game ever.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: August 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Lumines is great. I hate Tetris, even though this game is pretty much exactly like it. It was boring for the first 5 minutes, but then it got HIGHLY addicting. Time goes by very fast playing this game. The music is exellent, just jack in the headphones and you'll be playing for a long time.

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