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Ingenious yet simple game, best "eye-candy" for PSP Fun fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: March 24, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Most children have at least played Tetris once in their lifetime, and then there are those who became addicted to it and devoted many hours throughout childhood trying to achieve that new high-score or get to a new level. You would dream of Tetris blocks falling from the air, or you'd find yourself playing Tetris in your head during class, even when you're not actually playing. Well take all of that, multiple it by 1000, and then you'll have a little understanding to what it's like to play Lumines.

FYI: This game is the number one game rated out of all the PSP games that have come out in Japan, with the highest ratings on most gaming circles.

It's a very simple concept of, "Make of box of 4 puzzle pieces, with the same color." Usually games that are simple in nature are the most fun to play. Lumines adds a DJ for cool music, morphing full color backgrounds that come alive with the music, and now you have your next addiction. I was fortunate to get a Japanese PSP when they came out, and I didn't at first buy Lumines. But once I got a hold of the game, I was sucked in by the music and "challenge mode."

I am only going to talk about challenge mode because that is what makes this game so fun...

Challenge mode is where you play as long as you can without dying (blocks piling up to the top of the screen, just like Tetris). The longer you play the more interesting and intense it gets. When you accumulate a certain amount of points the level will morph into a new level and music. The puzzle pieces change to different colors also. Lumines is the ultimate "Eye-candy." The blocks fall according to how fast the song is, or if the beat changes from fast to slow, then the speed of the blocks change with it. Here is a breakdown of the "Skins" that you unlock in order of which you will see.

*Shinin' (already unlocked)
*Urbanization
*Round about
*Slipping
*Shake ya Body
*Square Dance
*Talk 2 You
*Just...
*I Hear the Music in my Soul
*Dark Side Beneath the River
*Aback
*Working in the Hole
*Sister Walk
*Da-Di-Do
*Strangers
*Holiday in Summer
*Take a Dog Out a Walk
*Big Elpaso
*My Generation
*Meguro
*Spirits
*Get Up and Go
*Fly into the Sky
*Lights <- Hearing the Japanese song that goes with this Skin is pure bliss...

"Lights" is the last level of the skins you can unlock in challenge mode. After lights, you go back to the "Shinin" skin and start over, but the second go around is twice as fast. The maps can cycle through twice, and then there is just 1-skin left which is very, very fast. The whole object of "Challenge Mode" is to achieve a high score. In the Japanese version the "End" of challenge mode is when you achieve 999,999 points. The counter only has 6 digits, which they might fix for the US version. Once you achieve that many points then you unlock the "Lights and Flowers" skin. This is not a simple task. I have had the game for a little over 2 months, and my high score is 970,000 which took about 2½hrs of playing. It may seem like a longtime, but once you start playing hours will turn into minutes, and minutes into seconds. It's the perfect game to pass the time, or to play for an extended period of time.

I would highly recommend this game as anyone's first PSP game. If you can't get a hold of a PSP, then find someone who does, make them buy this game, and borrow their PSP and Lumines. Most PSP games are just miniature versions of games that you can play on a PS2, but this is something originally made just for the PSP. Go into the Light..... Lumines!!!

Great game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is not your average puzzler it actually take's practice and you must get rid of your tetris/Column mentality in those game's combo's were not something realyy needed just slightly fun in this game they're a neccesity so far I've unlocked every one up too square dance It's hard at first but give it time I hear alot of PPL sayin'g they hate this game giive it time it grow's on you

The New Tetris

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I have always been a big fan on puzzle games like this. I played the copy of tetris that came with my original GameBoy. Most kids today couldn't even imagine playing on a screen like the old B&W GameBoy. For me Tetris is the greatest game ever made. It is still not old after all these years, but Lumines is a very good substitue. One of the best things about this puzzle game is that is has such a large playing field. It's huge. The music is pretty cool, but not best in game music ever. That would probably be Katamary Damacy. Go out any buy this game now. You won't regret it.

The New Tetris!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Lumines is the PSP equivalent to what Tetris what for the original Game Boy. A fantastic title. If you own a PSP, make no hesitation and acquire this puzzle masterpiece.

Instant Classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: March 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Do you remember the thrill you had when Tetris first came out? If you were one of those who grew insanely addicted to Tetris then this is the game for you. This is, by far, the best and only must have game for the PSP at launch. If you own a PSP, go pick this game up.

Like Tetris, blocks will fall from the top of the game and it is your purpose to get rid of them. Blocks fall in a 2X2 block with varying patterns of two different colors. You have to make at least a 2X2 square of one color for it to vanish. A bar sweeps past the screen slowly and as it passes the same color blocks you've created, it makes them vanish. Now comes the insanely addictive part. To rack up points, you want to cause combos by having more than one set of blocks vanish in a bar sweep. The more you get rid of, the higher the combo and the higher the magnifier.

There will be a moment when you hit your groove and things are moving naturally. The colors will change, the skin will change, the music will change, things will start to move faster. And, that's when you might notice that every time you rotate the block, move the block, or put the block down there is a musical note etc that adds to the soundtrack. Soon you will be moving blocks, hearing the music and it just fits. Never before has a game mirrored music with gameplay so perfectly (with the exception of Rez which was created by the same company).

Then there's the 2 player mode which is a blast. It sets up two areas on your screen, one for each player. It starts with the areas having equal area, but as one person gets more combos than the other, the winning player gets a larger area and the losing player gets a smaller area until one person takes over. It's a blast, frantic and exciting to play.

A good handheld system should have a good time-waster; something to keep you busy and that you can pass so much time playing that you forget things around you. This game does just that. It's deceptively simple to begin, but the depth in it is amazing. It's like Tetris, easy to play, hard to master. I think the best compliment I can give this game was that I was at an airport the day after I got this game and I didn't care that the plane was delayed an hour+ because I was having too much fun playing Lumines so I could play one more game.

Bottom Line: if you own a PSP and like games like Tetris, you need this game.

A Must-Have for the PSP

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Lumines is a great puzzle game in the tradition of Tetris. Not only is it really fun in single player, it's truly addictive in multiplayer as well!

First off, the game itself. It's just like tetris, where blocks fall and you arrange them. In this case, they are all squares, with two colors. You are trying to make the colors connect up into blocks. There is all sorts of different color changes, music changes and cool techniques you learn as you go. Don't just play it a few times. Keep playing up into the higher levels, and it becomes a truly amazing game.

Then you can take it multi-player, and the head to head gameplay is really fun. It's not just "two people building side by side towers" like most other game systems. You actually use the same board and slide the ownership of area back and forth based on how well you do. It is incredibly fun!

There are other challenges, with puzzles and time trials, but the basic game is really the core here. It's perfect for picking up for 15 minutes when you're waiting in line - or it can make an hour long train ride zip by in seconds. This is really the must-have game for your PSP!

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.

Not a clone

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you belive that this is a clone of the previous Tetris games for the PS systems then you would be dead worng. This game uses clubes in a interesting way to form 2x2 cubes using a series of 4 variant combonations of two colours.

The pace is addictingly fast and simple to pick up. The learning curve took about 5 minutes and once you start there is no putting this one down. The PSP, north America, has only been out for a few days but this has already hit classic game status for it.

It is rated for all ages and comes with differnt style of play including multiplayer and Vs. modes. The graphics and music can get distracting but you can turn the volume down if you are on a "skin" that is not to your liking.

It also not an expensive game for PSP. Get your own -- you simply cannot rent this one.

From the maker of REZ

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 64 / 66
Date: March 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

When I purchased this game on launch day, I only knew one thing about it: It was made by the same guy who made REZ. Really, that's all I needed to know to part with my cash.

REZ is a hard to find shooter title for Dreamcast/PS2 that set itself apart by completely integrating the visuals and the gameplay with the music.

Lumines, although the game itself is completely different, also delivers big on this concept. Each action you take, rotating the falling peices, destroying a square of same-colored blocks, setting off a huge combo, all trigger unique musical embellishments and sound effects that go with the soundtrack for each level. This in itself would be enough to make a game engrossing, but the mechanics and hectic pacing of the game make it all the more addictive.

Lumines is a falling blocks game, but it is in no way a tetris clone. Squares fall in blocks of four, and come in two colors, arranged in the block at random. By arranging the squares into 2x2 blocks of like colors, a bar that moves across the screen will clear it. Squares can be as big as you want, and can overlap. Also, depending on the music for the stage, the bar may move faster or slower. There are also special blocks that will clear all blocks of the same color that are touching it. It sounds simple, and it is, but the most addictive puzzle games always are.

This game belongs with every PSP purchase.

It's got it all

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 59 / 69
Date: March 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I was a little leary of getting a "puzzle" game for the PSP, but I went with the reviews and lo and behold...I've played almost nothing else on the PSP! This game is great, it's addicting, if you listen to the audio through a set of headphones, the experience is almost all-encompassing.

It's just a well made game...to me, it's like an ultra-hip version of Tetris. It's the "Thinking Man's" game for PSP. :-)

Gameplay: 5 of 5
Controls: 5 of 5
Eye Candy Value: 5 of 5
Ear Candy Value: 5 of 5
Replay Value: 5 of 5
Overall Value: 5 of 5
Chances you'll be up into the wee hours with headphones on playing: 5 of 5

I'm a happy customer, definitely the best of the 3 games I've bought so far (Ridge Racer..very good too and Wipeout...gotta love it too).

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