Lumines Plus

"Buy This Tommorow Play It Forever"

I'm addicted to Lumines and it only took 24 hours to kick in. I decided to pick this game up for my birthday because I wanted a new game and a puzzle game, since there are never enough puzzle games on gaming systems. After playing Tetris Worlds all day (another game I got that day), I put in Lumines Plus realizing I would have trouble adjusting after mastering Tetris. I was treated to the most pleasant experience in gaming I have had in quite a while. Playing Katamari the first time was disorienting and oddly satisfying. Camera problems and control issues made the game more difficult and the graphics were weak. Super Bust-A-Move 1 and 2 were good puzzle games but lacking depth and strategy. Lumines Plus on the other hand is the perfect spiritual successor to Rez. It is a perfect puzzle game with an emphasis on music and visual euphoria.

Graphics: 8/10

This is the type of the game that the graphics will make some people dizzy or feel slightly high from the special effects. Some sort of weird frontal lobe massage occurs when you do well in this game and the constant flow and movement of the game adds to this sensation. There are tons of different skins, which essentially is like having a new version of Tetris time you unlock a new one. Imagine having a Tetris game with all of the versions of Tetris in one game....that is what it feels like when you unlock a skin. They vary and come in all shapes, sizes, colors and textures. I won't describe them because it truly would spoil the delight of beating your high score. The graphics are definitely well above what I expected after playing Grand Theft Auto Liberty City (Another PSP Conversion), and the came succeeds so well at what it attempts that it is well above average. The backgrounds or skins move and are animated throughout your experience, so if you are easily distracted by the backgrounds in games you may have difficulty adjusting. At the same it's part of the game play so you will learn to adapt on the fly to changes. The overall menu screens are sci-fi simple and are straight to the point. Exactly what you'd expect from a puzzle game with a little more style than you are used to.

Game play: 10/10

This is where the game succeeds tremendously. I haven't played a puzzle game that truly made me think, "Finally a game worthy of Tetris and the puzzle game genre itself." It's not just a gimmick where pieces fall from the sky adjust and raise levels. The amount of strategy, time, and ability you can put into the game is only exceeded by the subconscious effort you will make to beat your high score. There are many different modes for you to play including Challenge, Versus, and Puzzle. Challenge Mode includes many different options such as high score, single skin, and time attacks. Challenge is where you will spend the majority of your time trying to beat your high score and unlock more skins. Honestly to think a game would come out in 2007 where your goal was to beat your high score seems kind of ancient, but that is why Lumines Plus succeeds in bringing you back to the root of a true video game. Addictive, Visually Rewarding, Interesting, and Entertaining. If you are curious about the game play mechanics your best bet is to go buy this game, it's too affordable to not be part of your PS2 collection. The best part about the game play is that the controls are very responsive. Also the other game modes are just as fun and a nice change of pace from trying to beat your score. I really enjoyed the Puzzle mode just as much the Challenge Mode. In the Puzzle mode you will focus on building shapes in a certain time limit, which is challenging and great for training you how to play in different ways. The versus mode is standard fare and definitely will be the draw for many gamers.

Music and Sound: 10/10

By far the most pleasing thing about this game is that the music doesn't drive you insane. I can't name the number of games anymore that I just turn down so I don't have to lose my mental rhythm due to the atrocity of an idiot at a keyboard. The music in Lumines Plus is gathered from Lumines 1 and 2. It contains a slew of great artists that push the soundtrack well beyond even the best video game soundtracks of the last decade. Sound effects and timed musical sequences correspond with successful actions, causing the song on the level you are playing to change according to your actions. In this the way the player becomes part of the song and will start playing in rhythm with the music. The whole experience must be felt rather than described at length. Regardless this is an incredible soundtrack and the selections push this game far above most in the music genre. Sound effects are all great as well and out do any puzzle game sound effects so far. I enjoy them so much I actually turn the TV up while I play so I can feel the rumble and flash. It should be noted that I am one of those insane fans of music that listens to everything and actually knows a great deal about music. Of course all music is a personal opinion, but these songs are all good from multiple perspectives.

Replayability: 10/10

I accidentally played this game all day the other day. I thought I would get sick of it after an hour or so but I never did. I was obsessed with unlocking more skins and beating my high score, achieving new strategies, and winding down in the Puzzle Mode. There is enough here to keep you plugging away at it for a while, and since the final Skins take megalithic achievement to unlock, you will probably always play this game in lame hopes you will be good enough. I'm sure once you unlock most of the skins that this game will fade a bit, but playing versus mode and trying to unlock all the puzzles will definitely take a while. The truth to a good puzzle game is that this is the only score that matters. Puzzle games by their very nature are simple and repetitive in their presentation, but immensely complex in play. I am a huge puzzle game fan and I consider this to be far more interesting than Bust-A-Move and Katamari Damacy were, which were both great puzzle games.

OVERALL: 9.5

Rarely do games come along that are still part of a genre but completely original at the same time. Fans of music and puzzle games should definitely buy this game instead of renting. I only rate games this high if I believe they have over 100 hours of fully enjoyable gameplay. I had to round up to 10 because of course the game isn't perfect, it's just close enough.

Weaknesses
The only weaknesses are typical of puzzle games and PSP conversions, the graphics could be better, their aren't as many game play modes as there could be, and there's a lot of good material from Lumines I and II that was cut. All of these complaints are so minor when compared to Sound, Music and Game Play that it is of little consequence.

Best Comparison: Rez, Dr. Mario, Klax, and of course Tetris.

Buy don't Rent.

If you own the PSP versions and are comparing this version, I have never played them so good luck in making your decision.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/25/07