Lumines

"Puzzle Fusion."

Introduction

In honour of the PSP releasing today (Mar 24, I realize this review will be posted tomorrow at the earliest so its technically not "today" tomorrow. Today... being... Mar 24. Ow, my head...), I am going to write a review on the primary launch game I have, Lumines. Believe me, its not like I couldn't afford more (which I can't), it's that this is the #1 game I've been anticipating for the PSP. Thanks to positive feedback on the game I was hearing on the boards, it was the first game I got.

Graphics

There is a part of me that will always know that puzzles games don't need the most cutting edge graphics; it's all about the gameplay. Either the graphics make the gameplay more or less enjoyable to play overall in a puzzle game, and Lumines' graphics are very appealing. The blocks are so clean, the backgrounds are vibrant and fantastic and the sleek menus make the whole game a pleasure to play. Cons to the graphics? None that I can note. They work exceptionally well with Lumines.

9/10

Sound

Sound Effects - Cute. Not much to say about it, other than the sound effects differ depending on the "skin" you're using, same deal with the music. Even though there isn't much to say about the sound effects, they're top notch. Entirely top notch.

Music - A big factor of the game is the music, and it does not disappoint. Throughout the different skins you encounter you will find more and more enjoyable music. From pop to techno to industrial, the music gets you pumped to keep going. It works seamlessly well with the style of the game.

10/10

Gameplay

Lumines works like Tetris on some levels in the gameplay. You try to create squares and rectangles of the same colour out of many blocks (which only contain 2 colours). Once you make these shapes, the blocks become all illuminated. Meanwhile, there is a "timeline" sweeping across the stage at all times. When the illuminated blocks get scanned by the timeline they disappear. Sound easy? Well it isn't. On the higher levels not only do the blocks fall faster, the timeline gets SLOWER so you have you wait a bit for the illuminated blocks to disappear. This gets very difficult. The whole appearance of the skin you're using is based on the music and sound effect, too. This makes the game a joy to play.

There are a nice handful of modes to choose from, including time trials (get a high amount of deleted blocks in an allotted time), challenge mode (try to get as far as you can and unlock more skins), puzzle mode (try to make certain shapes out of a colour and have them surrounded by the opposite corner), versing the computer (this unlocks little avatars in the corner of the screen), and 2 player versus.

The versus mode is very creative and a lot of fun. What happens is both players get a certain amount of the screen. If you get enough combos and blocks the screen pushes in on the opponent's space, meaning you get more space and the opponents get less room to work with. It's sort of like a little tug of war... Lumines style. The gameplay is top notch, along with the sound.

10/10

Replay

It's a top notch puzzle game. Do the math. Besides, it's also addicting as hell. In fact, I'm resisting the urge to play it as I type.

Pros
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+ FANTASTIC sound
+ Pretty graphics
+ Addicting like CRACK >=(
+ Plenty of modes
+ Will last a long time

Cons
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- Um... it hurts my ears if I have its sound on full blast with the headphones on.

Final verdict: 10/10

~ Sunny

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/25/05