Welcome to Modojo, 
Lumines Review
Written by Chris Buffa on Sunday, March 20, 2005
User Score
Beautiful in its execution of a simple concept, the game is quite an experience.
The difficulty of the later skins may deter some from unlocking all the skins.
It goes without saying that every portable system needs a phenomenal puzzle game, preferably available at launch. The most famous is Tetris, Alexy Pajitnov's one and only hit that launched Nintendo's Game Boy into millions of homes, and for years it's sat atop a thrown as the greatest of all time, a long-standing record that wasn't challenged by such hits as KLAX, Columns, and Chu Chu Rocket.
However, records are made to be smashed into oblivion, and it's here, my friends, that we experience a glorious changing of the guard. Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the father of the tantalizing Rez and the stylish Space Channel 5 has delivered unto us a remarkable puzzle game entitled Lumines. A spectacular blend of styles, it's the must-buy Sony PSP launch title, the killer app that, although it may not have the same impact Tetris had many years ago, now stands alone at the top of the heap.
I'm certainly not going to dazzle you by saying Lumines is a completely unique gameplay experience, because when stripped of its core elements it's just a falling block game. On the flip side the same can be said of Street Fighter 2 being just a fighting game or Burnout 3 just a racer. Like those games, the Lumines concept is deceptively simple. Spread across the PSP's screen is a grid, and falling from the top of it are squares composed of four blocks each that are one of two colors or a mixture. The goal is to line up four mini squares of the same color whereby they disappear, but the game's much more complicated than that.
Like Tetris, you'll see which blocks are on deck to fall next. In fact, you'll see several of them, but because this game is all about making precise and split decisions it's difficult to take your eyes off what you're supposed to be doing If Lumines were to have an alternate name it'd be I wish I hadn't done that because even the slightest wrong move can have serious consequences. As blocks drop into place or split apart as you rest an edge atop a corner, wrong moves will cause them pile up, and much like Tetris and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, once you run out of space the game's over.
Judging it as a falling block game, Lumines is solid but not amazing. There's nothing about matching like colors that thrills me, but with this game it's what's going on while you're clearing squares that makes it so incredible. Lumines contains this amazing soundtrack that's perfectly fused into the puzzle experience, the result being this marvelous blending of genres that produces a game the likes of which you've never played before.
As I mentioned, the primary goal in Lumines is to match like colors and rack up combos while at the same time surviving long enough to reach the next level (called a skin). There are well over thirty skins in the game, and each features different-colored blocks, graphical effects, and songs. The game's exquisite soundtrack, kicked off by Mondo Grosso's Shinin', is clearly its best component with an eclectic mix of songs expertly stirred to provide something for almost everyone. While the majority of the game features techno, there are also some J-pop and hip-hop styled themes, but the great thing about Lumines is you just don't listen to the music but sort of act as a conductor.
While the theme plays in the background regardless of what you're doing, you're able to enhance it by clearing large portions of blocks as well as moving them across the screen. One of the best parts of this game is when you manage to take a diamond block (a square that has a small crystal inside of it) and eliminate more than half of the board in a single shot, not only because you'll breathe a sigh of relief but also because it produces a neat effect that makes the music more enjoyable.
If the Lumines soundtrack is red wine for the ears, its visuals are a feast for the eyes. An amazing blend of video, light show, and still shots, the game is quite captivating. In fact, it's one of the best-looking PSP launch games simply because it shows off the type of effects that the system is capable of. Dreamy and just plain cool, the graphics only add to the experience.
Unlike other puzzle games, Lumines has quite a few options. There's a Puzzle Mode that challenges you to make specific shapes with blocks, and there are a host of characters you can select from and unlock that are used to represent you. In addition to that there's also Single Skin Mode so you can replay your favorite song, and Time Attack. Lastly, there's a Vs. Mode for two players where the screen is divided into two equal parts, the goal being to rack up more combo points and clear more blocks than your opponent so your side gets bigger while theirs becomes tinier. As far as the PSP's Wi-Fi is concerned, it works beautifully with no problem ever in sight.
Although the game's various modes are enjoyable, its Challenge Mode is the most important. It's all about reaching the next level, or in Lumines' case, the next fantastic song. My only complaint, and it's very minor, is the game's lack of difficulty modes. Because some of the later skins are so hard to get past some of you may not unlock all of the skins, a shame since all of the music is worth listening to.
Lumines is to the PSP what Tetris is to the Game Boy. This is the reason to purchase the system, but its significance goes far beyond just being another quality puzzler. Not only does Mizuguchi's masterpiece match Pajitnov's classic title, but it surpasses it, capturing the crown that's been held by Russia's greatest game for over a decade. Like waves crashing onto a white sandy beach, it's a spectacular elemental fusion that lulls you into a zen-like state, a type of serenity that relaxes your body as well as your mind as you peacefully walk its shores. An artistic achievement and a must buy, Lumines is therapy for the soul.
