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Lumines 2 (PSP)
by eternal-rapture
Can I just say right off the bat...This is one of my favourite puzzle-type games OF ALL TIME. Lumines is addictive beyond belief, and a fantastic game to just carry about in your PSP for a quick game when you're waiting in line at the checkout or sitting on the bus, but make sure you remember to get off at your stop because believe me, ... you can get pretty absorbed in this game.
A very simple concept, this game resembles an update of tetris. Rather than different shaped blocks, squares made up of 4 blocks fall from the top of the screen, each block being one of two colours. You then rotate these squares to connect at least 4 small blocks of the same colour, which then disappear. While this may sound complicated, it is actually extremely simple and very easy to get the hang of.
Add to this winning concept the amazing graphics, constantly changing colour schemes, an energetic techno soundtrack, and you have a game you will not want to put down. EVER. As you progress further and further into each level, the action gradually speeds up, reaching a frantic pace that will have your heart racing, no joke.
There are varying difficulty levels, each with its own songs and themes, which you will unlock as you progress. You can then use these unlocked songs to create your own 'playlist' and completely personalise your game. There are also puzzle levels when you have to create certain patterns of colour before the time runs out, and a kind of 'story mode' where you must compete against a series of creatures to unlock yet more goodies.
Really, I think if you own a PSP, you can't afford to NOT have this game. It's just endless fun, in my opinion completely flawless, and definately one of my favourite games.
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Lumines 2 (PSP)
by davomrmac
Being a total gaming freak, of my two portable consoles my Nintendo DS Lite gets the most attention. However, Lumines II on the PSP is one of my favourites. The graphics are far superior on the Sony PSP, but the games are often lacking in addictiveness. Lumines 2, like the original, is a modern take on the classic Tetris ... game.
The main aim of the game is to build blocks into squares of four matching colours. The background graphics are crazy, so so colourful ranging from plain to photographic backgrounds. As the levels progress, the colours of the blocks, the backgrounds and the music changes, but without pause... this is a good idea, as it makes the game trickier as everything changes mid-play.
As I mentioned, the background music... this is very good, custom tunes, or actual music tracks from the likes of the Black Eyed Peas. The pace of the music sometimes fools you into looking faster for the colour matches. Plus there are bonuses to be picked up for getting larger blocks of the same colour, or for eradicating a colour completely. If you get the latter, it is often possible to repeat the colour clearance and really rack up the points.
One player is great, plus there is also a two player wireless option. This is one of the better PSP games and well worth a try. I paid £11.99 for my copy and feel it is worth it, now at under a fiver it is a bargain.
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Lumines 2 (PSP)
by eggshine
Lumines is back, and this time its set to be even better than its first outing on PSP. But does the Lumines 2 beat its younger sibling?
Gameplay:
Lumines is a basic puzzle game that combines music and classic puzzle action. Its what you would expect to get if you sent Tetris off to a dance club, with a pocket packed full ... of speed. The idea of the game is to get as many points as possible by making squares. Squares can be made when 4 blocks of the same colour make a 2x2 box. There is only ever 2 different coloured blocks in the gameplay at one time and so you only have 2 things to aim for. As you aim to make squares, different 2x2 blocks will fall from the top in different combinations of the 2 colours. Like Tetris these blocks can be rotated and dropped so that the player has full control over how the blocks like. Unlike Tetris blocks will keep falling until they hit the floor or another block so the only 'gaps' that are left are the area at the top, above all the blocks. A square is vanishes and adds to the score when the timeline bar swipes across the screen and over the square that has been made. Depending on the skin (aka. level) the speed of the timeline varies. More points can be made by combining squares together and so each possible square within the shape counts. For example if there are two same coloured squares side by side it counts as three squares because there is the left square, middle square, and right square. Once you become an advanced player you will be able to make squares incredibly fast and have full control over the playing area, knowing exactly what is there and moving at the speed of light! You will also know patterns in using different blocks to create different arrangments of squares, and so in no time you will be racking up those high scores.
Visuals:
Lumines 2 is exciting to watch, even if you are not playing the game. Each skin looks completely different and is a new experience. Different skins can also make the gameplay harder or easier depending on a few factors. Skins all have videos that play in the background, behind the main action of tha game, if the song is a fully liscensed song, the video will the official music video to the song, if it is not then the video will be an interesting mikx of graphical and real visuals. This makes the gameplay new with each level. Also the colours and looks of the blocks will change with each skin, sometimes the blocks will be square shaped but sometimes they may be circular. If they are circular or the colours are very similiar this can make it harder to view which changes the difficulty of the level. The speed of the timeline bar can also change which gives you less time to make arrangements of squares, the other speed that changes is the time a new block is held at the top of the screen for. The harder skins hold it here for a shorter time which gives you much less time to choose where to place it.
Sound:
Each skin in Lumines 2 has a different song, some of these songs are fully liscensed songs which can make it more appealing to players. Artists in Lumines 2 include Gwen Stefani, Black Eyed Peas, Fatboy Slim and Missy Elliot. These songs make playing Lumines 2 a fresh experience for original Lumines fans. If you find you get bored with the included songs you can even make your own tunes with backgrounds too with the sequencer, this lets you place notes and different sounds where you want to your liking.
Lumines 2 features a variety of different game modes, the challenge mode includes Class B, Class A and Class S, ranging from beginner to ultimate advanced players. In this mode you can unlock new skins to use. There is also skin edit mode which lets you choose which skins you want to play. There is also mission mode, this mode gives you tasks to do which you have to complete within the certain time limit. Tasks may involve creating shapes (like animals or figures) or eliminating certain blocks. There is also a VS mode, this contains a split screen that will move from side to side to either aid the better player or to make it harder for the worse player by giving them less space.
This is an incredible game, and is a fresh experience from the normal remakes of classic puzzle games. I think this is an improvement from the first game thanks to the new and improved visuals, and liscensed songs. It is endlessly replayable thanks to the vast amount of skins included and the new ability to create your own songs in the sequencer. The skin edit mode is also a cool new feature which makes the game fully customisable to the player, and if your friends have the game you can trade custom playlists and songs with each other. The only downsides are the few confusing skins that are included due to similiar colours in blocks and the background, but this is partly intentional to make certain skins more difficult. If you own a PSP and you want a game simply to fill time spent on buses, or to entertain you at home then i recommend this game as it caters for all occasions. Its quick to learn but takes a long time to master but it will have you addicted instantly. A must have for Puzzle Lovers and Music Lovers.
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