Why are we as a species so easily amused? Here's a game that involves nothing but putting dual-colored blocks in groups of four and we're entertained. You could almost see yourself doing something similar at work. Then again, it's not exactly important to get theological about it. "Lumines" is just one of the best launch titles for the PSP, either just behind or equal with "Ridge Racer."
That description above really is all you need to do. As you move blocks along the playfield (one that uses the entire wide screen display), you connect blocks of the same color. There are only two colors, never any more. The only additional challenge comes from the speed at which the blocks of four fall. Of course, it's not that simple; it never is.
Combo strings are the key to racking up insane scores. Your real skills and reaction times are tested as you struggle to drop blocks fast enough to beat out the little ship scrolling at the top of the screen (which clears out completed sections). At times, it seems like that rocket never moves fast enough as the screen fills up and pressure mounts.
You can tackle a variety of play modes, though they are standard for the puzzle genre. The basic game will let you play forever, unlocking new background skins as you go. Puzzle mode is brutal, requiring players to clear a screen in as few a moves as possible. Time attack can be set to a plethora of different ranges, from a meager 60 seconds all the way up to 10 minutes. Finally, you can play the multi-player (or single player) versus mode. As combos are made, the losing players' screen is scrunched down until they have no more room to maneuver.
There's really almost nothing to complain about. All of this offers up a nice variation on the standard gameplay and unlocking everything the game has to offer is going to take a while. The controls are precise and responsive. The only thing really holding it back from absolute perfection is the simplicity of it all. It's just too simple. There's only one type of special block (that destroys all linked blocks of the same color when part of a completed section), and you almost wish there was something else in here to break things up occasionally. You could also say that "Tetris" doesn't even have anything special about it, but the gameplay in that classic is a little deeper with a little more thought process involved.
Article comments
1 - RC
I agree I love this game. Although I do wish there was more and I wish I had a modem to play psp online. The music is gripping and the graphics our fantastic. I can play puzzle mod to save my life though. If anyone has tips on that first one please let me know. the one that looks like a cross.