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Ever since it was released in 2005, "Lumines" has remained one of Q Entertainment's popular games. A puzzle/strategy game that combines addictive gameplay with a refreshing presentation (involving some rather creative musical choices), "Lumines" has gone on to success on a number of platforms, including as a downloadable game through Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, and on the mobile front. Now the series is making a return in its biggest game to date, scheduled to arrive next month as part of the PlayStation Vita's launch line-up.
Titled "Lumines: Electronic Symphony," the game, released by Ubisoft, will bring back all the great elements that made the game such a hit in the first place, while also including some new ingredients that will guarantee that replayability will never fade. Q Entertainment, headed up by game development legend Tetsuya Mizuguchi, is once again behind the wheel, so you can expect a wide assortment of crazy, colorful backgrounds and upbeat music choices that will turn your PS Vita into a party machine.
In case you've never played "Lumines" - well, shame on you. But it's never too late to join the fun. The game has you arranging blocks, made up of two simplistic color shades, and rotating them onto a playfield so that you form rectangular shapes and squares. A passing bar runs vertically across the screen, and clears away any highlighted squares on the screen, giving you more room to lay incoming ones down. The goal of the game is to prevent the screen from filling up, chaining together bigger color pieces and occasionally gaining "plus" blocks, which eliminate any similar color blocks they're touching. Really, you just need to play it to get the idea.
That's because Q Entertainment has made the presentation an essential part of the game. Rather than just providing background noise and wallpaper, it actually integrates itself into the gameplay. Everything that you do with the block on the playfield has an effect on the soundtrack, as little noises play along with the music depending on what you're doing. Furthermore, with each change in background, the colors of the shapes change as well, mixing in vibrantly with what's happening on-screen. There are so many skins to check out here - with a number of unlockable ones to boot - that you'll be curious to see what comes next. Who knows, you just might start to like a few of them for permanent use.
The previous versions of "Lumines," including "Plus" on XBLA and "Supernova" on PSN, have provided plenty of great backgrounds and music in the past, and "Electronic Symphony" will do the same for PS Vita, with some old favorites mixed in with new ones, creating an experience that's well worth checking out. And the gameplay should work just fine across the board, between the use of the analog stick and the D-pad, so you can lay your pieces down with precision and speed.
But this version of "Lumines" will come with a surprising new bonus feature -- extra gameplay options. See, the Vita comes with an interactive touch screen, along with the touch pad on the back, and that opens up a possible new way to play. While the back pad isn't really used, the front is, simply by tapping to rotate blocks and dragging your fingers to move them around and place them wherever you wish. It's optional, though, so you can play the old fashioned way, if you prefer it.
"Electronic Symphony" will also retain a new 3-D-like appearance, but the general presentation should remain the same. This newfangled look, combined with the energetic soundtrack, should really get you further into the game, especially when you're competing for high scores or unlockable goodies.
And that brings us to the new XP system, which will allow you to unlock a number of new bonuses in "Electronic Symphony." With each game you play, you gain points that can then be spent on customized skins, as well as avatars that can help define your specific style. What's more, avatars can be used specifically for play in both single and multiplayer, in case you feel like intimidating someone when you play online through the PlayStation Network.
We've loved "Lumines" for the past few years, and there's no reason for that love to stop now. The new game looks great, and the gameplay options, both touch-screen and traditional, should definitely keep old and fresh players drawn to it for quite some time. Be sure to check back when Lumines: Electronic Symphony drops its mad groove next month.
For the latest information about videogames, visit http://www.gamerlive.tv
Ever since it was released in 2005, "Lumines" has remained one of Q Entertainment's popular games. A puzzle/strategy game that combines addictive gameplay with a refreshing presentation (involving some rather creative musical choices), "Lumines" has gone on to success on a number of platforms, including as a downloadable game through Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, and on the mobile front. Now the series is making a return in its biggest game to date, scheduled to arrive next month as part of the PlayStation Vita's launch line-up.
Titled "Lumines: Electronic Symphony," the game, released by Ubisoft, will bring back all the great elements that made the game such a hit in the first place, while also including some new ingredients that will guarantee that replayability will never fade. Q Entertainment, headed up by game development legend Tetsuya Mizuguchi, is once again behind the wheel, so you can expect a wide assortment of crazy, colorful backgrounds and upbeat music choices that will turn your PS Vita into a party machine.
In case you've never played "Lumines" - well, shame on you. But it's never too late to join the fun. The game has you arranging blocks, made up of two simplistic color shades, and rotating them onto a playfield so that you form rectangular shapes and squares. A passing bar runs vertically across the screen, and clears away any highlighted squares on the screen, giving you more room to lay incoming ones down. The goal of the game is to prevent the screen from filling up, chaining together bigger color pieces and occasionally gaining "plus" blocks, which eliminate any similar color blocks they're touching. Really, you just need to play it to get the idea.
That's because Q Entertainment has made the presentation an essential part of the game. Rather than just providing background noise and wallpaper, it actually integrates itself into the gameplay. Everything that you do with the block on the playfield has an effect on the soundtrack, as little noises play along with the music depending on what you're doing. Furthermore, with each change in background, the colors of the shapes change as well, mixing in vibrantly with what's happening on-screen. There are so many skins to check out here - with a number of unlockable ones to boot - that you'll be curious to see what comes next. Who knows, you just might start to like a few of them for permanent use.
The previous versions of "Lumines," including "Plus" on XBLA and "Supernova" on PSN, have provided plenty of great backgrounds and music in the past, and "Electronic Symphony" will do the same for PS Vita, with some old favorites mixed in with new ones, creating an experience that's well worth checking out. And the gameplay should work just fine across the board, between the use of the analog stick and the D-pad, so you can lay your pieces down with precision and speed.
But this version of "Lumines" will come with a surprising new bonus feature -- extra gameplay options. See, the Vita comes with an interactive touch screen, along with the touch pad on the back, and that opens up a possible new way to play. While the back pad isn't really used, the front is, simply by tapping to rotate blocks and dragging your fingers to move them around and place them wherever you wish. It's optional, though, so you can play the old fashioned way, if you prefer it.
"Electronic Symphony" will also retain a new 3-D-like appearance, but the general presentation should remain the same. This newfangled look, combined with the energetic soundtrack, should really get you further into the game, especially when you're competing for high scores or unlockable goodies.
And that brings us to the new XP system, which will allow you to unlock a number of new bonuses in "Electronic Symphony." With each game you play, you gain points that can then be spent on customized skins, as well as avatars that can help define your specific style. What's more, avatars can be used specifically for play in both single and multiplayer, in case you feel like intimidating someone when you play online through the PlayStation Network.
We've loved "Lumines" for the past few years, and there's no reason for that love to stop now. The new game looks great, and the gameplay options, both touch-screen and traditional, should definitely keep old and fresh players drawn to it for quite some time. Be sure to check back when Lumines: Electronic Symphony drops its mad groove next month.
For the latest information about videogames, visit http://www.gamerlive.tv
