Lumines II doesn’t look to revolutionise the game’s successful formula, which in effect, is a good thing. As in the previous title, the general objective of this puzzler was to clear blocks while at the same time, making sure that the screen doesn’t fill up. Lumines gave you two different coloured blocks, that were dropped in clusters of four. You’re objective was to join as many of the blocks together to form squares and rectangles. In the meantime, a vertical bar known as the “timeline” is constantly sweeping across the screen and clearing any squares and rectangles that have been formed.
As simple as this may sound, the puzzle solving is actually quite sophisticated, engaging and even addictive. Where as some modern puzzlers seem to swamp the player with a frenetic pace, Lumines was more about “chilling” for long sessions while giving your brain a good work out. The other part of Lumines that made it so attractive was the music. The game contained what were termed as “skins”. Each skin represented a different background and song that you would do your block clearing to. It worked very well, as the selection of music really suited the mood and style of gameplay quite well.
Lumines is back
In reality, the core gameplay hasn’t changed much in Lumines II. In fact it’s pretty much identical to its predecessor. The main purpose of Lumines II it seems is to fill up a good concept with more content and modes. Even though the concept was a simple one to learn, the developers have added a tutorial mode to help out beginners and to help understand a few more of the little intricacies that can be found in the system.
The Challenge mode has been made deeper by adding a few different difficulty levels. It’s still a free-for-all where you keep playing for as long as you can/want, until your screen is full. It also unlocks new skins as you play. The Puzzle mode was one of the more intriguing additions to the first game and continues to be a pretty good hook, with even more puzzles to go through. The challenge here, is to create a designated shape by using the one block colour. The time attack mode has been expanded by adding the option to play for five and ten minutes. This should please a few of the fans of the last game, as this allows you a bit more freedom and time to chill.
Some of the new modes that have been added on top of the older modes includes Mission mode. This is a set of 50 scenarios that require you to satisfy an objective, which will include clear all the blocks within a certain number of block drops. There are a few that will take a mere 10 seconds but the difficulty progresses quite nicely afterwards. You’re not likely to adore every single one of the skins that is available in the game, so it’s handy that there is now a Skin Edit mode. Skins that you have already unlocked can be rearranged into a more favourable order. Chances are, that there will be at least a handful of likeable skins.
Get out of the way!
Probably the biggest addition to Lumines II is the Sequencer mode. It plays just like it sounds. You have eight music sheets, where you can place notes and sound effects in order to create your own music tracks to play with. You’ve also got the option to choose sound effects and backgrounds skins for your created tunes. It’s a great option that adds flexibility and depth to an already great game. The only issue we found with it is that if you’re knowledge of music and editing is anything short of strong or very good, there isn’t much help to explain how it could be done. It would be a shame if players were unable to utilise this mode, just because they don’t quite understand the dynamics.
The game does a pretty good job when it comes to tracking the player’s stats. Pretty much every single thing that you in the game will be tracked. You can save after every round of block clearing. On top of these modes that let you play on your own, you’ve got the option to duel the CPU or to duel against a friend. Furthermore, you are able to share your all your stats and the music tracks that you have created with friends. Lumines II also holds a unique appeal, in that you can play it for long and short periods, with each deriving the desired amount of satisfaction.
Part of the appeal behind the original Lumines, was its stylish presentation that set it apart from the average puzzler. The direction and style of the presentation set up a mood for the game that is unparalleled and worked very nicely. Lumines II comes in a bunch of new skins but the general direction of the style remains the same. The primary addition has been that of music videos that play in the background. They don’t quite have the same effect as the skins and at times, they seem like they don’t quite fit into the overall game. Still, it does add something new to the game.
Music videos are a mixed addition
Visually, it’s obvious that the game is quite similar to its predecessor. As mentioned, skins are new and shiny. There are a wide variety of colours and styles, that are in the least, some of the most impressive stylistic presentations to be found on the PSP. The music video’s in the least, are clean and play well. The general presentation of the game takes itself a bit more seriously, and comes of cleaner and more functional than before.
The sound in the game is one of the most important aspects of the game. The music is part of what made the original Lumines experience. So it’s a little disappointing to see that the English version of the game has been filled with high-profile chart-friendly tracks, from groups such as the Black Eyed Peas, Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim and Junkie XL. There are tracks from Shinichi Osawa and Ken Ishii, though fans will be disappointed that the Japanese version would most likely contain tracks that are deemed more appropriate. Regardless, they do a decent job. We would have preferred that the game kept it’s themes but it’s not as if the game is now ruined.
Lumines II improves the Lumines formula by adding in more modes and more options for customizing your experience. Otherwise, the gameplay is essentially identical to the way it was the first time around. The sequencer is probably the biggest and most substantial addition but we’re a little disappointed that mainly music aficionados will be the ones to make good use of it. While the music selection is a little disappointing, it hardly ruins the experience. Lumines II is still a great game and if you missed out the first time, this time it’s really worth taking a look at.
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