Lumines

Lumines is a completely addictive puzzler, sort of like a cross between Tetris and a music video. The better you play, the better the sound effects go with the music, creating a Zen-like state of absorption. I found this to be a great way to soothe away the stress induced by more difficult, frustrating games. Check it out, even if you don't usually play puzzlers.

When I first got Lumines, I thought I'd just pop the disc in to make sure it worked, and then go to bed. I surfaced an hour later.

The Premise

Blocks drop from the top of the screen, a la Tetris. Each block is divided into four smaller squares, and each of the smaller squares can be one of two colors. Move the blocks side-to-side and rotate them to match up the squares; blocks of four (or more) the same disappear. The bigger the block of matching colors and the better the combos, the higher the score.

As you advance through the levels, you unlock new background skins (they get more distracting the farther you go), the sounds change and the blocks drop faster. It all adds up to a game that's easy to pick up and get into, but a continuing challenge.

The Graphics

The visuals are as mesmerizing as the sounds and the gameplay. Each skin is a different combination of cg and photographic elements, moving things and lights. To be honest, I tried as hard as I could to ignore the backgrounds, since they too easily distracted from the blocks (that's not a bad thing, though; it ups the challenge with each level). I got the impression of crisp, colorful visuals.

The Music

It's almost worth the price of the game just for the music. The opening song, "Shinin'" was my favorite, and made me wish the UMD had an option for just listening to the songs without playing the game. Still, it's not like the game is a punishment; just the opposite, in fact. Highly recommended.