Since the Tetris/Game Boy bundle in 1989, block-dropping puzzles have been used to show both the hardcore and mainstream markets what handheld systems are capable of. Following this trend, Ubisoft's new puzzler, Lumines, exemplifies the evolution of gameplay and style that Sony seems to be reaching for with its new PSP console.Designed by Testuya Mizuguchi, the creative mind behind Rez (a cult favorite on the PS2), Lumines combines the familiar controls of falling block games with elements of rhythm games. Your task is to position squares as they drop from above, and to keep them from piling up to the top of the screen. Each square is composed of four smaller squares in one of two different colors. Creating a 2x2 or larger block of the same color will allow that block to be cleared from the screen, thus making room for more pieces.

Lumines is unique, however, because of what happens after your pieces are ready to clear. Completed blocks don't immediately disappear, but instead change color and stay on-screen-and in your way-until they are swept away by a vertical bar called the timeline. Like most great design concepts, the timeline is easy to explain: it is a deceptively simple, thin line that sweeps across the screen from left to right in time with the music, eliminating blocks as it passes.

It's an interesting idea in itself, but linking it to music is the masterstroke that makes Lumines shine. Different levels have different skins, which are a combination of graphics, sounds, and music. As the timeline changes speed with the music, the soundtrack begins to drive the excitement instead of merely reflecting it. The collection of Japanese club music is integrated into the action very well, with the sound effects of moving blocks fading into the songs like another instrument.

Most of the goals center on achieving a high score rather than clearing a certain number of blocks. Scores really begin to soar when you become proficient at chaining larger groups of cleared blocks together before the timeline sweeps past. Players will be forced to stay on their toes, however, due to the variable speed of the timeline from level to level. At first, it seems counterintuitive that some levels slow the pace down instead of speeding it up, but a slower timeline means more uncleared blocks on the screen. This leads to a more varied and interesting challenge than simply ramping up the speed to impossible heights.

Of course, the game provides a little assistance for the occasions where things just back up beyond your control. Special squares, when linked properly, can clear chains all the way across the PSP's huge screen. Lumines takes advantage of every bit of real estate available on the wide LCD, and Mizuguchi's design fits it perfectly. As the timeline drives relentlessly from left to right, paying attention to the full width of the playing area becomes imperative. This is a definite shift away from the standard mentality of vertical stacking, and it further separates Lumines from its forebears.

Thankfully, Lumine's controls received the same detailed attention as its music. In little time, it becomes second nature to manipulate the pieces. As you would expect, it is just as easy to subtly nudge a piece into place as it is to fling it across the screen at the last second. Perhaps more important is the fine-tuning that apparently took place in every aspect of the title. The long loading lags between songs that plagued the Japanese version have been eliminated, and there is now nothing to interrupt the flow from level to level.

Challenge mode is where most players will spend their time, clearing level after level and unlocking more skins before topping out. These unlocked skins can then be used for practice in Single Skin mode. A real change of pace is offered by Puzzle mode, in which players are allowed only a few seconds to copy a specific pattern-creating everything from letters to animals in the process. Time Attack, not surprisingly, sets a time limit and challenges you to clear as many blocks as possible before time runs out. This mode rewards you with icons that can be used to identify yourself in multiplayer games.

The two-player mode pits players against one another in a fight for on-screen real estate. Each player controls half of the playing field, and whoever clear blocks more quickly will begin to squeeze the other player into the wall. Before long, the losing player will have nowhere to put pieces except the top of the screen. Most players will give up on challenging the very difficult CPU in this mode, but will enjoy the opportunity to play against someone with another PSP. Although it only supports the local connections (no internet), the two-player game is frantic fun that shouldn't be missed.

It sometimes seems that there is an infinite supply of Tetris knockoffs in the gaming world, but Lumines proves that it is still possible to do something innovative and bring new ideas to the table. More than just a well-designed puzzle game, Lumines has that rare spark that turns a simple task into a trance-inducing experience. It is a game with lasting appeal, and it is arguably the best title of the PSP's launch.

Mar 26, 2005 | 0 comments
Robert Franklin