Lumines Plus

Lumines Plus Description

The Game Boy had Tetris, the Game Gear Columns, and the Nintendo DS boasted Polarium at its launch. The PSP has Lumines, widely regarded as one of the best puzzle games of all time, and now Disney is bringing the smash hit to the PS2. Some deep-seated human instinct allows us to derive enormous satisfaction from bringing order to a chaotic assortment of blocks. It is the manipulation of this mysterious instinct that gives so many puzzle video games their greatness, and Lumines is no different. In this case you are dealt square after square, each containing a permutation of four squares in two colours. Sort them right (you guessed it, like colours must be placed with like), and the troublesome blocks are magicked away. The real genius of Lumines though is the graphical and audio rewards when you do get it right. The game uses bursts of light and music that have been specially formulated in a laboratory to push the happy buttons in your brain. The result is waves of satisfaction and happiness washing over your body as you progress in the game. The music becomes more and more intense the longer you keep going. Work your way through 24 levels, each with its own sound effects and music. Various gameplay modes are featured - predictably time attacks, and puzzle challenges. There's also a nifty multi-player mode that allows you to compete with another Luminicist and push them right off the screen in a shower of light and groovy music. The PS2 version also adds a host of brand new skins to customise your block-magicking experience.