Lumines Plus PlayStation 2

Lumines comes to PS2 in Lumines Plus, following the success of the original release on PSP. The console version adds new "skins" and a headtohead battle mode for competition against the computer or another player. Produced by innovative rhythm game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Space Channel 5, Rez), Lumines is an action puzzle that sets Tetrisstyle blockpacking to the groove of music.

The game pieces are small blocks in two colors. Fourblock squares usually containing blocks of both colors drop from the top of the screen, and the goal is to arrange them to create rectangular patterns of four or more blocks of the same color as the pieces pile up at the bottom of the screen. A "timeline" rhythmically sweeps lefttoright across the screen and clears away any colormatched rectangles, causing the remaining pieces to drop.

As in Tetris, if the pile of blocks stacks up to the top of the screen, the game ends. As the game progresses, pieces fall more quickly from the top of the screen, while the blockclearing "timeline" does not move any faster. This reduces the speed at which individual blocks can be removed from the playfield, but increases the possibilities for highscoring, singleswipe combos. The PSP's Lumines supports twoplayer competition through a wireless connection. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide