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Lumines Mobile -Q Entertainment / Gameloft (2006) -played on a Samsung A930
Summary Clear the blocks to the techno vibe with a sad bunny and a devil at your side. My Thoughts Lumines was the must-have puzzle game that debuted on the PSP. Nay, it was the game to have on the PSP. People marveled at its awesome soundtrack and addicting puzzle gameplay. Surprisingly, Lumines has made one of the best transitions to the mobile format. It is easily a must-have game for your phone and may even be better than the original. The soundtrack is a main part of the whole Lumines experience as the electronica beats set you into a groove as you clear blocks. A port to a mobile phone would basically mean that you’d be playing a silent version of Lumines. Decent music, let alone decent sound, of mobile phone games is very limited and you’re usually better having the sound off. With Lumines Mobile, on the other hand, you’ll want to crank up your phone speaker as loud as it can go. The first time I fired up mobile Lumines I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The music is unbelievably good for a cell phone game. Of course it’s not quite up there with the sound quality of the PSP version, but it’s damn good and better than any other phone game I’ve played.
Lumines’ gameplay is pretty simple, so it too was able to make a grand transition to the phone. You move and rotate blocks and watch them disappear or flash apart with big combos. But, with any puzzle game, the later stages get faster and harder, so mastering the game will not come soon. Alternate difficulty settings are available to those who think they are Lumines masters. I’d hate to say it, but I think I like mobile Lumines better than the PSP original. There are numerous additions that, once you play here, you’ll miss in the PSP version. First is a third block color. Usually you only have to deal with two block colors, but there will be times when you’ll be saddled with three. A couple new block shapes debut as well. There is a crazy s-shaped block and a piece that is three-wide instead of two. Arcade mode is another new addition which contains something else that makes this port even better: boss battles. After every two or three puzzles in arcade mode, you’ll face off against a boss. In these hectic battles the playing field is divided in the middle with a line. You need to clear the blocks faster and with better combos to push the line, making the boss’ playing field smaller. The boss is represented by a new avatar. Once you beat it you are able to select it as your own, should you so desire. If you need to end the game to answer a call or go back to work, don’t worry. Lumines saves your progress in a couple of modes at certain points, like after every boss battle in arcade, so all you would need to do is start back a stage or two to continue your game. Lumines has several other modes to choose from, such as challenge, shuffle, and time attack modes. There is single skin mode where you can go directly to a certain background and music selection. There is also puzzle mode, where you must create specific shapes with the blocks you are given. It is easily the most difficult thing in the game. With vibrant colors and backgrounds, excellent music, easy to get into gameplay, and near limitless challenge, Lumines Mobile is pretty much the perfect mobile phone game.
-Shawn
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