According to the Japanese, this is what you'll look like when you play the game.
“Roundabout” (Hosted by KHInsider)
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On the launch day of Sony PSP, I had to make the decision, of which launch game to settle on. With a student budget of £0, I didn’t have the luxury of such things as additional games! (Although technically, I didn’t have the luxury of getting a PSP on launch day either). Anyways, although I could have chosen “Metal Gear Acid” or “Wipeout Fusion”, it was “Lumines” that I went for. The checkout assistant had a look on his face like I was buying a porno magazine or something.
Anyways, like dumping the only girlfriend I’ve ever had and remaining single for over 7 years, its a decision I’ve not once regretted! Lumines is a life defining game for me, both in its presentation, and its unique gameplay.
Lumines is a healthy substitution for hallucinogenic drugs and hard rave music
From the moment I had learnt of the concept of the game on the internet, I knew it would be a game I would keep playing for months. What I didn’t expect though would that I’d end up playing it for a few years. Infact, its the only PSP game I’ve really liked. Whilst anyone I’ve seen play the game has huge difficulties trying to put together a simple square for the timeline to wipe, I seem to just continuously get huge chains. It comes with repeated play I guess, the select sequences that work come to you, you eventually stop thinking, and lose yourself in the game’s varied sound-scape.
The game puts you in a trance. Thats the best way to describe it.
I eventually sold my PSP in the last year of university, but when I got myself another a year into my new job, and the only means of hacking one was through an exploit introduced in Lumines, it was the perfect excuse for some nostalgic gameplay.
Alas though, the Lumines franchise has branched over to home consoles, so there was no reason for own a PSP anymore. I occasionally give the game a play on Xbox Live, and although I’m technically sucked deeper into the experience with my 5.1 surround, and 42 inch TV, its not the same. For me, Lumines was almost like some kind of euphoric purgatory, that would eat my time on train rides up and down the country. Whilst others sit for hours in lonely silence, I was having a full stimulating mental workout, assualting sight, sound and thought. I’m sure I’ll be playing Lumines again on a boot-fair PSP in many years time.
Purchase “Lumines” for PSP on Amazon UK
Lumines (C) Q Games
