Ok, so having played Lumines enough to make judgement on it, I thought i'd might as well go ahead and make a thread on it.

For those not "in the know", Lumines is pretty much the equivalent of what Tetris was to the Gameboy. That's right, it's an addictive block puzzle game. But this isn't your ordinary puzzle game, this one has craploads of flair to go with it.

Ok, so the premise behind Lumines, has you "clearing" blocks, in order to gain points. To do so, you need to create a 4x4 block of the same colour. Doing this, will cause the 4x4 block, to dissappear, adding to your score. Now, what's so compelling about this game, is that the blocks don't dissappear as soon as you make the 4x4 block. See, while you are mucking around with your blocks, there is a bar that constantly moves horizontally across the screen. Now, when you make a 4x4 block of the same colour, this block lights up, and when the bar moves across this block, it then dissapears and adds to your score. But that's not all. While you're "waiting" for your block to dissapear, you can add more blocks of the same colour, to add combo multipliers to your score. This is where it gets really addictive, as you try to link up as many additional blocks, and combos, as you possibly can, before the bar comes across to wipe them off the screen, adding a really frantic edge to the game.

In addition to the actual block puzzle aspect of the game, you have a variety of funky techno type beats going on in the background. These beats determine how fast the bar is moving across the screen, which add more difficulty to the game. Also, the actions you perform, add a beat, or tone to the music in the background, which has you contributing to the music, without even realising it. It's quite a cool little feature.

So that's the basic premise of the game. You really do have to play it for yourself though, as it aint easy to explain a game of this type, and i'm not quite sure how well I explained it all, but it holds to the tradition of addictive puzzle games, as a handheld launch title.

Fun aplenty!

Well I'm starting to get the hang of it and my scores have gradually improved. Opened up a few more skins through Vs. CPU Mode and I managed to get 60K+ playing over a single skin (Shake Your Body) so hopefully I can soon pull something similar in Challenge Mode. Mind you, half of those points literally came within 10 seconds of actually starting the game since you get 10K for everytime you clear the screen of blocks (and 1K for having only the one colour of blocks on the screen). So if you begin the being the game with a 4x4 block of the one colour, it's an easy 10K in the bag. If you're quick and skilled enough you can exploit this real early in the game to earn big, easy points.

Oh and Manny, have you learnt "the move" yet? Basically you put one of these blocks...

:ph43r: :blink:
:blink: :blink:

...on top of something like this...

:blink:
:ph43r: :ph43r:

...to form this...

:ph43r:
:blink: :blink:
:blink: :blink:
:ph43r: :ph43r:

Nice simple tip I picked up another forum the other night. :)

I'm hating this block though:

:blink: :ph43r:
:ph43r: :blink:

Always comes up when you least want it to. It's the new "Z" block (from Tetris) I tellzya! Grrr... :argh:

That's some nice use of emoticons there. ;)

This game sounds really good, I wanna play it! I'd heard that the music plays a part in the game and was thinking it might be a bit like Rez in terms of audio-interactivity. Is this theory accurate?

NEver played or heard of Rez, so I can't help ya there.

Nice use of emoticons there tinklez :P

Anyway, so my scoring has basically gone from around a constant 18,000 to 40,000. I was then getting an average of about 30,000, until I played it 10 mins ago, and hit a nice 80,000 mark, and unlocked 4 extra skins. Now, when I "died", I went to the main screen, and for some stupid reason, the damn game asked me if i wanted to load my saved game. In my confusion and haste, I selected "yes", which means it loaded the save I had earlier... which means no extra skins unlocked, and no 80,000 top score.

I'm pretty pissed at the mo.

Trin I'll get you confirmation on Wednesday but everything I have heard suggests that Lumines takes the Rez thing further than Rez did. Keep in mind both games have the same designer.

P.S. You guys are driving me absolutely insane with all this PSP talk!!!!!!!

Two more sleeps!!!!!! :D

(I swear, if there is some delay I'll kill someone!)

Holy crap! It's Tinker Bell!

Where the hell have you been, man?

One more sleep!!! :P

You have both been warned for excessive spam. Have a nice day


*runs off to play Lumines*

*realises the battery is dead*

What the? That's weird. :huh:

:lol: I don't know if that was a joke but I found that funny. :whistling:

O.M.F.G -- this is insane! :o



My top score of 67,953 is looking more than pathetic. :(

Heya Comrade, long time no see dude! I've been real busy with work and other stuff, and last I was around I was about to move houses. Just haven't had much time to get on the net as much I've been used to. I'm just popping in now and then to brag about my PSP. ;)

Nicked this off GAF:

UNLOCKABLE SKINS
Challenge mode
Shinin' / Urbanization / Round about / Slipping / Shake Ya Body / Square Dance
Talk 2 You / Just... / I hear the music in my Soul / Dark side beside the river
Aback / Working in the hole / Sister Walk / Da-Di-Do / Strangers / Holiday in Summer
Take A Dog Out A Walk / Big Elpaso / My Generation / Meguro / Spirits / Get Up And Go
Fly Into The Sky / Lights (level 100 *sigh*)/ Water Flower & Lights (get 999,999 points *weeps*)

vs CPU mode
Japanese Form / Auto Mobile Industry / Please return my CD / The bird singing in the night
Mekong / Whoop-de-do / The Spy Loves Me / Brash / Chinese Restaurant / Moon Beam
Tin Toy (complete vs mode)

Puzzle mode
45 Degrees (clear 1st cycle, 26 puzzles)
Prime Factor (clear 2nd cycle, 52 puzzles)

Time-based
Rodent (10 hours)
Morning Beats (20 hours)

Time Attack mode just unlocks characters

*bites bottom lip in anticipation*

Comes in tomorrow and the boss is away!!! :D

:blink:

That's unbelievable! I couldn't even fathom getting close to the 999,999 mark... and you need to get there to unlock the final skin! Crazy town.

I'm also stuck on one of the puzzles. I spent ages perfecting the required "4x4" image, and when i finally done it... nothing! Not sure how it's supposed to look like exactly, but it pissed me off to no end.

I gotta wait till my charger comes in before I have another crack. Should be in by friday.

You making sure the adjacent blocks next the formed imaged are of a different colour? One single block can ruin the entire thing and waiting for that one block you need can be a pain in the ass.

The 4x4 is a bitch. I gave up on that last night.

Basically what you have to create will actually clear itself out when the time line passes. From my understanding you need to create a...

:):):):)
:):):):)
:):):):)
:):):):)

I got to...

:):ph43r::ph43r::)
:):ph43r::ph43r::)
:):ph43r::ph43r::)
:):):):)

Except the middle wasn't filled with other colours.

Steadily getting better at this game. Damn it is addictive. I jumped into bed at 8:00 last night with the express purpose of playing Lumines. I ended up turning it off at 1:30 am. :nooo:

I can't remember my top score off the top of my head but I can get up to the blue and white icy skin pretty much without fail now but there I just lose it. It is too damned fast!!! :P

So the 4x4 is just a block with 4x4 dimensions?!?!

I was actually showing a visual representation of "4 x 4".

Example:

:ph43r: :) :) :ph43r: :) :) :) :) :) :) :ph43r: :) :) :ph43r: :)
:ph43r: :) :) :ph43r: :) :) :ph43r: :) :ph43r: :) :ph43r: :) :) :ph43r: :)
:ph43r: :) :) :ph43r: :) :) :) :ph43r: :) :) :ph43r: :) :) :ph43r: :)
:ph43r: :ph43r: :ph43r: :ph43r: :ph43r: :) :ph43r: :) :ph43r: :) :ph43r: :ph43r: :ph43r: :ph43r: :ph43r:
:) :) :) :ph43r: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :ph43r: :)


(fuck that took ages)

Yeah, so I did exactly what's shown above (a hair tearing experience), and all for nothing! NOTHING!!!

Wait till you get to the one after the blue and white ice one. It goes so slow, that your reliance on the marker to wipe away your mistakes, becomes your greatest problem.

:lol: @ Manny! That must have taken you aaaages to perfect. I suppose the little description it gives you wasn't very clear, but yeah, the one the Prez created is what you need to do. Still haven't passed it myself mind you. Got upto the same stage as Prez but the two blocks I needed to complete the puzzle would never follow each other out.

To finish it I need this:

:) :)
:) :)

...which'll clear the bottom three rows, followed immediately (before the clearing line goes past) by this...

:ph43r: :ph43r:
:) :)

...to complete the top row and the 4X4. It's a pain in the ass and I quickly gave up on it.


Onto Challange Mode though, I just broke the 100K mark this arvo... just. 100,105 to be exact. I was in a zen-like trance for the most part and didn't even notice my score until I took a quick glance and saw I was on 95K and then panic mode set in and it was soon all over. Happy to have reached that mark, but I felt I could have scored heaps more and unlocked a few more skins (got upto Working in the Hole) had I got my head back into focus.

Anyways... next target: unlock Lights, then off to reach 999,999 points! :P

Manny that is an absolute pissa!!!! You poor bastard. My heart goes out to you. :P

And as for you Mr Tinklez... 100K+

FARK ME!!! I thought I was doing good getting past that icey skin and hitting just under 50K

You bastard. I need more practice I see. :P

Heheh, when I realised what you actually needed to do, I felt like such an idiot :P

Anyway, the 4x4 one is easy peasy. I'll show you how ;)

First, you'll only be using the following blocks:

1.
:) :)
:) :)

&

2.
:) :)
:) :ph43r:

Now, just discard any other blocks you get.

First, start with the blocks in this combo:

:ph43r: :)
:) :)


Then, when you get another one of the same block, do this:

:) :ph43r: :ph43r: :)
:) :) :) :)

Then, when you get another of the same block, put it so it sits like this:

:) :)
:) :ph43r:

:) :ph43r: :ph43r: :)
:) :) :) :)

Ok, So now, you have to wait for a block 2, immediately followed by a block one. As soon as you get that sequence, put the block 2 in the formation to get the following:

:) :) :) :)
:) :ph43r: :ph43r: :)
:) :ph43r: :ph43r: :)
:) :) :) :)

This will mean that the four middle blocks will dissapear, leaving the other ones to drop and wait till the line comes across again. Now, you have to drop block 1, into that space in the middle before the line comes across again, and voila!

Not bad thinkin' there Manny... gives you enough time to get the

:):)
:):)

Waiting for the timeline. I like your thinking. I was doing it the same way as Twinklez and waiting for a

:):)
:):)

followed immediately by a

:ph43r::ph34r:
:):)

Which of course is faaaar too reliant on luck.

That still wouldn't have worked though.

The requirements are to get a 4x4 block of the one colour. Doing it how you guys were trying, would have just had a 4x4 shell, with a different colour in the middle.

The way that I did it, was the first thing I thought of, and what looks to be the only way.

Anyway, once that's done, there are a few difficult ones to get through.

It still would have worked.
:) oooo :)
:) oooo :)
:) oooo :)
:):):):)

Keep in mind the o's are empty there are no blocks there.

a

:) :)
:) :)

followed by a

:ph43r: :ph43r:
:) :)

would result in
oo :ph43r: :ph43r: oo
:) :) :) :)
:) :) :) :)
:) :) :) :)
:) :) :) :)

Anyway I did it your way which is more sensible as it gives you time to discard other blocks before getting the one you need. :ph43r:

You guys are giving me a ****ing headache.

Please vacate the thread, using the exit on your left!

Ok, not sure if i've mentioned this, but I almost hit the 100,000 mark the other day, having worked up a score of 99,and something or other. Also managed to play it on a trip to Palm Beach (hour drive), and despite a shaking car, and impending nausea, hit the 88,000 mark.

I've not picked it up any time this week though. Figured I should let it rest for a week or so, so I don't get bored of it too quickly.

I must suck. :P

I've only broken 50k once. Although I've now started implementing the move Twinklez pointed out as an actual strategy... I didn't realise how damned versatile it was and I'm able to keep a mostly clear screen for the first 4 or so skins.

I can pretty much nail 90K-110K without much fuss, though I haven't gone beyond 120K and the Strangers skin.

If you can pass Talk to You(the Ice Climber-esque skin) and Just... (the one after it) and have about half the screen cleared (yeah easier said than done), you can do some major combos and score big points with I Hear the Music in my Soul because the clearing line moves real slow. The problem with this though is that the blocks will keep mounting until the line completely passes by and wipes the blocks out. And yeah, "the move" I pointed out earlier really works wonders. I always try to have a few scattered blocks available so I can just use that move as the required block generally pops ups quite a few times throughout.

I look forward to making my way to this post 'Just' Shangrila of which you speak. :P Well actually I have made it to 'I Hear the Music in my Soul' but only once. :P

Woooo! Just busted 80,000 and it was only because I panicked when I realised where I was at that I lost my center and the blocks started piling up.

Hahah, rule of thumb dude, NEVER look at your score. ;)

Anyone found certain skins make them think of food?

'Just' makes me think of those tangy raspberry drops you buy are old style candy makers like those found at Sovereign Hill.

One of the others makes me think of raspberry icypoles. The one with the Indian sounding theme makes me think of chocolate and mint. Maybe its the fact that I play for so long these days that I'm usually starving by the time the later skins come around in Challenge mode. :D

By the way, what are your favourite skins so far?

I'm a massive fan of the Jamaican one.