Are you a big fan of Tetris? Love Electronica or Techno? Combine these together and you get the Lumines Series. The first Lumines game actually debuted on the Playstation Portable (PSP) back in 2005. Within that time there has been a release for the PC, PS2, PSN, and XBOX Live. Seven years after the first release, Lumines comes full circle with its return on Sony’s beefy new portable, the Vita. Lumines Electronic Symphony is currently one of the puzzle games on the Vita, but it does a good job of keeping you occupied for hours on end.
Lumines Electronic Symphony is starts out like any other Lumines title with 2×2 squares compromised of four smaller block pieces that you have to clear out. Once your able to have 4 little piece create a large square they will combine and will be cleared out by the timeline that goes across the screen every few seconds. If you dont clear your blocks out they will eventually rise to the top ala Teris and game over. If you can clear multiple squares out before the next timeline comes around you will achieve bonuses depending on what you do.
The thing that will attract you to this game are the visuals and most importantly the music. Lumines is laced with mulitple levels with different skins and also include a different track to go with it. Electronic Symphony has 34 licensed tracks, plus actual tracks Ubisoft created for the game itself. I must say this game can be very addictive. There was a point I was so hooked into the game about 30 minutes passed by and I was still playing. You have the ability to use the touchscreen to maneuver the pieces but depending on how fast the game moves you will revert back to the controls. The back touch is good for increasing the level of your avatar though.
There are some new features added to this version on the Vita that are different from other Lumines releases in the past. You used to beat a level to get more skins, now there is an experience points (XP) system in effect that gives you the opportunity to unlock more skins and avatars. Depending on how you adapt to the game, changing the avatar may work for you as they make various changes to the game. Some will link colors, some will randomize the blocks, others will give the same solid colors 3x straight There are different modes in the game such as Voyage, Master, Duel and Stopwatch. Playlist is just as it shows where you set the levels and the songs to go with it.
Lumines Electronic Symphony for the PS Vita is needs to be in your gaming library and if you have played different iterations of it in the past you already know what your in for.
Available in your local electronic retailers or can be purchased through the Playstation Store.
