Lumines: Electronic Symphony

A few years back, when I owned a PSP, I frequently heard that one of the console's must have titles was a little game called Lumines. For one reason or another, I never had a chance to give Lumines a shot. Despite friends, and the occasional game store clerk, telling me that it was worth whatever the game cost back then, I just didn't have any interest in what looked like just another puzzle game. 

However a few months ago, I noticed that Lumines: Electronic Symphony, the PlayStation Vita title, was going for under $10 on Amazon. I felt that I could justify spending $10 on such a highly regarded franchise, so I went ahead and ordered a copy of the game. A few days later, the game was in my hands and I was immediately hooked on Lumines.

Lumines is a puzzle game where the player has to create blocks of four matching colors. Matching four of the same color will clear those blocks from your "well" and if your "well" becomes full, you lose the game. 

The game might sound simple, but Lumines offers quite a challenge as the blocks fall on your screen to the beats of a satisfying variety of fast paced, electronic music. The PlayStation Vita installment of the game offers power-ups, known in the game as avatars, and some surprisingly well integrated uses of the rear touch-pad. 

The game makes use of the PlayStation Vita's full resolution and the various levels, or "skins", are beautiful when paired with the Vita's OLED screen. The game is colorful and eye-catching as each "skin" is uniquely designed from the others.

The Lumines series is known to have an excellent electronic soundtrack, and there is no doubt that Electronic Symphony stays true to such claim. I enjoyed most of the songs in the game and those that I wasn't so keen of at first, grew on me and became some of my favorites.  I felt like the game's music choices paired perfectly with the pacing of the gameplay.

Lumines is certainly a staple for the PlayStation Vita. The game is well designed, beautiful, and perfect on a handheld. The game controls well on the Vita and does a great job of integrating its use of the rear touch-pad. Lumines: Electronic Symphony is a must buy that offers you a ton of gameplay and with its cheap price, buying the game is easily a no-brainer.