Today I salute a game that remains one of the only PSP titles that ever had me hooked, and has now come to my white gaming zen machine.  I am, of course, referring to Lumines.

It seems like a simple concept, right? Blocks of 4 fall, and you have to make blocks of solid colors in order to clear them from the screen.  Add in a time bar and speed/graphics variations every level and you’ve got the makings of an intuitive, deceptively strategic game.  I never obtained the level of the majestic Robert Khoo, who is the only individual I actually know who managed to BEAT LUMINES, but I considered myself a pretty capable block-dropper.

For some time after it was announced I anticipated its sister title, Lumines Live, due to hit the Marketplace at some random future time that no one could identify.  It was incredibly gorgeous on the PSP - both aurally and visually. How much more inspiring would it be in HD with surround sound?

Apparently as a reward for our long-suffering patience through Xbox Live’s recent downtime, its rebirth also heralded the coming of Lumines Live.  At 1200 Microsoft Points, or $15 for those of us who still like to keep track of how much “real money” things cost, Lumines Live loomed over its companions on the Live Arcade the way a Ferarri overshadows a Toyota Tercel.  Sleek and glossy as a thoroughbred, and about as as expensive, it is true luxury entertainment.

Ah, but now you learn that it’s not really $15!  Well, it is if you only want to play single-player on challenge mode.  As it turns out, 20 extra/new skins cost another $7.50.  Oh, you want to play puzzle mode? That also requires an add-on (but that’s not available yet. Even if you have money you can’t spend it. Ha ha! Funny!).  VS CPU? Another add-on, also unavailable!

This game is a terrifying example of the “a la carte” game serving that seems to be bearing down upon us. As many have heard, the new Gran Turismo HD will be as a la carte as you can get to the point of purchasing every car and track in the game with REAL MONEY.  You can spend money to buy pretend money in The Godfather.  You can buy your way through the game. The list will go on and on.

I’d like to make it clear that I’m not bothered by the price of Lumines Live. I don’t care if it costs $40. Some people have a hang-up about the Xbox Live arcade games costing too much because, hey, they’re just little games that you download.  I felt Lumines on the PSP was worth $40. It would be silly to be offended by Lumines Live just because of its delivery method.  No, my problem lies elsewhere. It lies with me having no idea how much the game costs. It lies with me purchasing the game and not being able to just play it.  I’m fine paying for, you know, the whole game. Making me go through the effort of buying all the parts separately, or flat out not having parts of the game available, is just going to piss me off and make me write blogs sprinkled with sad faces [ ref 1: :( ]. Buying a videogame like some people buy their Mini-Z Racers is just not for me.

That said, I have 300K or something as my high score.  I’m 2nd on my friends list, surpassed only by Robert Khoo, who is a machine and don’t listen if he tries to tell you any different.  The normal challenge mode is really as entrancing as I anticipated. If you love Tetris, if you loved Lumines, if you have an Xbox 360, this is really worth grabbing. Just maintain a healthy anger about the system being used to slyly part us all from the piles of money we have sitting around the house.

- jinx

with faith she’ll make her way