Lumines
Genre(s)Puzzle
Developer(s)Q Entertainment, Mobcast, Resonair
Publisher(s)Bandai Namco Entertainment, Buena Vista Games, Microsoft Game Studios, Ubisoft, Enhance Games
Creator(s)Tetsuya Mizuguchi
Platform(s)Android, iOS, Mobile phone, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
First releaseLumines: Puzzle Fusion
December 12, 2004
Latest releaseLumines Remastered
June 26, 2018

Lumines[lower-alpha 1] (pronounced as "Loo-min-ess")[1] is a puzzle video game series developed by Q Entertainment. The core objective of the games is to survive by rotating and aligning 2×2 blocks varying between two colors to form 2×2 squares of a single color which will be erased when the Time Line passes over them. The game is lost when the blocks reach the top of the playing field.

The series was initially conceived when Tetsuya Mizuguchi heard about the PlayStation Portable and wanted to develop a game for it. Since the original release, several sequels have been developed and released for multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile phone, iOS, and Android.

The series has received many positive reviews and awards with the original receiving the highest review score ratings and the majority of the awards.

Gameplay

Screenshot of Lumines: Puzzle Fusion with one of its iconic skins, "Shinin / Mondo Grosso"

Lumines is a block-dropping game that seems at first similar to Columns and Tetris. The game is made up of a 16×10 grid playing field. A sequence of 2×2 blocks varying between two colors fall from the top of the playing field. When part of a falling block hits an obstruction, the remaining portion will split off and continue to fall. A vertical "Time Line" sweeps through the playing field from left to right. When a group of 2×2 blocks of the same color is created on the playing field, it creates a "colored square". When the Time Line passes through it, the colored square will disappear and points are added to the player's overall score. If the colored square is created in the middle of the Time Line, the Time Line will only take half of the colored square and no points will be awarded. Certain blocks with gems are known as "special blocks" and if are used to create colored squares, they will allow all individual adjacent blocks of the same color to be eliminate by the Time Line.[2] In some games in the series, the special block is replaced with the "chain block", which connects to all adjacent blocks, regardless if a square is created.

The games feature background skins, which change the appearance of the visuals and blocks, and contain a different music track and sound effects. Skins are unlocked by progressing through the different game modes. Skins have different Time Line speeds, depending on the track's tempo. This can affect the gameplay; faster Time Lines make it more difficult to create large combos, and slower Time Lines may cause the playing field to fill while waiting for the Time Line to erase squares.

The objective is to rotate and align the blocks in such a way as to create colored squares. Increasing score multipliers are earned by repeatedly clearing 3~4 squares (depending on the game) on consecutive Time Line sweeps. Score bonuses are also awarded by reducing all remaining tiles to one single color or for removing all non-active tiles from the screen altogether. Multiple colored squares of the same color can be shared between a single geometric shape. For example, if one should get a 2x3 area of matching blocks, the middle portion will "share" itself with both the left and right halves and create two colored squares. The player loses when the blocks pile up to the top of the grid.[2]

Development

Release timeline
2004Lumines: Puzzle Fusion
2005
2006Lumines Live!
Lumines II
Lumines: Puzzle Music Mobile
2007Lumines Plus
2008
2009Lumines Supernova
Lumines: Touch Fusion
2010Lumines: In The House Ibiza '10
2011Lumines: Electronic Symphony
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016Lumines: Puzzle & Music
2017
2018Lumines Remastered
Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the creator of Lumines, was involved in every main entry of the series.

The series began with Lumines: Puzzle Fusion. The game was the first game developed by Q Entertainment and was a launch title for the PlayStation Portable. The game was developed with an estimated amount of 4 or 5 people for over 1 year. Mizuguchi was inspired by the PSP when he first learned about the technology. He described the PlayStation Portable as an "interactive Walkman" and "Dream machine" due to the system being one of the few video game handheld consoles with a headphone jack, allowing the game to be played at any time, any location, and any style with good sound.[3] After choosing the PSP as the next console to work with, Mizuguchi was inspired to make a puzzle game with music. Mizuguchi stated he wanted it to be an audio-visual puzzle game for the challenge, but he also wanted to make something that was less daunting to players compared to his previous titles Rez or Space Channel 5, so that it would attract casual players.[4] Originally, Mizuguchi wanted to make a Tetris game with music but due to various issues including licensing, it was not possible at the time and the concept of Lumines was used instead.[5][6] His original hopes would eventually come to be when, in 2018, Tetris Effect was released for PS4. Lumines' subtitle "Puzzle Fusion" reflected that the game's music was essential to the game itself.[4] Katsumi Yokota implemented strict rules for the series that the songs would follow 4
4 time signature, with the exception of "Big Elpaso". This was due to the playing field being divided into 16 rows, and the Time Line needing to match the tempo of the music and in sync with the beat. By using 4
4 time signature, it allows a total of sixteen eighth-notes to correspond to two bars precisely.[7]

After the game was released, three titles were being developed simultaneously: Lumines Plus, Lumines II, and Lumines Live! for PlayStation 2, PSP, and Xbox 360 respectively. Tetsuya Mizuguchi wanted to achieve different things for each game. Lumines Plus was intended to be a direct port of the original Lumines: Puzzle Fusion with additional songs and skins. For Lumines II, Mizuguchi emphasized he wanted the game to have its own original atmosphere and stylistic experience, different from the original. In addition, licensed songs from famous artists such as Gwen Stefani, Black Eyed Peas and The Chemical Brothers were incorporated into the game's soundtrack. Mizuguchi described Lumines II as a party and described himself as a party organizer to make the biggest party experience on the PSP. For Lumines Live!, Mizuguchi developed the game with the concept of customizing music and choosing and downloading new songs. The goal of the game was to use everything that was happening during the time and make it available through DLC. Mizuguchi compared the game to a TV channel where they feed what the next thing will be.[8]

Originally development of Lumines: Puzzle Fusion, audio had to be completed before finalizing the skin's design. Yokota decided to do a different approach with Lumines II and Lumines Live!. Instead, skin designs took priority in order to provide more concrete suggestions for the audio. Yokota stated this made greater variation possible for the music tracks.[7]

Games

Main series

Title Original Release Platform Notes
Lumines: Puzzle Fusion
  • JP: December 12, 2004
  • NA: March 22, 2005
  • EU: September 1, 2005
 PSP
Mobile phone
PlayStation 2
Microsoft Windows		 The first puzzle video game in the series. Created by game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his company, Q Entertainment, it was first released as a launch title for the PlayStation Portable. Tetsuya Mizuguchi was inspired by the PSP, referring to it as a It later received mobile phone version in 2006 and a port to Microsoft Windows released first in December 2007.
Lumines Live!
  • EU: October 18, 2006
  • NA: January 24, 2007
  • JP: March 7, 2007
 Xbox 360
(via XBLA)		 Based on the original PlayStation Portable game for the Xbox 360. It was released on October 18, 2006, as an Xbox Live Arcade title. The game runs in 720p and supports 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. It features built-in multiplayer both offline and online, Achievements, Leaderboards and GamerScore support and online competitive modes. A new feature in Lumines Live! over the original Lumines is the ability to create one's own sequence of skins from the skins that have been unlocked through single play mode. Lumines Live! is included on the Qubed compilation for Xbox 360 along with Rez HD and Every Extend Extra Extreme.
Lumines II
  • NA: November 6, 2006
  • EU: November 17, 2006
  • JP: February 15, 2007
 PSP A direct sequel to the original. Offers new modes such as Mission mode, Skin Edit mode, and Sequencer that allows players to create their music using sounds. The game also uses music from famous music artists such as Gwen Stefani, Black-Eyed Peas, and Hoobastank
Lumines Supernova
  • JP: December 18, 2008
  • NA: October 15, 2009
  • EU: October 22, 2009
 PlayStation 3
(via PSN)		 In January 2009, Lumines Supernova was released on the PlayStation Network. It has all the features of Lumines Live! (with the exception of online multiplayer) as well as the sequencer from Lumines II and a new mode, DigDown Mode. DigDown Mode is a timed mode where the player has to clear two vertical lines within a time limit to move "down" to the next stage. It was delisted from European stores in 2017.
Lumines: Touch Fusion
  • WW: August 27, 2009
 iOS The first title to be developed for smartphones. It has many of the features the original Lumines has with Vs mode being the only missing feature.
Lumines: Electronic Symphony
  • NA: February 14, 2012
  • EU: February 22, 2012
  • JP: April 19, 2012
 PlayStation Vita The game was announced in Gamescom 2011, having its first showcase at Tokyo Game Show 2011. According to an article posted on the PlayStation Blog by Producer James Mielke, "Lumines Electronic Symphony is a music-puzzle game that merges vivid colors and shapes with the intoxicating beats of an electronica soundtrack."[9]
Lumines: Puzzle & Music
  • JP: July 19, 2016
  • WW: September 1, 2016
 iOS
Android		 In January 2015, the rights to both Lumines and Meteos were acquired by Mobcast,[10] and the company announced the development of a new Lumines mobile game.[11] With many of the original development team involved, including director Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Lumines Puzzle & Music released on mobile formats on July 12, 2016, in Japan and on September 1, 2016, in North America and Europe.[12][13] The initial game includes two "albums", one composed of eight new songs and the other of six songs from the original game, including Mondo Grosso's "Shinin'". Another Lumines mobile title, a free-to-play entry titled Lumines Vs., is slated for release in Q4 of 2016.[14]
Lumines Remastered
  • WW: June 26, 2018
 PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Nintendo Switch
Microsoft Windows		 In March 2018, Enhance Games, the studio founded by Lumines: Puzzle Fusion producer Mizuguchi, announced Lumines Remastered for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One for release in June 2018; the game is being developed by Japanese studio Resonair. The game features enhanced visuals and support for higher-resolution systems.[15]

Mobile phone

Multiple mobile phone titles were released in Japan, Europe, and North America. In Japan, a number of mobile phone versions were released by different carriers as part of the Lumines Mobile subseries. The first one is titled Lumines: Puzzle Music Mobile[lower-alpha 2] and was released on April 18, 2007.[16] The game changed names between carrier. i-mode's version is titled Lumines♪Puzzle & Music[lower-alpha 3], the EZweb version is titled, Oto to hikari no Puzzle★Lumines[lower-alpha 4], and the Softbank version is titled, Lumines★Puzzle Music[lower-alpha 5][17] A customized version of this game for DeNA's Mobage Town titled Lumines for Mobage was released on January 24, 2008.[18] A mobile phone version of Lumines Live! was released pre-installed on NTT Docomo's N-02B model.[19] Another version of Lumines was pre-installed on NTT Docomo's N07A mobile phone model via i-αppli widget on July 10, 2009.[20]

In Europe and North America, two Mobile phone versions were released by Q Entertainment. The first mobile phone game was an adaptation of the original Lumines: Puzzle Fusion developed by Gameloft. The second mobile phone game, titled Lumines: In the House Ibiza '10, was developed by Connect2Media and released in Europe on August 11, 2010, and in North America on March 18, 2012. The game uses dance songs from Defected Records and skins to match the feel of Defected Records. The game contains Survival mode, Time Attack mode, Skin edit mode, and DigDown mode from previous titles.[21] In partnership with T-Mobile, a competition was made to promote the game that ran from August 12 to August 31, 2010. Winners were awarded merchandise from Defected Records.[22]

Reception

Aggregate review scores
Game GameRankings Metacritic
Lumines: Puzzle Fusion 90%[23] 89/100[24]
Lumines II 81%[25] 81/100[26]
Lumines Plus 75%[27] 73/100[28]
Lumines Live! 77%[29] 77/100[30]
Lumines Supernova 82%[31] 80/100[32]
Lumines: Touch Fusion 52%[33] -
Lumines: Electric Symphony 84%[34] 83/100[35]
Lumines: Puzzle & Music 84%[36] 84/100[37]
Lumines Remastered 86%[38] 85/100[39]

As of 2018, the series has sold over 2.5 million units.[40]

The original Lumines: Puzzle Fusion won several awards including, 2005 Spike TV Video Game Awards for Best Handheld Game, GameSpot's 2005 PSP Game Of The Year, Electronic Gaming Monthly's 2005 Handheld Game Of The Year, Game Informer's "Top 50 Games of 2005" list.[41][42][43] Lumines II's song, Heavenly Star by Genki Rockets, was nominated for Best Song in 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards.[44]

Legacy

Lumines inspired multiple clones. The first is a clone for Microsoft Windows known as Luminator and was released in October 2008 by BVH Distribution. The game features music from DKDENT and was reported to play exactly like Lumines with no deviation in gameplay.[45] A Nintendo DS version was in development by Xider Games and was scheduled to release in August 2007, but no further information was released.[46] An independent developed video game known as Irides: Master of Blocks and was released on June 24, 2009. It was developed by MadPeet and published by Goat Store Publishing on Dreamcast.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Japanese: ルミネス, Hepburn: Ruminesu
  2. ↑ ルミネスモバイル, Ruminesu mobairu
  3. ↑ ルミネス♪パズル＆MUSIC
  4. ↑ 音と光のパズル★ルミネス, lit. "Light and Sound Puzzle★Lumines"
  5. ↑ ルミネス★パズルMUSIC
Citation
  1. ↑ "The most mispronounced game names ever – ClassicRadar". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Lumines instruction manual (PDF). North America: Ubisoft. 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Rez: The Return of Tetsuya Mizuguchi". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Parish, Jeremy (May 24, 2018). "Lumines Remastered Owes Its Existence to Nintendo Switch". USGamer. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  5. ↑ Tetris Effect Interview PS4, PSVR at E3 2018 (Video). Sony. June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  6. ↑ Stark, Chelsea (June 15, 2018). "Tetris Effect has been in development for 6 years". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Interview: Nakamura Yokota On The Origins of Lumines Supernova". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Everything Lumines: The Tetsuya Mizuguchi Interview". Game Informer. June 15, 2006. Archived from the original on December 15, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  9. ↑ Mielke, James. "Ubisoft PS Vita Week: Building on a Classic with Lumines Electronic Symphony". PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Mobcast acquires Lumines and Meteos IP". Archived from the original on December 25, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Lumines Is Coming To Smartphones, Also Tetsuya Mizuguchi Is Making Games Again". Siliconera. January 26, 2015. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  12. ↑ "水口哲也氏による『ルミネス』最新作が7月19日に配信決定 初代の楽曲、ステージも収録". Famitsu (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Lumines: Puzzle & Music launches September 1 on iOS and Android". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Paid 'Lumines Puzzle and Music' and Free-to-Play 'Lumines VS' Will Release Globally Later This Year". TouchArcade. May 12, 2016. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  15. ↑ Kuchera, Ben (March 20, 2018). "Lumines Remastered is coming to consoles and Steam this spring". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  16. ↑ "好きなときにスキンをダウンロード！ Yahoo！ケータイでも『ルミネス』が遊べる". Famitsu. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  17. ↑ "携帯版「ルミネスモバイル」に「Secret Online」のオリジナルスキン配信". Dangeki Online. October 17, 2007. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  18. ↑ "新スキン追加した『ルミネスforモバゲータウン』が本日配信開始". Dangeki Online. January 24, 2008. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  19. ↑ "NTTドコモ、2009年度冬春モデル19機種を発表PRIMEシリーズ全機種に「ドラゴンクエストIII」などをプリイン". Game Watch Impress (in Japanese). November 10, 2009. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  20. ↑ "サウンド15曲に加え、iアプリ『ルミネス』がプリインストール". Famitsu (in Japanese). July 10, 2009. Archived from the original on July 11, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  21. ↑ Andrew, Keith. "Lumines: In the House Ibiza '10 Review". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Lumines In The House Competition". Defected Records. August 14, 2010. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Lumines: Puzzle Fusion for PSP reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Lumines: Puzzle Fusion for PSP reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 13, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Lumines II for PSP reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 21, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Lumines II for PSP reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Lumines Plus for PS2 reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Lumines Plus for PS2 reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 8, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Lumines Live! for Xbox 360 reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Lumines Live! for Xbox 360 reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Lumines Supernova for PlayStation 3 reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  32. ↑ "Lumines Supernova for PlayStation 3 reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Lumines: Touch Fusion for iOS reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  34. ↑ "Lumines: Electric Symphony for PlayStation Vita reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 21, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Lumines: Electric Symphony for PlayStation Vita reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Lumines: Puzzle & Music for iOS reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Lumines: Puzzle & Music for iOS reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Lumines Remastered for Nintendo Switch". GameRankings. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Lumines Remastered for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Lumines Achievements". Resonair. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  41. ↑ "『ルミネス』がSpike TVの"BEST HANDHELD GAME"を受賞！". Famitsu. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  42. ↑ "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2005 awards kick off". GameSpot. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  43. ↑ "EGM's 2005 Games of the Year: Replay Edition". Electronic Gaming Monthly. EGM Media. March 2005.
  44. ↑ "水口氏プロデュースの音楽ユニット"元気ロケッツ"の楽曲がiTunes Storeで配信". Famitsu. December 16, 2006. Archived from the original on March 29, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  45. ↑ "Luminator (PC) Test". Gamecaptain.de (in German). November 2, 2006. Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Ankh and Luminator coming to British DS". Engadget. March 6, 2007. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
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