Lumines
”Tetsuya Mizuguchi on Rez HD, Game Design, the Future
Gamasutra has an interesting (if spotty at points) article up with Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the man behind Rez and Lumines (Lumines Live! is one of those games I have to be careful about playing, since I find it oh—so—hard to put it down), talking about proper vibrator placement while playing Rez, the future of Dadaist games, and emotional depth in games: More »Lumines Whored Out To PCs Today
We've known that Lumines is most assuredly coming to PCs for a few weeks now. What we didn't know was how, exactly, it would make its way to the platform. Today, Q Entertainment and its partner announced that it would come to the WildTangent Network, the online game provider famous for Penguins and Polar Bowler. Yeah! Those guys. *crickets*
The PC version comes with the now standard stuff, including Skin Edit, Puzzle and Time Attack modes. Lumines is available to Windows users on a pay per play basis, free with a healthy does of advertising or for download at $19.99. It's also available on just about everything else.
Yoko Ono and Mizuguchi Together. At Last!
Going to meet Yoko Ono was inspiring for me.
Paul McCartney wasn't in appearance, because he and Yoko totally HATE each other.
Imagine [Miz's Blog]
Lumines Coming To Windows, Too
A new rating for Q Entertainment's Lumines has appeared on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, revealing that a Windows version of the musical puzzle game, originally released for the PSP, is in the works. When we contacted the developer about the listing, it confirmed the title's existence and promised that details will be announced within the next few weeks. Wait, what? Confirmation? That was... easy. Almost too easy.
Please note the picture above is from the Xbox Live Arcade version, Lumines Live.
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Lumines Live! Gets Cheaper
We don't know how we missed this yesterday, but good news if you still haven't picked up a copy of Lumines Live! The game is now 400 points cheaper, running 800 points on XBLA. Personally, I found the title a major letdown that failed to rekindle the magic of the original PSP version. But who knows, you may love it! Since Every Extend Extra Extreme also came out this week, you can have a duo of Miz for under a Jackson—the means $20 for you who are not hip with the low budget lingo.
Lumines Live Price Drop [via xboxdomain]
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Space Invaders Extreme Hands-On Impressions
Taito's Space Invaders Revolution didn't quite reinvent the archetypal arcade series for a new generation as its titled promised, but the company is giving it another go with Space Invaders Extreme. Like the previous Nintendo DS game, Taito adds new power ups and weapons to the formula, but takes the shooting action in an entirely new direction. Focusing on combos, rhythmically driven gameplay and fast paced, more Galaga-like invader formations, many may look at the game and assume it's developed by Lumines creator Q? Entertainment. In fact, it seems to follow the Q? design formula so closely, others may call it a rip off. More »Lumines Live! Holiday Pack Details
Nothing says Halloween like Lumines. Or Christmas. Or summer vacation. On October 17th, Q Entertainment will be releasing a "Rockin' Holiday Pack" of 20 new Lumines Live! skins for Challenge Mode. Usual Q cohorts like Keiichi Sugiyama (Rez, Area 1) and h ueda (Every Extend Extra Extreme) collaborated for this upcoming pack. Snowflakes and autumn leaves — so festive!
Live Arcade Coming To Windows, Too
1UP is reporting that, at Gamesfest 2007, unspecified sources have revealed that Live Arcade support will be added to Games For Windows Live developer tools before the end of the year. No word from 1UP or Microsoft on whether this will mean current Xbox Live Arcade titles will make their way to PCs running various Windows OS flavors, but it seems like a safe bet. Yet another platform on which to play Lumines? Yes, please and thank you.
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Miz Makes His Own Second Life
Now that Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi is hopefully finished doing the umpteenth reiteration of Lumines, he's ready to do something different, something virtual, something Second Life. Miz has agreed to create a virtual Tokyo for the pc game, and so far he envisions his creation a "museum of Japanese culture." What's more, he adds:
My work all these years has been to entertain people through video games, but this virtual Tokyo concept could be the next step and path... The Tokyo we are trying to create is based on the image of city. How do people in Tokyo perceive the city? How about foreigners? That's what we want to express.
That's nice and all Miz, but what about the flying penises and the furry fucking?
Lumines Creator Creates for SL [1Up]
Yet, Another Lumines Clone
And the Lumines clones don't stop! Earlier, we brought word of Luminator, a Lumines copycat made by Germans. That's not all. Already out in stores is Got Game's Puzzle Scape, which looks and sounds a helluva like Lumines. A description from the company's website:
Escape to block-busting puzzles and pulsating beats in this exciting new puzzle game for your PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system! Be entranced by brilliant, interactive evolutionary backgrounds from cells to dream-like landscapes in four unique themes over 40 levels.
Geez, doesn't Lumines creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi have lawyers or something? More »
Lumines Exploit Runs PSP Homebrew
Want to play homebrew something on your PSP, but also like to keep up with your firmware updates? Buy Lumines! The game features a recently discovered exploit that will allow for the running of homebrew code with a simple press of the Start button following the load of a modified game save. The new avenue for emulation enthusiasts, despicable pirates, and homebrew coders will surely turn into something magical for PSP owners looking to get more out of their systems than what is legally and officially available. More »
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It's Like Lumines, But Not
Don't you wish game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi would've brought PSP game Lumines to the DS, instead? He doesn't have to. Germans are doing it for him! Well, not exactly. Germany's bhv Software is releasing Luminator DS third quarter 2007 in Europe. This DS title has only fifteen skins and 15 "CD quality" songs. I'm no lawyer, but it seems as though we've moved beyond flattery into the gray area of copyright infringement. More »
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This Trion Cube Puzzle Game Is Kinda Like...
It's inevitable. Make a puzzle game, and you're bound to be compared to Tetris. Namco's Trion Cube for the DS doesn't just have players clear lines, but build combos by forming 3x3 squares on a grid. Sounds different enough from Tetris. Still, let's compare! Kouji Asuna,the game's designer, points out:
Having Trion Cube compared to Tetris is rather honourable considering its place in history of the puzzle game genre. However, Trion Cube has its own unique features not seen in Tetris, so I hope many players will be able to get their hands on the game to experience the differences themselves.
Hmmm... What about Lumines? That's a puzzle game. Trion Cube is a puzzle game. Asuna continues, probably with a big SIGH:
It can be said that inspirations has come from all the puzzle games available to date. Since I tend to play a lot of overseas titles as well, I have been inspired by both Japanese and non Japanese titles.
Come back tomorrow when every single FPS is compared to Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM! More »
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On Obsessive Gaming Behavior
While on vacation in Ireland last week I became quite obsessed. I had already sunk a solid fifteen hours into Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin prior to my journey across the pond, but I found myself sinking to a new obsessive gaming low. I was consumed. My compulsion would not be satisfied until I'd completed every quest, killed every monster, acquired every item and beat the game three times over with each character. Chalk up another 20 hours of my life. And I wasn't really even having much fun. More »
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Rumor: Rez, Every Extend Extra For XBLA
Could Tetsuya Mizuguchi's masterpiece Rez be en route to Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service? Is The Miz's remake of PC freeware shooter Every Extend not far behind? That's a definite maybe on both, if this month's EGM rumors are to be believed. More »
lumines
Lumines Live! Packs Hit Soon (And Cheap!)
It's widely known that the Lumines Live! screwjob from last year didn't sit well with Xbox 360 owners. Releasing a hobbled version of the game on Xbox Live Arcade with the promise of future through-the-nose payments rightly warranted some gamer finger wagging (and poisonous Kotaku comments). More »
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