People aren't complaining about having to buy additional content really--they're complaining because the game doesn't come with enough content to begin with. This is the sole reason that Gamespot gave this game a 6.6--I'm probably getting it anyway but I think it's perfectly reasonable to be a little critical of it's lack of value.

I'm gonna chime in and say I think it's incredibly disappointing that they cut out so much from the challenge mode. There's no sense of beginning and end at all (though a sense of end does come sooner than you initially think). What makes me torn is that it's so obviously still one of the best games I've ever played, and it just stomps on my heart repeatedly.

http://www.gamespot.com/users/SimonM7 <- I wrote some impressions in my blog, too. Thing is, if the packs are good I'll keep buying them forever. If I was a game, Lumines would be my infinite gold glitch. I'll be sure to make a sound if they turn out to be worthwhile. 1200 + 600 worthwhile I mean.

Yea I hear ya Simon--I'm a sucker for Lumines too. I haven't picked it up yet (still pretty busy with PSU) but I most likely will be the weeks end. I do feel like it's not properly priced--and I do feel like the trend this generation is to overcharge the consumer--not something I'm particularly pleased with. I will say though that this will not be the worst arcade purchase I've made--I'm ashamed to admit that I own Billiards.

I cry--But I'm part of the problem, unfortunately.

Updated my impressions in light of the Advanced Pack.

I guess this is the closest we get to an official thread on the subject, and I don't need to create a new one.

Anyway, stuff has happened since Lumines Live came out and most notable of those things in relation to Lumines is that the sequel for PSP has been released. Oh and played. By me. A lot.

Lumines 2 is more often than not a kick in the groin for those that enjoyed the first game, with its hiphop bullshit being a constant presence, and you can't go five or so skins without being hit in the fact with licensed MTV slime. It has moments of grandeur, most noticably the end songs to every difficulty level, but it's just incredibly bogged down by its newfound sense of catering to the western masses.

Then there's the fact that of all the skins that aren't icky music videos, a huge number IS Lumines Live, pretty much. If you purchase the Advanced pack you total a number of 31 songs or something like that in Live, and all of them are part of the 90ish songs here. Subsequently, if you've played Live, you'll feel the kicking of a groin that's yours even more. The menus look the same as Live, the modes are largely the same as Live's.

At the end of the day all you really get in L2 is more songs, of which a lot are absolutely cringe-worthy in the context of Lumines. The sense of a journey from Lumines is gone, and it's all just... a bucket of skins, just like Live.

Which brings me back to Live. Suddenly there's really nothing wrong-ER about Live compared to Lumines 2. Sure, it's no Lumines, but then - as I think I've established now - neither of them are. Live will have more songs added eventually, and you don't even have to put up with licensed slime if you don't want to.

In other words, Live has sort of risen from its ashes and become a more competent entry in the series than I figured it was to begin with. I really put it in relation to the notion I had of what the sequel would be, but the sequel is practically identical, presentation included.

To be fair, the bestest songs in Lumines 2 aren't in Live yet. There are a couple that almost, just almost reach the dizzying heights of "Lights" from the first game, and so far Live can't offer anything approaching that euphoria. I'm confident that it might in future packs, however, and I see no reason why it wouldn't eventually contain much better content plus the ability to dodge the stuff that makes you feel like a filthy mainstream zombie.

I still maintain the stance that the ultimate experience is the first game, and that if you have a PSP you should go for that, but right now I see no harm in choosing Live instead of the *real sequel*, because neither of them do the first game any particular justice.

If you do get into Live though, be sure to get the advanced pack with it or it's essentially rubbish.

Yeah, the puzzle stuff feels a little forced regardless of which Lumines version you play. The only thing I reckon is worthwhile besides the main mode is the time attack stuff and versus. Luckily the versus stuff in Live is completely unlocked, and you can play any skin in it, which is great.

I'll qualify this first by saying that I had never played the PSP version, but, in all honesty, I'm quite happy with my 1200 outlay so far.

Perhaps it's because I'm not very good. I've yet to complete base mode (though I've been pretty close!) and one game there can comfortably take up 20-30 mins or so. Time attack mode I'm nowhere near getting the top end acheivements and the other modes I don't think I would play anyway.

Challenge mode seemed quite fun and would help me get better so I would consider buying that.

How much did they explicitly cut out from the original? I was on the understanding that MP was limited to local Wi-fi only and that either challenge or puzzle mode wasn't even there.

I'm sure I'll be corrected but for me personally I've gotten value from it I feel.

Well, it's a step closer. "Heavenly Star" (also present, and brilliant, in Lumines 2) is available on the marketplace NOW, for free! :)

Guess I should go download this. When do the new packs go up in price? I would like to grab them before they double in price, but I don't really feel like adding points to my account tonight. Personally I was never offended by the pricing of Lumines Live, but just the method of distribution. If the base pack came with more content, I wouldn't mind at all.

BWOOOIIIIZE FWOM YOOH GWAAAAVE!

*resurrects thread*

I'm a regular necromancer today.


Anyway, new Lumines Live content is out and Simon's there to gobble it all up.

The new packs consist of the "Tokyo Club something something" and the "Booster Pack". The Tokyo Club pack only has four songs in it and goes for 350 points, while the beefier 20 skin Booster Pack sets you back 600 of microsoft's cute currency.

What are they like then? Do they make Lumines Live the most smashtastic version of the game you can possibly wrap your long, twitchy dance fingers around? Is there something in here to finally grasp Lights position as the top skin of all time?

Well, it comes even closer this time I must say. The Booster pack does a fine job of offering both new, good content never heard by these veteran Lumines ears, aswell as grabbing some more of the nicer stuff from Lumines 2 - which really ends up with the short straw in the world of Lumines themed money transactions as the only version that puts you through the pain of american licensed MTV crap. I would really have liked to see the skin Girls from Lumines 2 in this pack, because it's frankly almost as good as the legendary Lights, but Bloomy Girls made the cut which is nice, and there are some stuff like Daydream that's slightly remixed, sporting a clean design that really pops out on an HD screen compared to the smaller PSP.

The new stuff is actually surprisingly good, with Inheritance almost giving Okami its own Lumines skin with a bold, rough, almost cel shaded look to the blocks and their effects, and this ink on paper thing going on in the background. Meanwhile Water, Flower & Lights pretty easily nabs the position as my favourite original Lumines Live skin with its incredibly soothing tune and imagery that sort of.. looks like you're flying across a field of grass, with leaves blowing past. I really enjoy the abstract nature of Lumines, but there's a nice sense of... sort of capturing a certain moment in life in both Live and 2 that I really appreciate. For instance, there's a skin in Lumines 2 where you're simply on a train looking out the window as the landscape goes past.

It's difficult to decribe the skins, and it's also hard to convey what the songs are like - not to mention the total subjective nature of "quality" in these circumstances - but I really recommend the Booster pack. Even more so than the Advanced pack in fact. If you grab this and you had the sense to catapult yourself all over Heavenly Star when that was free, you can set up an awesome playlist in the Skin Edit mode and just chill out all day on Lumines Live.


So, the Tokyo Club Something Something pack then? It's completely useless. There's like a "remix" of Heavenly Star which pretty much slaps a VASTLY less inspired background on it and entirely "remixes" away the appeal of the song. There's a version of Cosmic Humming from Lumines 2 in it which is pretty neat, but at 350 points - heh heh heh - it'd have to be a little more than 60 seconds of neatness. Unless you're feeling charitable (because some of the cash apparently goes to those in need) or you really gotta have every ounce of Lumines there is (like me) there's no point in the Tokyo Club Something Something pack.


Dr Simon recommends:

Lumines Live! Base pack (game + 12 skins) - 1200 points
Booster Pack (20 skins) - 600 points

And if you want more then go for the Advance Pack (22 skins) - 600 points.