Miziguchi sure knows how to put together an hour of relaxing gameplay that stretches the player into taking different approaches, track by track, skin by skin. I realized in completing the remaster that there were some tunes that I hadn’t heard (at least while playing) in years. Lumines is, if anything, an underrated puzzle game that stands on its own in terms of originality. It’s also interesting to play through it after Tetris Effect and to see which ideas Miziguchi decided to keep and which he’s moved past.

Played on both Switch and Steam. (Note: I have not played the original, so this is my first interaction with the game and have really nothing to say on its stature as a remaster.)

Slick and inventive - Lumines is a great update to the tetromino puzzles; it's focus on music and style gives it more than just an added personality but an extra layer of player involvement.

For it is how you play the game that determines the texture of the sound scape for the songs you play with as well as how fast you need to make you decisions. In effect, the game allows you to become a digital-age DJ. Once you become adept to the game's techniques and approaches, you''ll come to appreciate your control over how the song develops as you move through the puzzle.

oops I think I have gotten too good at Lumines

this is still nice to just head-empty-no-thoughts to, but thirty minutes into every run-- with my board still looking as clean & tidy as Marie Kondo’s kitchen-- I tend to just lose interest and hold down to stack out.

The music will always be good but Electronic Symphony’s was better. Despite my middling rating here, I would instantly pay money for an expansion that added in the soundtracks from Live, Supernova and Symphony. Mizuguchi get at me. 📞