Lumines II single-player hands-on

When we last saw Lumines II at E3, it was basically the same fantastically compelling classic that the first game was, with a couple new bells (animations) and whistles (new tunes) bolted on. Our most recent contact with Tetris' laser-lightshow cousin revealed that the game is still basically the same as we left it... only with dump truck-loads more content than we expected.

Animated backgrounds? You better believe it, and there are more than sixty skins that have been added for your block busting pleasure. Some of these animated backgrounds are simple graphics, like multicolored gears that churn in synch with the music, but others are full-blown videos from internationally renowned musical artists (see a partial list of confirmed acts at the end of this article). Of course, as Lumines alumni, we were kind of fond of the mysterious unknowns that created the trancy beats from the first game, but we were soothed by the fact that a number of original tracks would also appear. Too many tunes...

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