Lumines Live (360)

[ChrisField]

After a short 50mb download I gave this a blast and really enjoyed it. Graphics are nice and crisp and I'd probably say it looks the most polished XBLA title so far (but it should do being the most expensive one as well).

Gameplay wise its identical to all the other formats you've probably played it on so no surprises there. Graphically though theres a lot more going on in the background and at the top of the screen.

Different skins to the PSP version and the music's quite funky in the demo which includes the "Base" part of the game.

If there's one thing I dont like though and thats the voice when you select options on the menu. Horrid.

[huxley]

^ sounds like its running out of steam when it says "xbox live" lol

[dvdmike]

The other packs are not up yet

[Chain]

Quick 10 min. TBH I think it's better suited to the PSP! On a big screen, I couldn't really get in to the swing of it. I'll still buy it as I was a huge Lumines PSP fan :D

[andrewfee]

Bought this as I'm a huge Lumines fan, and had some spare points - not sure I'd recommend it if you've got a PSP. There seems to be a lot less tracks, and it seems easier too. Some of the best ones seem missing, but a few of the ones that annoyed me are still there. :( Couple of new ones, but nothing particularly special.

I ended up going through the whole game a couple of times on my first try before getting bored and stopping, despite not having played the game for a year or so. (and it seems that was a mistake, as I ended up ranked 24th)

They've removed the 999,999 cap on scores at least though, and there's no Madonna. :D

[Crimson Day]

Where are all thse music videos on all the videos ive seen there been a music video playing in the background i havnt see anything like that just some cheesy dance music

[Lebowski]

Where are all thse music videos on all the videos ive seen there been a music video playing in the background i havnt see anything like that just some cheesy dance music

i bet thats what the 600 point pack gives you :lol:

[Crimson Day]

They realy have cheated us with this, they hant even released the extra pack for start, advanced challange mode is locked only a few other things, i was expecting this all to be unlocked once i purchasd the game as i didnt notice there was going to be add on packs later to unlock everything:pft: bloody ms:pft:

[Lebowski]

even with all this stuff missing i bet it will sell by the bucketload

[Crimson Day]

i aggree especially for non harcore gamers who dont no about the add on etc, as its not even avalable to download they would think that 1200 would unlock everything

[SUMIRE]

I dunno, I tried the trial, but it seems to have lost its magic now from the PSP version.

[Yoshimax]

I'll still get it - It's not like I whored the PSP one so there's plenty in it for me even without the downloads.

I take it I can play versus online with the 1200 point version though ???

[Crimson Day]

yea you can although ive had trouble getting a game online atm

[stainboy]

I'm gonna give the demo a go, I liked the mobile version but I wasn't into it enough to buy this one as well.

[Myth]

I keep going to buy the 2000 MS points to get this then keep stopping myself, really undecided at the moment.

At the moment I'm one click to buying them but no doubt I wont.

[Crimson Day]

well the 1200 basic pack is a waste as alot of the features are still locked and not even any music videos available personally i wish i had waited to see what to advance pack impressions where before buying this grr when will i learn:pft:

[stainboy]

I think it's expensive at 1200 even before you take the extra packs into account.

[Dezm0nd]

A nice game, looks good in HD and plays well but seems to not go down too well with me on a big screen. I've always prefered puzzlers on handhelds.

I am not going to bother to be honest, there's plent of other games coming soon (Bully, PES6) and i'll end up not playing this like most of my puzzlers. (apart from tetris DS)

It's a nice game but it seems there's too many add on packs which will mount up, i'll save my dosh for now :)

[cavalcade]

Mmm. Not too bad. Doesn't look fully HD to me. Controls seem a little sticky, music nowhere near as good as the PSP version so far, and the speech in the menus is hilariously bad. Buggy in bits as well, such as the wrong button prompts to exit a screen etc... Worth 1200 points? No. Especially not with much of the menus locked, awaiting additional content. Mmm. But it's still Lumines, and Lumines at the core rocks.

Seen the downloadable PS3 games though? Look like a few crackers in there! :)

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4592363&postcount=11

[TonyDA]

Bloody hell - there's a time mode on this, which is linked to many of the achievements. Just had a few goes at the 60 second one, with the aim of completing 30 blocks in order to unlock an achievement.

My best is 20 blocks, so I have a look at the leaderboard and the guy at the top has cleared 76 blocks in 60 seconds. I then download the replay of it, and all I can say is....how the **** is it possible to do it *that* quickly? :) :)

Not too sure about some of the skins either - they've changed some from the PSP's challenge mode, and I'm not sure they work on a big screen. Might be because I'm not running it on an HDTV, I suppose. :(

[Crimson Day]

LEmmings :o id buy a ps3 just for that ;) , just out of curiosity whats your highest score ive only been able to get to 32k how the **** are you suppost to get to 500k for an achievment:wtf:

[Crimson Day]

Bloody hell - there's a time mode on this, which is linked to many of the achievements. Just had a few goes at the 60 second one, with the aim of completing 30 blocks in order to unlock an achievement.

My best is 20 blocks, so I have a look at the leaderboard and the guy at the top has cleared 76 blocks in 60 seconds. I then download the replay of it, and all I can say is....how the **** is it possible to do it *that* quickly? :) :)

Not too sure about some of the skins either - they've changed some from the PSP's challenge mode, and I'm not sure they work on a big screen. Might be because I'm not running it on an HDTV, I suppose. :(

whered you download it from? by best was 42

[watusi]

Just played the demo, i think its disgusting they are charging extra for the puzzle mode. Its not even any different from the PSP version. Same bloody shapes!

[TonyDA]

Crimson Day - Go to leaderboards, select the one you want to download, then press A (I think) to download the replay. There is then a "view replay" mode in the options menu, and you can watch (and be envious) to your hearts content.

Well done on 42 - I can't even imagine getting that score at the moment! Or were you just lucky? ;) :)

[Crimson Day]

cheers should give me some tips on how to get the 500k achievment :s and its all skill ;) na probly just a lucky run although i got the 3 minute acheivment to but missed out on the 5 minute one but 1 block :pft: 149 i was not happy cant get any higher than 132 now

[Crimson Day]

The person at the top of the challenge mode leader board has got 1.6 million :wtf:

[toythatkills]

I keep dying stupidly because the blocks scroll too quickly across, damn! Is this hanging massively for anyone else after a challenge game? I die, then it freezes for a minute or so before anything happens. Maybe just because I unlocked an achievement?

[Crimson Day]

nope its hanging for me to on every mode and especially if you go onto the leader boards :blink:

[dvdmike]

live is like a dead horse its so dam slow atm I hope the menus speed up when its sorted out

[Spatial101]

Nice to see Lumines Live's menus are giving 80's film stars a chance to earn a crust again

http://img281.imageshack.us/img281/8830/johnnyfiveuu1.jpg

Input!

Really liking this so far. Feels just like Lumines should but on the 360 (natch)

One thing though (and it could just be my aging eyes) but the game seems really bright 8)

A couple of times I winced when setting off combo's.

Wonder when they're releasing the Advanced pack?

[stainboy]

It's certainly distracting when that bonus point arrow flies into the background :blink:

[Hodge]

Is there any licensed tracks from mondo grosso etc on this version? Tried the trial version and wasn`t to impressed with what I was hearing.

[Haribokart]

OH GOD never really played the PSP version properly before but just bought this and it is so stylish & fun! The music, I have a thing for 5.1 music anyway but in this it sounds sooo good. Graphics are lovely and sharp & the gameplay is so addictive!

The little creature you choose at the start is really cute, I chose a little ducky that struts his stuff as the beat goes on. Got a feelng that I'm going to end up buying all of the packs for this... Also loving the scary yet retarded voice on the menu screens!

9/10 TOP STUFF AWESOME

[Lurch]

Me too Haribokart. Never played it before, just downloaded the demo and got hooked straight away. They make it faaaaaar too easy to buy more microsoft points for my liking. :D Bit annoying about the stuff that's still locked though.

[Hartley Hare]

Have to agree, cracking job and that soundtrack sounds so much better than my psp, happy purchase of live again, things are looking up :)

[AllYourBase]

Good buy this, I won't be buying the extra packs though! http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/images/smilie/cool.gif

[hoolak]

The second level where it goes all red and white just looks great :)

[PeteJ]

The second level where it goes all red and white just looks great :)I find it really distracting! I always fail as soon as it changes :p

Think I'll probably get this, I am enjoying the demo, despite sucking at it.

[TheForce]

excellent game ! I almost bought a PSP back then to play this game.... glad I didn't because I can play it now how I like it , on a big TV with excellent 5.1 sound , the game sounds great and is really addictive. For me this is a bargain for 1200 points (1800 with the extra pack).

I've played some VS online with Yoshi last evening, it worked fine, he kicked my ass but that will soon change ;) ! TDU, Doom and Lumines should keep me busy till Gears of War arrives

[dvdmike]

Im addicted and thats odd cuz i totally suck at this

[Kubrick]

Wee bit disappointed tbh. It's still great but there's a definite lack of skins - In the PSP version it takes about an hour of play before you loop back to the start again, but in this, I was on my 3rd loop by the time an hour had passed.

Also, the skins that have been carried over from the PSP version are some of the easiest/slowest so I got the 500K achievement on my first play. I guess some of the faster ones are being saved for the "Advanced" download.

The harder of the time-attack achievements are quite challenging though, so it's all good. :)

[Lebowski]

got the first two achivments on time attack in the 60 and 120 modes and i felt quite pleased with myself until i saw the scorebords and that there are people doubling the ammount you have to get in time attack,

Great game though looks great in hd and the sound im enjoying likeing the samples on time attack most, and i kind of like the scary retarted robot voice on the menu the menu is great too the styleings remind me of something the Designers Republic would of done it has that wipeout bold colour look, very nice :)

only downside was to get the 1200points i needed via marketplace you have to buy £17 worth of points leaveing me with quite a bit spare.

[talizker]

Really enjoyed playing this (the trial) last night ~ I loved the PSP version. I realise some people may be put off by the relatively high marketplace price (taking into account the extra pack as well) but the way I see it is that if it had been released as a boxed game at say a budget £20-£25 price point, I would have snapped it up as a bargain. I will be unlocking tonight when I have some more point for sure.

*Happy*

[Fat_Bob]

I played the demo for all of 5mins and then had to buy the whole thing. It just works so well on a nice tv with 5.1. The songs on a whole are great with only a couple grating on me.

I do feel slightly agrieved that they've kept the puzzle mission stuff locked. Fair enough if they want to charge extra for new skins but these two modes are an intergral part of the game and i feel cheated not to have them there in the beginning.

Considering this is a direct download, eg no disk, packaging, distribution etc i feel £10 would be a good price for both packs together.

Anyway rant over and back to the game!

[C']

Did give this a spin on PSP briefly and did enjoy what I played back then, and despite concerns about the 1200 points being quite high downloaded this.

Actually feels like quite a different experience to the PSP game as with the handheld game, I play with headphones and feel more immersed whereas the DD5.1 for Lumines Live! Feels grander.

Still not very good at the game like (Kubrick saying he got 500k on his first run has only further exacerbated that) but not fully sure about good strategies yet. Give us some pointers :)

PS - the third skin is far too pale and I really struggled to pick out the 2 colour types. My colour blindness strikes once again :(

[Pirotic]

I wonder is they split the game up to avoid the 50mb xbox live arcade size limit. Either way it's put me well off buying it, I'll save my cash rather than get fed the game by piece meal.

[Riskbreaker]

PS - the third skin is far too pale and I really struggled to pick out the 2 colour types. My colour blindness strikes once again :(

Exactly the same here, I hate that level, I'll be doing really well upto it, but once the skin changes my whole game goes to pot :(

On the whole a great game, but I can't help but feel ripped off by the content that has been deliberately cut out. As Fat_Bob said, charging for extra skins is one thing, cutting out access to game modes that should be there is a different ball game.

Also, has anyone else experienced any lag on the multiplayer mode, I was playing JimmyBlanka last night and it was damn laggy. Didn't know if this was because Live had only been back for a day or whether the games network mode is crap.

[TheForce]

Also, has anyone else experienced any lag on the multiplayer mode, I was playing JimmyBlanka last night and it was damn laggy. Didn't know if this was because Live had only been back for a day or whether the games network mode is crap.
mwa, I played it online, and it didn't run all the time as smooth as in the single player game, but it was hardly noticeble. it run quite smooth

[Dirty Sanchez]

Prefer this on the PSP, the screen seems too big to play if that makes sense.

For those that haven't played it before I'd say it is an essential purchase, for PSP users I'd say keep your points for something else.

[AllYourBase]

Also, has anyone else experienced any lag on the multiplayer mode, I was playing JimmyBlanka last night and it was damn laggy. Didn't know if this was because Live had only been back for a day or whether the games network mode is crap.I think it could have been my connection. Suddenly the network test is saying my NAT is Moderate! I have opened the relevant ports so it is classed as Open again - I think that should fix it. http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/images/smilie/blink.gif

[Riskbreaker]

We'll have to have a rematch then :) Not on till late tonight though.

Also, has anyone unlocked enough skins to confirm if Shinin has been included in this release?

[Crimson Day]

only downside was to get the 1200points i needed via marketplace you have to buy £17 worth of points leaveing me with quite a bit spare.
I thought that to but i remebered you can buy a 1000 pack and a 500 one ;)

Wee bit disappointed tbh. It's still great but there's a definite lack of skins - In the PSP version it takes about an hour of play before you loop back to the start again, but in this, I was on my 3rd loop by the time an hour had passed.

Also, the skins that have been carried over from the PSP version are some of the easiest/slowest so I got the 500K achievement on my first play. I guess some of the faster ones are being saved for the "Advanced" download.

The harder of the time-attack achievements are quite challenging though, so it's all good. :)
Bloody hell 500k :o i take my hat of to you sir

[Kizzycrew]

This is my first experience with lumines, and after enjoying the demo, i decided to buy it.
The thing that swung me was the mission mode. Reminded me a bit of Polariums puzzles, and I liked it. Pity once i'd paid for it, I could still only do 5 missions.
Still, getting there. I'm enjoying challenge mode, got 5 skins unlocked now, and a score of 20,000. I'm enjoying it, but live daunts me with everyone and their SUPER scores.

Still think it was far too much mind you.

[Lebowski]

I thought that to but i remebered you can buy a 1000 pack and a 500 one ;)

dont you get less value out of the 1000 and 500 point one though makeing the game more expensive in the long run? the reason i got the 17 quid points pack was i knew someware down the line i would be buying points again

Edit-- oh yeah the backlash about this game is massive lots of people really pissed off about modes being stripped out i have to say i was a bit anoyed once i had done the first five puzzles.

[Crimson Day]

Nope they all work out the same i belive its £4.25 for 500 £8.50 for 1000 and £17.00 for 2000

[spagmasterswift]

Had a go on my mates PSP version a while back and enjoyed, remember it be pretty funky but whats up with the Demo? Lame! Went home fully ready to buy it but thought maybe I should just check out the Demo first and so glad I did as I'm not feeling it at all.

Maybe the 'paid for' game rocks but I'm not willing to take the chance at the moment...

[Riskbreaker]

The game is being slated at the moment. But it's their own fault, if they had released all of the packs at the same time they would avoid alot of the flack they are getting. And it didn't help that the base pack is being advertised as a full game, even Arcade states "Unlock Full Game" which must be pissing alot of people off.

I don't have too much of a problem with the price and the freedom to purchase the parts of the game you enjoy. I do have a problem if I try to play a game that almost immediately states I need to buy content that isn't available. If you had purchased the game for 1200 points just to play the Vs. CPU and mission modes only to find after 1 lvl of CPU and 5 lvls of Mission you have to buy two expansion packs, you would be within your rights to be pissed off.

[dvdmike]

I must undo years of habits as I keep playing it like Tetris and Puryo-pop no wonder I suck

[Yoshimax]

Riskbreaker if anybody bought Lumines to play Vs CPU they should be put down like the dog they are.

:D

Despite a bit of lag I played with TheForce and Akira last night and had some absolutely tremendous games of this - At first it seems whoever gets the initial upper hand will always succeed but prolonged play reaps rewards - turning it round when you're down to only 6 or so columns is joyous 8)

[Akira]

Yea,had some great games last night with yoshi and others.Completely lag free as well.

This is the first time i've played lumines and i LOVE IT!

[TheForce]

At first it seems whoever gets the initial upper hand will always succeed but prolonged play reaps rewards - turning it round when you're down to only 6 or so columns is joyous 8)
yeah..... one moment I felt like the Lumines king.... and after 2 bad drops and 30 seconds later I felt like mr.wankalot...

[Kubrick]

Bloody hell 500k :o i take my hat of to you sir
I used to play it on the PSP all the time - at least an hour a day, and that went on for months. :)


Give us some pointers :)
I'd say this is one of those games that just needs to be played a lot before you become any good at it. I was hellish on the PSP version for ages but once you figure out how the blocks form and react in given situations, it all clicks together.

I will say though that I only rotate the blocks one way (clockwise). I find it less confusing and easier to remember how the blocks will turn out when they're getting rotated. I do the same with Tetris. :)

[Riskbreaker]

Riskbreaker if anybody bought Lumines to play Vs CPU they should be put down like the dog they are.

:D

Agreed :lol:

The point I was trying to make is, many were expecting a full game with the added option of better/more skins in future. What we got was half a game which only feels a little less of a demo than the trial version in some respects.

[andrewfee]

Just tried out the multiplayer today. :o

This is so, so good!!! There's the odd game with some serious lag, but when it's working, and you're up against a player of equal skill, it's amazing. I just finished off a game with someone that lasted at least 10-15 minutes.

Now, normally I'm not a competitive person - I like to beat people on my friends list with the odd arcade game, but with this, I was determined to get into the top 10 (well, top 8 ) and I've just done it! :D

http://img273.imageshack.us/img273/4310/hellyeskq0.jpg

It's worth buying for the multiplayer alone.

Now for the number one spot...

[Myth]

The advanced pack is now up at 600 points, not sure whether to get it or Cloning Clyde

[spagmasterswift]

Take it all back - its clicked.

Just bought the full package - man I'm fickle :D

[MartyG]

The friends leaderboards need sorting - why not exclude anyone who doesn't have the game and order by score descending like every other XBLA game

[peo]

Downloaded the advance pack last night and liking the skins in this much better - seems like more new ones than in the base pack. Still, have to say that challenge mode seems stupidly easy - I managed about 650,000 last night without even coming close to a game over, which got me into the top 50, but I just got bored (took about 2 and a half hours) and had to switch it off. Has anyone played on beyond this kind of score/time to see if it gets any harder? Doesn't seem to speed up much like the PSP version does.

[Lebowski]

Just been reading about the add on packs as I was interested to see if any of the video content that is showed off in all the promo material is in the advance pack they have just released and I found out that its just skins so meh 600 points they can sod off,

What is intresting is acording to this article
http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2006/10/19/538076.aspx

I found this link on Major Nelsons Blog, anyway there are several add on packs coming early next year, the vs cpu, and the mission/puzzles pack will make up 2 of these add on’s and then there are the 5 Artist Packs, these are the music video footage in the background that they have been showing off in all the promo material.

So saying each add on costs 600 points, to get the full lumines game as we saw it on the psp I.e. the skins the mission mode and the vs. cpu is 3000 Microsoft points, but if you add in all the artists packs its another 3000 points (I imagine the artist packs will be more expensive due to royalties and licensing but I'm working them out at 600 points each) that’s 6000 Microsoft points for one live game minimum

That’s one expensive game of lumines around £25 for the base psp version or £50 if you want the snazzy music videos

[spagmasterswift]

Well I suck at this pretty hard so I'm guessing I'm doing something wrong...

Is the point of that line (that's goes from left to right of the screen) so you know how much time you have to try and join blocks together or am I supposed to be doing something more with it? Also I take it that the X in the block wipes out blocks that are the same colour that are touching?

Any hints at improving would be good - I can only make it to the first block type change on Base :(

[peo]

The line doesn't do anything other than clear any 4x4 blocks you've made as it passes them. And the x blocks do exactly as you say - if you make a 4x4 with an x block in it then all adjoining blocks of the same colour will be deleted next time the line passes.

[spagmasterswift]

Ok, thanks. Thought there was gonna be more to it >_<

[peo]

Watch this vid of some guy off RLLMUK. It shows the basic kind of technique you should be using. If you can get it so that after the time line has passed there are only blocks of one colour (or better still no blocks - hard to do) then you get a bonus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB9b8pUgijY

[Crimson Day]

Watch this vid of some guy off RLLMUK. It shows the basic kind of technique you should be using. If you can get it so that after the time line has passed there are only blocks of one colour (or better still no blocks - hard to do) then you get a bonus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB9b8pUgijY
Cheers for posting that vid mate ive been doing better now can hit about 70k in advance challance but ive not been playing like that, ive been playing alot quicker getting combos etc:dry:

[peo]

No worries. That's the cool thing about Lumines - the different modes require quite different play styles. I like challenge mode, where you have to think about what you are doing a bit, working to get down to one colour, but I totally suck at time attack mode. Check out this freak's mad skillz for an example of what I find impossible - he must be on crack or something, no idea how you can play as fast as he is doing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MQnKRrp5mg

[TheForce]

goddamn..... he really knows how to play that game, I don't think I'll ever gonna get even close to his skillz

[v3rtigo]

Really enjoying this - I am a first timer with Lumines but always liked the look of it.
I don't seem to be able to get the online leaderboards though - when I first played it XBOX live was still wobbly after going back up, but the leaderboards are still only 'local'. I must of missed something obvious, I will give it a good bashing this weekend.

As far as the extra packs go, I can understand them doing that for individual artists etc. due to licensing etc. but the mission and puzzle modes...they should of had them greyed out, or even better, missing from the menu, rather than being able to play them for a bit and then get stung with the 'please pay more' message.
I can understand why a lot of people are pissed off. It can feel like paying for a demo.

[Crimson Day]

Ive got to say im starting to get the hang of this now just got 74k and am second on my leaderboard behind peevens 250k im catching up on you:dry:

[Chain]

Played my first full game on this (played it loads on the PSP) on the first "level" - what's happened to the game? I seemed to cycle through about 6 skins then back to the start. 40 mins in I'd got a couple of hundred thousand, about 6 blocks on the screen. I could have kept it going all night with no problems, it didn't seem to speed up like the PSP version did.

I just quit back to the menu, which wasn't a good move as it didn't register my score or achievements ;) Which means I'll have to do it all again.

Did sound pretty nice on a proper speaker setup, which was a positive.

Shame the 360's d-pad sucks so much. Game felt far more precise on the PSP, quite a few times I'd shift over a side while trying to pull the block straight down. Oh and I'm sure I mapped the spin buttons the other way round on the PSP as well, so kept ****ing that up.

I'm sure it'll get better on the higher skill levels, I just don't want a game to last the three or four odd hours a PSP game could.

[Psyduck]

I'm having the same experience as chain, except without so much negativity. I love it cause it's Lumines. I've got the advance pack now, not tried it yet but I assume it'll make it more like the PSP version, and gives you enough extra skins to make it last much longer. Also, try using analogue instead of digital - I normally hate it but it works much better here.

[peeveen]

Ive got to say im starting to get the hang of this now just got 74k and am second on my leaderboard behind peevens 250k im catching up on you
Don't get too confident ... I'm up to 300K now, and the only reason I haven't scored more is cos I don't have the time to play it any longer ... both times I've played it, I've lost on purpose cos I've had to go out.
I could have kept it going all night with no problems, it didn't seem to speed up like the PSP version did.
Yeah, I reckon I could do the same, but to be honest, I'll play for the 500K achievement then concentrate on VS mode I think. PSP version has the advantage in that (1) it was a wee bit harder, and (2) you could switch the game off and continue whenever you wanted.
quite a few times I'd shift over a side while trying to pull the block straight down
Yup, same here.

[Chain]

I'll try the analogue stick as suggested, but not sure it'll be enough ;)

I'll go for the 500k Achievement as well, but I don't think I'll get the time. Pretty sure you get something like 50k for having a clear screen so if I get a bit of a lucky run, and if I'm in the "zone" could probably get it in 10 mins.

Or maybe I'm totally wrong about that score, it's been a while!

[dvdmike]

It just clicked couldnt get off the 3rd level and just got to the 70'd style brown green stage :)

[Chain]

Just got 300 odd thousand on Advanced. Just lost interest in the end.

Oh and it's 10k for having no blocks left on the screen, 1k for having a single colour.

Those Achievements to get like 70 bricks in 60 seconds are going to be tough. Got like 58, that bloody d-pad keeps letting me down and I need a nice solid click per square that the analogue doesn't give.

[JamesS]

Has anybody else's leaderboard broken today? My friend board is blank other than one score. Doesn't even have my score on it.

[v3rtigo]

I love the way this game slowly and hypnotically grows on you. I only started playing it on Friday and find that I slowly know what to do more and more. Only up to 40,000, but that's a huge improvement for me.

I know it's an old cliched thing to say but I haven't had the same slightly trippy feel in a puzzle game since Tetris. It has the same vibe but with added awesome presentation and surround sound! I've already found myself dreaming of shiny squares...help.

[EvilBoris]

I'm still really crap at this, only managed to get to the 4th skin today although I have managed the first 2 time trial acheivements

[spagmasterswift]

I'm still really crap at this, only managed to get to the 4th skin today although I have managed the first 2 time trial acheivements

Yeah I suck too, but after spending a stupid amount of time in the second Time Trail achievement and getting like 86 squares, 84 squares etc I finally cracked the 90 and ended up with something in the very low hundreds. :)

Playing Challenge on Base I start of well but as soon as the Red and White Ball blocks appear my mind just gets totally confused and I play like a retard, then when the Green and Grey blocks arrive (with the scratching beats) I switch back on again. Weird.

Not made it through Base yet, anybody know how many 'Skins' you have to get through before its completed?

[Chain]

Think it cycled at 6. Thought they'd be a lot more.

Could be wrong mind, compared to the PSP version it was as action packed as watching paint dry ;)

[Crimson Day]

i play well during the first 4 skins but that 5th skin with those patterns is a bitch, i was quite annoyed the scores had reset :pft: i had reached 80k

[peeveen]

I wouldn't worry ... when you finally "get it", 80K is a drop in the ocean.
What's this about scores resetting?
I managed 450K the other night (I take it back about being able to play it infinitely).

[Crimson Day]

well when i had a quick blat this morning got a lowly score of only 35k but i was top of my friends list leaderboard strangly

[Chain]

Peeven, does it get any quicker when you lap it? I just gave up once through on Base, literally I had no pile of blocks. And that was my first game since I stopped playing the PSP version way back. I've played it again on Advanced now, and was pretty pleased with a nice run of One Colour and No Colours at the start.

I want to get the 500k Achievement on Base but not sure I can be arsed, but if I get a good run at the start it shouldn't take too long.

So wanted to know if it got quicker!

[Yoshimax]

Isn't the speed of the game/metronome tied to the music track that's playing ?

[peeveen]

Chain, I'm sure it does get faster. I was half-asleep during the first lap, but by the third lap I was gasping for air.

[Chain]

OK well that's good.

My biggest problem with the game on the PSP was that, once you've "got it", a single game can last several hours, which I find ****ing ridiculous.

[peeveen]

I didn't really mind that too much, as the PSP's sleep function meant I could just start from the same point later, but on the 360, I have to put an hour or two aside to have a game, which doesn't seem right.

[peo]

Agreed, it was fine on PSP where you can have a break, but on 360 its a bit daft. To get to the top of the leaderboard is more a battle of who has got the most time free than who is best at Lumines.

[Chain]

I found on the PSP that, once paused, it would be very hard to get back in to the game's groove - an hour in, things are flying around, and the old grey matter takes a while to get in to that mindset ;) Must be getting old!

It needs a harder mode :D

[Yoshimax]

That was the problem with Hexic as well - It put me off playing it because I knew I'd still be playing it donkeys later and if I saved then went back to it I'd be out in a minute because the "groove" was gone.

Puzzle Games - they don't make 'em like they used to :D

[Kubrick]

It needs a harder mode :D
Definitely. I scored 1.3m with my first play on "Advanced" last night/this morning. The game lasted about 2.5 hrs :lol:

Can't remember how many loops I did, but at least there's a lot more skins with the Advanced pack.

[Chain]

Yoshi, in Hexic you can just exit the game and pick it up later. As it's not speed based, there aren't any real issues.

Good to see everyone agrees Lumines needs a mode that even the best players won't last 30 minutes.

[Zed]

Not sure about the 360 version, on the PSP you'd plug in one's headphones and get into the grove anywhere, at home you start to annoy the neighbours cranking up the volume to a tripping level, plus as people have said no pause and not mobile.

I thought of a harder mode; have two blocks dropping at once. You'd use the d-pad and left trigger to rotate one block and the buttons and right trigger the other. Yes it would take a bit of coordination, but might add a nice spin on things.

[nonny]

Can anyone give a complete newbie some tips on how to "get it"?

I am loving Lumines, I loved it when I saw it on PSP but never got round to actually playing it so this on Xbox LIVE (despite the cost model) is gaming bliss.

I suck at it but I am starting to get into it and my score is rising but having read peoples scores here I am waaaaay behind.

[peo]

Have a look back through this thread - people have already posted tips, and I posted a link to a video showing some sensible techniques.

[Chain]

Played before work, got 244k in a single lap - how bloody annoying!

[andy]

So the leaderboards have been wiped for the second week running, what a stupid thing to do:(. Looks like its going to be done every Sunday then.

They might as well have not even bothered putting leaderboards in at all if they're going to wipe them so often.

[FreelancePolice]

aren't they weekly scoreboards?

[Revolution6000]

Is there a skin for getting a certain amount, I cleared Base and most of Advance (score was like 308k when I 'died') and it says I have 97%, really hope I didn't finish just before I would unlock the final one!

[CMcK]

Anyone else having issues getting Lumines Live to Autosave?

I had a game last night after playing some Gears of War Co-Op and when I exited Lumines it went back to the Live Arcade screen. My achievements and the personal high score I had just set were not listed.
I went back to the start of the dash and I had been logged out. The other profile that was loaded for the GoW Co-Op was showing though. I logged her out then brought up my own profile. Lumines was now showing my achievments but not my new highscore.
Maybe a '2 players signed in' related bug in the game?

[Kubrick]

The high-scores have been screwed ever since the Advance pack came out. None of my scores show up on any of the leaderboards anymore. Not even the friends one.

Anyway, finally managed to complete this tonight.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77/Kubrick10/Miscellaneous/Lumines.jpg

:happy:

[Legendary]

Is it worth spending more on advance/multi player package ?

[Kubrick]

Not really but there's a lot more skins.

[Spatial101]

Oh bugger it!

Now the Heavenly Star pack is out I knew I shouldn't have downloaded it. After finally managing to shift it out from playing Lumines II it's now stuck in my head all over again :s

Brilliant song (and a nice addition to Lumines Live - gives me hope as to the quality of the artists pack) but it's far too catchy for its own good.

[Kubrick]

The update I was prompted to download the other day wiped my save file. I'm back to 0% game completion and no skins unlocked.

[Hodge]

Just got round to purchasing this and am really enjoying it upto yet. Can`t say i was to impressed with the base pack, but am loving the advance pack. Also downloaded heavenly star which is very cachy, plus the puzzle/mission pack which ups the puzzles and missions from 10 to 100 now. Feels alot nicer playing it on the 360 in HD with 5.1 sound than psp.

[The Guppy]

Two new skin packs are up. The Booster Pack costs 600 points and contains 20 skins with several recycled from the PSP. I've played up to the 17th and none of them are particularly interesting.

The Tokyo Club Mix Pack costs 350 points and only has 4 skins, including a Heavenly Star dance mix, but in my opinion they're way better than any of the Booster skins. The background graphics are impressive and the music and visuals are extremely well tied together, and the tunes are good!

[Yoshimax]

Downloaded the Tokyo Club Mix yesterday (hey some of it goes to charidee !) - It's really good fantastic tracks & visuals which are nicely synched to them.

[saturn-gamer]

Two new skin packs are up. The Booster Pack costs 600 points and contains 20 skins with several recycled from the PSP. I've played up to the 17th and none of them are particularly interesting.

The Tokyo Club Mix Pack costs 350 points and only has 4 skins, including a Heavenly Star dance mix, but in my opinion they're way better than any of the Booster skins. The background graphics are impressive and the music and visuals are extremely well tied together, and the tunes are good!

I too thought the booster pack sucked. I think i'll download the club mix. This game has cost me over 20 quid now I think :)

And its still not really as complete as the PSP is it?