efore I start, I just want to say that I joined the Lumines party quite late and only picked it up this year. Most people have had it since the games beginning, but as I always say its never too late to start a good thing

Lumines II is the sequel to the highly acclaimed Lumines I. It features double the content, double the songs (including ones from the first game), more modes, multiplayer and more. In fact it is good enough to be a great first entry for anyone who has not played Lumines before.

Lumines II is a puzzle game that is based on falling bricks. On each mode you lumines will fall to the ground and you have to orient them (basically rotating them) until they line up and make a square of 4 of the same color complex. You can keep adding and extending them in the time alloted and rack up points based on how big this is. There is a scanner bar that slides to the right every so often (based on the beat of the song). This will scan any blocks and if they are in that 4 color complex will be cleared away and added to your points. It is pretty fast paced but there is a helpful beginner difficulty that starts out pretty slow, so within twenty minutes or so players will know the basics.

As I said there are multiple modes, such as versus mode where you unlock skins (the term for each "level") and icons (icons for your avatar). There are multiplayer modes, synthesizer mode if you want to create your own beats and skins, the challenge mode (where you unlock the skins), a puzzle mode (clear all the lumines in an allotted amount of time), and a time attack mode (where you score as many points possible in time).

The game also keeps tons of statistics and records for your personal enjoyment and when milestones are reached skins are unlocked.

The skins is the final excellent portion of the game. Each tier in the challenge mode will net you twenty skins. Each skin has its own unique song and there are a wide range of Japanese pop and quirky hits to some licensed songs such as Hollaback Girl, Pump It, etc. Heavenly Star by Genki Rockets is a favorite by just about everyone too and that makes an appearance here. It is perhaps this sole reason that Lumines II has found wide appeal with every--the music variety.

The only CON is the that soundtracks choice of some Licensed tracks may not agree with everyone as not everyone likes Qwen Stefani etc. Fortunately, once you finish the skin it is unlocked though if you are trying to go for completion of a mode you will have to keep playing through that skin.

One minor tidbit: Only the dedicated pros will most likely complete and unlock every single skin in the game, so the game will probably never lose its replay factor.

Ultimately get Lumines II if you enjoy music-rhytm based games and are looking for something memorable and fun. I would also suggest getting Lumines I as well if you love the music too!

People refer to this game as being addicting, which of course is a good thing when it comes to video games, and they're right. This is one of those games that will have you "seeing" the combinations fall even when the game is turned off, when you're supposed to be working or studying or sleeping.

But has it occurred to you that you might suck?

That you might get this thing home and play it for 25 hours, never getting past level three, before you realize that you're not the smarty-pants you thought you were?

That it's basically a child's toy, and you're a 47-year-old man who has to wear reading glasses to even distinguish which row you're dropping into, while somewhere, some 11-year-old just won a PS3 for getting a million points in less than 20 minutes?

That you're subjecting yourself to background music by bands that probably didn't even exist before your grandchild was born?

What the hell are you even doing, playing video games at your age?

Anyway, yep, totally addicting, totally worth it. Five stars. Get a PSP carrying case and a spare battery, because you'll want this with you everywhere you go. And if you have a wife or girlfriend, end it now before she does.