Parents' Guide to

Lumines Remastered

By Jeff Haynes, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Classic puzzle game buzzes with new immersive play feature.

Game Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One 2018
Lumines Remastered Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Lumines Remastered Screen #1
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  • Lumines Remastered Screen #5

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What’s It About?

LUMINES REMASTERED doesn't have a story. This HD remake of the original PSP puzzle game focuses on dropping squares of 2x2 blocks from the top of a screen to the playing field below as a guideline continually scrolls from left to right. Merging blocks into squares of the same color (or larger) creates segments that can be cleared by the line, earning points and additional space for players to drop more blocks into. As in Tetris, players try to clear as many blocks as they can before the stack reaches the top of the screen and the game ends. The two new game modes here are the Basic Challenge mode, in which players attempt to unlock and clear the 24 skins included in the game, and Shuffle, in which unlocked skins appear at random until a game is lost. Along with the Endless Challenge, there's also a Skin Edit mode that lets players add their favorite skins in a sequence and play through them once for a top score. The Mission mode lets you clear a set of blocks within a specific number of moves, while the Puzzle mode asks you to create a specific pattern before time runs out. Time Attack gives players a chance to clear as many blocks as possible in one, three, or five minutes. Finally, players can test themselves against the computer or another player in the same room.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This updated version of a puzzle classic adds HD visuals and a new immersive scheme, making an excellent game even better. Lumines Remastered feels just like the original PSP game with a fresh HD (or 4K) coat of paint. The head-to-head battles between two players or against the computer have carried over from the first game, while the Puzzle and Mission modes from Lumines II give a more objective-based spin on play. But it's the expansion of the Basic Challenge mode in Remastered, in which you can unlock new skins, and Shuffle mode, in which you randomly go through unlocked stages, that will probably keep the majority of your attention.

Players will also find that Lumines Remastered keeps the reactive puzzle gameplay that partnered so well with the engaging electronic score to put players in a meditative zone as they match blocks. But this time, you can also set up Trance Vibration in any extra controllers you have lying around. Depending on your system, you can pair up to eight separate controllers to respond to the bass of each level's soundtrack. Placing these controllers in your pockets, at the small of your back, or even under your feet brings the pulsing beat of each stage and song to life, immersing you in a sensory experience that's unlike any other game. While eight controllers may seem like overkill, even using two or three controllers is enough to draw you in, making the rumble of other games seem tame in comparison. It's a small but powerful addition that helps round out the Lumines Remastered experience, improving upon one of the best puzzle games that's ever been made.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about screen time. Lumines Remastered can easily draw you in to play just "one more game" ... for hours. How do you give yourself a break from your screen for other activities?

  • Does the music of a puzzle game help you focus and boost your creativity or does it distract you from the on-screen action?

  • Are puzzle games like Lumines Remastered appealing because they're so easy to learn and play, or is there something about the gameplay that's innately attractive to gamers?

Game Details

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