Lumines II to use licensed video bait
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Jul 18th 2006 at 12:55PM }
The latest issue of Game Informer (trust us, or buy/borrow/steal a copy) reports that Lumines II is almost identical to its acclaimed predecessor. The draw will be new unlockable skins, which, this time around, include licensed music videos from artists including Black Eyed Peas, Fatboy Slim, Hoobastank, and Missy Elliot. It's a risky deviation from the standard set in the original, as much of the sequel's soundtrack contains songs that were played out many seasons ago. Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" ... ? No thank you.With all the technical intricacies of the PSP, one wonders why Lumines II isn't being sold, at least in addition to a full-fledged UMD release, as a downloadable utility (for Lumines), which in turn would give us access to an online store where we could purchase additional skins that include music videos -- or better, bundles that include multiple skins that need to be unlocked through gameplay. But this sounds eerily similar to another future puzzler we've heard of ... Lumines Live, anyone?
Buena Vista Game is pimping the Lumines franchise for all it's worth. Go 'head -- that's the business. It's just a shame that there's not more of a collective effort to exploit the potential of the PSP. Instead, we've got a near-identical sequel being hustled to us on UMD for $40.
... Okay, we're stepping down from the podium now ... here are the soundtrack details you're looking for ...
Music videos:
- Beck – "Black Tambourine"
- Black Eyed Peas – "Pump It"
- Chemical Brothers – "Star Guitar"
- Fatboy Slim – "Gangster Trippin'"
- The Go! Team – "Bottle Rocket"
- Gwen Stefani – "Hollaback Girl"
- Hoobastank – "Born to Lead"
- Junior Senior – "Take My Time"
- Missy Elliott – "Lose Control"
- New Order (unannounced)
Non-video tracks:
- Junkie XL – "Breezer"
- Stigmato Inc – "Reality Check"
- Mondo Grosso (unannounced)
- Ken Ishii (unannounced)
- Techriders (unannounced)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1up_clock @ Jul 18th 2006 12:59PM
Gwen Stefani – "Hollaback Girl"
Why? Just... WHY?
Pancakeshouse @ Jul 18th 2006 1:02PM
I knew this would happen! Now Lumines is going to be Americanized and filled with crappy pop music singles that were never good to begin with.
I truly hope the non Japanesse titles are kept to a minimum, because the original Lumines opened my eyes to the Jpop genre, which I know enjoy very much. Beck is really the only one on there I would like.
Maybe this one will be better imported without all of the American pop crap.
silverSurfer84 @ Jul 18th 2006 1:09PM
They expect me to drop another 40 just for licensed songs and new skins? Sorry Id rather play the original with my own audio playlist if thats all theyre updating.
There are lots of ideas to make the gameplay better. Here's an idea I had that I posted awhile ago on a different site. What do you think?
---
RE: What would you like to see in Lumines 2?
I would also like to see more detailed records as mentioned above and increased max score.
I also had an idea for a new special block. It is placed in the squares as the current special block is but looks different so you can tell them apart. What it does when activated by making a square with it is the timeline stops for 5, 10 or 15 seconds or whatever. In this time you can create some huge combos but also have to be careful that your screen doesnt fill since no blocks are being cleared. And maybe if you activate 2 of these special blocks at once the timeline goes double speed instead. I think it would work well and I would love to see it in Lumines 2.
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Maxiv @ Jul 18th 2006 1:16PM
Eh, it still has original tracks/skins + Mondo Grosso goodness FTW !!
Rob @ Jul 18th 2006 1:18PM
The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, The Go! Team, and Junior Senior all sound like solid picks, it's just confusing why they would do that and then add in horribly bland garbage like Black Eyed Peas and Hoobastank. They could have something decent on their hands if they skipped the mainstream pop marketing blitz and went all the way towards a hip, modern electronic soundtrack. Artists like Amon Tobin, DJ Shadow, and Vitalic come to mind.
Dracula Jones @ Jul 18th 2006 1:19PM
I've never played Lumines before, but I plan on dropping points on Lumines Live when it comes out. Does anyone know if you can use your own music or even a generic soundtrack? Mute will be liberally applied if I have to hear any of the above mentioned music.
dvddesign @ Jul 18th 2006 1:22PM
Less Gwen, More Mondo Grosso, please.
It was fantastic to discover that I had already heard of Mondo Grosso under a different name.
Go looking for Shinchi Osawa if you liked the Lumines soundtrack. This guy's going to be the Japanese Fatboy Slim if he can get enough unique remixes.
He's already worked with Kelis, Armand Van Helden, Mylo, and a host of others. And we're going to replace him with Hollaback Girl... ugh. Hopefully the game will have an original soundtrack, and the game won't be exclusively supported by crappy pop chart hits.
deft @ Jul 18th 2006 1:32PM
Beck, Chemical Bros, Fatboy Slim, Junior Senior, and FREAKING New Order, who cares if Gwen Stefani is in there, the artists that I mentioned make it worth it, even though I don't have a PSP
Jody Anthony @ Jul 18th 2006 1:48PM
beck and new order are the only ones of interest to me
Isaac Klavsky @ Jul 18th 2006 2:18PM
Take every song on that list but Black Tambourine, and pretend they don't exist. Thats is what they are asking of me to want this game. Getting it, though, would entail getting a PSP. No sale there, brother.
bounchfx @ Jul 18th 2006 2:20PM
ok, this totally ruins any chance they had at me buying lumines 2. unless it still has the normal, good music, instead of this pop bullshit. same with lumines plus. and live.
lumines was my favorite psp game, if all of the future iterations are full of this pop and mainstream music bullshit I'm totally not intereted.
please, please lumines live, have an option to not listen to that shit.
thanks!
BlueNocturne @ Jul 18th 2006 2:41PM
What an awful list.. oh well at least Mizuguchi still liked Mondo Grosso and it's good to see the return of Ken Ishii in one of his games.
JRM @ Jul 18th 2006 3:08PM
Anyone remember Tetris II?
...I didn't think so...
sequels to popular puzzle games don't really work out. Either the gameplay never the same, or it's an exact clone of the original (i.e. bust a move).
Matt @ Jul 18th 2006 3:26PM
I wish they would make it work with any mp3's you have on your psp like the upcoming game Traxion. That way the music never gets old cause you can change it. Maybe Traxion will end up being the better game because of it. I think it is coming out at the end of this year.
KR @ Jul 18th 2006 3:41PM
DIE GWEN DIE. DIE GWEN DIE. She's almost WORSE than those other Maxim-ized whores who run around half-naked singing the teenybopper crap - she's portrayed as a "real musician" which makes her stuff supposedly "better." She sucks just as bad as anyone. Heavy marketing at work, there. No Doubt sucks, Gwen Stefani is worse.
Doesn't look good for Lumines. Too bad, I was looking forward to it, as I don't have a PSP but do have a 360.
Jeff @ Jul 18th 2006 3:41PM
As Puffy says, "we ain't no harajuku girls!"
Take this sequel and shove it.
KR @ Jul 18th 2006 3:57PM
Oh, and for god's sake...put your arms down, Gwen. Barf. You're almost 40 years old, start dressing like it. Then you can work on acting like it, you talentless skank. Go shower.
unimental @ Jul 18th 2006 4:53PM
"...it's just confusing why they would do that and then add in horribly bland garbage like Black Eyed Peas and Hoobastank."
Because "the kids" love what you and I consider to be the musical equivalent of a compost heap. And "the kids" determine, to a large extent, where mum & dad's credit card gets swiped.
Every time I see the top-10 singles charts I want to kick something. Hard.
Then again, I still listen to Phil Collins.
willie @ Jul 18th 2006 7:48PM
no thank you, mizuguchi, i will not drop another $40 for the same game but with fmv skins this time around. i am happy enough with Lumines the way it is.
yujean @ Jul 19th 2006 1:47AM
Ugh... they should've just released Lumines II without mentioning any of these pop artists.
Seriously.. that's such a copout way to make a sequel~ I really looked forward to original skins & music w/ this new game... and perhaps even a higher MAX SCORE as silverSurfer84 mentioned. Bahhh~
I love gwen stefani & all ... i love hearing her songs in movies & TV shows... but making it into a theme for a game that I love? Nooooo~ Why! That just makes me hate the game & gwen altogether... sucks!
alienclay @ Jul 19th 2006 1:49AM
honstly, considering the size of the original and the very opinionated way some people feel about certian parts of the new soundtrack, i can't help but wonder and agree if the sequel should be a download instead of a umd (live style). this is the kind of game i would rather download next to my ps1 games this year than pay $40 for few/no upgrades in gameplay.
Angelo @ Jul 19th 2006 2:00PM
It could be worse. They could be putting "Dragula" on it.