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[Juice]

I was thinking about this long and hard last night and thought about starting the same thread.

I really think that Tetris takes slightly more brain power, because you actually have to plan what you're up to in order to survive. Normally when I die in Tetris, I feel like it was a mistake in my planning. Bad decisions led to the screen filling up with blocks.

In Lumines it seems that the thing that fills me to the top isn't bad decisions, but an inability to hit the square button fast enough.

And you need to plan in Lumines too, it's just that it escalates to an insane tempo so quickly that I'm hardly ever able to rotate the block the right number of times before it hits and that's accounting for 99% of my fails. I know exactly where I want it to go and do, but Lumines requires much better twitch and button manipulating skills than Tetris does.

I'd say they're both similarly challenging, with the nod in better overall concept to Tetris.

 

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

Incredible Machine > All

 

[sprsk]

It makes me sad to see puyo puyo always being left out of puzzle game arguments

 

[Speevy]

Well-designed puzzle games are inherently better than games in any other genre because they transcend graphics for gameplay style, begin and end without any filler, and differentiate themselves by appealing only to fans of different puzzle types, rather than pandering to demographics.

So with that said, you really can't lose with Tetris, Lumines, Meteos, whatever. It's all good.

 

[aoi tsuki]

You know, the fact that we're comparing Lumines to a game that's, what, twenty years old says something about the quality of Tetris.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

Respect.

 

[krypt0nian]

You know, the fact that we're comparing Lumines to a game that's, what, twenty years old says something about the quality of Tetris.

hell yes.

 

[Speevy]

I can beat Super Mario Brothers in 20 minutes without dying once. Tetris still challenges players today.

On a side note, they should make a PC demo of Lumines and Meteos.

 

[aerodynamik]

In Lumines it seems that the thing that fills me to the top isn't bad decisions, but an inability to hit the square button fast enough.

You mean you've got a sticky square button? For god's sake, there are alternative configurations, just look at the options menu.

And now that I have an excuse to post I'll add that this is getting ridiculous.

 

[RuGalz]

Personally I have trouble go back to tetris after lumines. Lumines is faster pace especially when it comes to VS mode. Adding great music/visual on top of it makes tetris just seem plain. Next Tetris was kind of in the direction of Lumines and it was great and is probably the closest in comparison overall. But just about every aspect of Lumines tops it.

Lumines' long session can be a bit dawnting but that's what sleep mode is for. It takes a long time to "get" lumines imo. Even though I have maxed out score long time ago I still find new interesting ways to utilize blocks. And I have yet to be able to utilize the list of "next pieces" properly. I used to prefer Tetris until I finally understand Lumines.

 

[aerodynamik]

Well no. I've been playing a lot of Tetris the last couple months, while I finished Lumines in two weeks.

There's a difference there, you know.

 

[Dsal]

Tetris, even after all these years, is still fun no matter what graphics and music they pair with it, if any. I don't think the same thing will hold for Lumines.

 

[bionic77]

You know, the fact that we're comparing Lumines to a game that's, what, twenty years old says something about the quality of Tetris.

:lol

That is exactly what I thought when I saw this thread. I doubt most people will remember Lumines in 5 years, let alone 20.

Still, the praise makes me really want to play it. I haven't had a great puzzle game since Super Puzzle Figher II. And Super Puzzle Fighter and Tetris Attack are 100x more fun in multiplayer so they are worthless to me without someone to play with.

Is Lumines coming to PS2 btw, or is it exclusive to PSP?

 

[WARCOCK]

"You know, the fact that we're comparing Lumines to a game that's, what, twenty years old says something about the quality of Tetris."

I think this analogy is not exactly correct. The design of puzzle games is dependant on ingenuity rather then on the complexity of certain design aspects which newer hardware permits. I mean its safe to assume that lumines could have been done on an older system.

That being said,

TETRIS>LUMINES *hums the crazy russian theme*

 

[TJ Bennett]

This thread is ridiculous and should be closed right now. If the Russians find out their Tetris spell is dwindling there might be a new cold war.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Tetris, even after all these years, is still fun no matter what graphics and music they pair with it, if any. I don't think the same thing will hold for Lumines.

I disagree since my g/f has played it for over three months now, and is much better than I am with a high score of almost 600k, and she thought she had looped the skins far before than she actually had because she had sort of tuned out the background and the music a bit and just assumed based on the color scheme. The graphics and music were irrelevent to her and she concentrated just soley based on colors and what she had to do with them. Even I've played with the volume turned off. Heck the first time I got to Lights I had the volume off and didn't realize I had reached it. Didn't make a difference to me either.

 

[border]

Why is Tetris better than Lumines because "anybody can pick it up and play it"? When did accessibility to children and the elderly become such an important criterion for quality?

Using this mentality, none of the greatest 3D games will ever be "better" than even the above-average 2D games purely because 3D is more difficult for gramps and lil' sis to get a hold on.

 

[Mrbob]

Nostalgia wants me to say Tetris and new hotness wants me to say Lumines but right now I'm not sure. I need more time with Lumines first to decide. Tetris isn't even my favorite Tetris game. Tetris Attack is. Right now I'd say Lumines is a notch below Tetris attack but the more I play Lumines the more I like it! It may eventually supercede Tetris Attack as my favorite puzzle game! Lumines is much more of a thinking puzzle game than Tetris. Tetris you just need to see where the pieces fit and form a straight line.

Speaking of Tetris Attack, I'd go buy a DS right now if Nintendo made the game for their touch screen system.

 

[olimario]

Lumines has reached the height of its appeal already. Maybe once I uncover more I'll enjoy it more, but I think I still have more fun with Tetris.

 

[Dilbert]

Honestly, I was never a huge Tetris fan. I understand why so many people like it, but it really didn't do anything for me.

Lumines, on the other hand, pushes all the right buttons for me. It's a deep, challenging puzzler which makes you want to come back for more. The graphics are far more diverse and appealing than Tetris ever was...but most importantly, the music is AMAZING. And not just the music -- the way that the music follows your action. When you play better, it sounds better.

I really do hope they make a Lumines soundtrack, although it would consist of four licensed tracks and "arrangements" of the game music/sound effects into short pieces. In that sense, it would be somewhat similar to the Rez soundtrack...but even though that was a notch down from the game musical experience, it was still pretty sweet.

 

[Mejilan]

I prefer Lumines by a significant margin. But to be fair, I never thought much of Tetris. I would, once every few years, play it quite a bit for a week, but then I'd get bored and not touch it again for a year or three. I haven't played it forever, and don't particularly feel the lack.

 

[Mrbob]

Lumines has reached the height of its appeal already. Maybe once I uncover more I'll enjoy it more, but I think I still have more fun with Tetris.

Well, I think you need to give it more time Oli. I acted the same way with Lumines after the first couple days. Thinking the appeal was gone for me too. But the more I play it the better I'm getting, and the more the game clicks with you. You start seeing things ahead of time and once you start doing some major chain linkage it is a beautiful thing.

 

[olimario]

I think I overlook Lumines 'not as good as Tetris' gameplay because of the amazing visuals and amazing music and interactivity.
It's really something special how it all came together. It's for that reason why I need a Tetris game with a Lumines-like makeover. THAT would be the best ever.

 

[Pedigree Chum]

Incredible Machine > All

That game was an amazing amount of fun.

 

[teruterubozu]

I really do hope they make a Lumines soundtrack, although it would consist of four licensed tracks and "arrangements" of the game music/sound effects into short pieces. In that sense, it would be somewhat similar to the Rez soundtrack...but even though that was a notch down from the game musical experience, it was still pretty sweet.

I guess a big part of the Lumines love fest is the music. I just can't get into it - "World of Silence, Creepy Silence..." It just drives me nuts. I liked the music in Rez though...

 

[lexi]

I must have stumbled into a universe where Tetris Attack nor Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo was ever released?

 

[SonnyBoy]

Does anyone know if a tetris game is coming out for the PSP? Lumines sounds interesting but I'd pick tetris over it and almost any other game any day. Unlike 99% of all other games, Tetris has the longevity and replay factor that I lust for.

 

[LordPhlegm]

Playing lumines at the moment and think it is better than Tetris, i love it, its fast paced, cool music and more original than Tetris.

lumines or Tetris...Lumines

What?

Tetris is fast paced. Just start at a more difficult level, like 18. More original than Tetris? What?

Again, I haven't played Lumines, but perhaps I'll have to look into it soon.

 

[Yossarian]

Honestly, I was never a huge Tetris fan. I understand why so many people like it, but it really didn't do anything for me.

Lumines, on the other hand, pushes all the right buttons for me. It's a deep, challenging puzzler which makes you want to come back for more. The graphics are far more diverse and appealing than Tetris ever was...but most importantly, the music is AMAZING. And not just the music -- the way that the music follows your action. When you play better, it sounds better.

took the words right outta my mouth.

 

[ZeMMiK]

The old tetris is boring now for me, I played it too much. I play Tetris World on Xbox...In Sticky mode.

What I never understand is what people find so great with Tetris Attack, there are really big fans out here about this game.


Going to buy a PsP when it is in Europe 80% for Lumines. I love that music and in combination with falling blocks...can´t resist.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Lumines has reached the height of its appeal already. Maybe once I uncover more I'll enjoy it more, but I think I still have more fun with Tetris.

With the low score you have, you're barely scraping the surface of the game. You haven't even begun to see what the appeal of the game is and its not the graphics or the music.

 

[FortNinety]

Sorry, but I never "got" Puyo Puyo. I just don't understand the appeal, and I LOVE puzzle games.

 

[Jasoco]

I think both have their own goodness. I'd love to see a port of Tetris on the PSP just to have both with me. Especially since it could use a vertical configuration and you could play sideways like in Namco Museum.

Seriously, Tetris is great, except for the ill-concieved Tetris Worlds which sucks because of the lack of a SCORE! WTF? I'd love a port to the PSP.

Then Lumines. Damn is it surprisingly addictive. Sometimes I get on a roll and amaze myself. Sometimes I suck. I have to be in a Lumines state of mind.

I love both. And from the looks of it, the PSP has a bunch of really killer puzzlers in its future. Let's hope a Tetris port is among them. Anyone remember Tetris 2? Didn't that game also have sort of the same similar special blocks? It's been so long I can't remember how to play.

 

[monchi-kun]

you know what i would like to have in a puzzle game (as far as multiplayer is concerned) is Co-op puzzle solving.

 

[impirius]

Why can't Lumines and Tetris be friends?

 

[isamu]

QUESTION FOR ALL OF YOU....

If this game came out for the PSP right now:

......WOULD YOU STILL PLAY LUMINES???

I don't own a PSP yet so I haven't played Lumines but I can tell you that if SPFII came out for the PSP I wouldn't touch Lumines for more than 10 minutes.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Why can't Lumines and Tetris be friends?

There are no friends on gaf.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Lumines is fast paced? :lol
Great game, though I hate the music. I also wish there was a random skin mode.

 

[impirius]

There are no friends on gaf.