Lumines Live!

Lumines is the big game that couldn't; a puzzle game with a great reputation has been seared into gamer's minds as an evil money grubbing swindle. It is too bad, because Lumines does offer a simple and addictive, though not perfect, puzzle game worth checking out for those with the stomach for the seedy side of Xbox Live Marketplace.

Probably the only thing to say to people who feel cheated or ripped off by this tiered content set-up is that they simply shouldn't buy into Lumines Live until the range of downloadable content is broad enough to justify the cumulative cost - if indeed that happens - unless they have a powerful urge right now to play Lumines again on a big screen.

Lumines on the Xbox 360 is just as much fun as it was on the PSP, but due to its high price tag and awkward control scheme it just doesn't feel like much of a bargain. If you don't mind paying $15 for an incomplete version of this puzzle game then you will end up having hours of fun trying to beat your high score.

Be wary of the secret costs though, I can’t express enough that those are a very sneaky way of robbing you out of your hard earned cash. A lot of people fell for it, a lot of people are bound to fall for it and it’s just a sh.tty thing to do on MS’s part. It’s a true shame that they picked Lumines Live! to try out this approach on DLC, Lumines deserves better.

We'd rather pay a higher price and get the game proper than being told we'll have to shell out for at least two more packs upon purchase. [Christmas 2006, p.108]

The game itself is fine but the issue is the pricing. [Issue 14, p.116]

Lumines Live! has the same addictive gameplay as the PSP original does, but you don't get a lot for your money.

With no clue as to when Lumines Live! will actually contain all of the features listed in its menu, nor how much it will cost to get them there, it's tough to recommend until these details are made available.