Posts with tag mizuguchi
Posted Apr 27th 2007 2:05PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Lumines, Demos
Longtime PSP Fanboy readers know that
we love Lumines II. For the unacquainted, this puzzler from game guru Mizuguchi combines music and highly addictive gameplay for a truly mesmerizing experience. Try this new demo, fresh from the game's
Japanese website.
1.
Download the demo EBOOT file.
2. Connect your PSP to your computer using a USB cable.
3. Go to the PSP/GAME folder.
4. Create ULJM05232 folder.
5. Copy EBOOT file into the ULJM05232 directory.
Check out our new demos site:
demos.pspfanboy.com
Posted Mar 6th 2007 4:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News
The PSP puzzler
Every Extend Extra was plenty extreme as-is: but that's not stopping Mizuguchi-san and his Q? Entertainment cohorts from amping up the game in an XBLA follow-up to this oft-neglected puzzler/shooter. This is not the first time that one of Q? Entertainment's PSP titles has jumped ship to Microsoft's home console:
Lumines released on the digital distribution platform, fueling an incredible controversy over the value of
microtransactions.
Considering the game's lackluster sales performance on Sony's handheld, it shouldn't come as surprising that the game would move to another platform. The game joins an increasingly growing list of once-exclusive titles that have moved on:
Tekken: Dark Resurrection and
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories being just a few notable examples.
Joystiq Gallery: Every Extend Extra Extreme (E4)
Posted Feb 17th 2007 5:00AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Lumines
While the rest of the world has had the ability to enjoy Mizuguchi's
Lumines II, Japan only recently got access to the puzzler. Unlike America and Europe, where the game was published by Buena Vista Games, this Q Entertainment effort is self-published in Japan, marking it as a huge milestone for the once-smalltime developer.
To celebrate the launch of
Lumines II, Mizuguchi held a massive party in Air, a famous hot spot, a few blocks south of Shibuya station. Famitsu was on hand, offering tournaments, and the alcohol flowed freely. Check out
IGN to see more pics and details from a night of puzzle-inspired debauchery.
See also:
PSP Fanboy review: Lumines II
Posted Nov 30th 2006 3:45AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News, Lumines, Imports
I
praised Lumines II's soundtrack for its breadth and diversity. However, it looks like the upcoming Japanese release of this puzzle favorite will improve the already impressive song lineup by adding more Japanese music into the game.
1UP reports that artists like DJ Ken Ishii and the
Genki Rockets will have additional songs, making this version of the game something importers and
Mizuguchi collectors will certainly want to keep an eye on.
The game's still far off: February 15th for 4980 yen ($43). The game won't be published by Bandai Namco, as previously expected. Rather, it will be self-published by Q? Entertainment, making their very first foray into publishing.
Posted Nov 18th 2006 1:15PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Reviews, Lumines
Lumines II is the hotly anticipated sequel to
Lumines, a fan-favorite launch game that won the hearts of gamers and critics. The stylish combination of music, art and gameplay made for a truly surreal experience that was perfect for portable gamers on the go. The gameplay was brilliantly simple: a 2x2 block falls from the sky, and the player must rotate and position that block to create a solid 4x4 square of one color.
The simplicity of the game allowed anyone to pick up and play, and as with all great puzzle games, players started to learn more techniques and secrets to improve their performance. A typical
Lumines session for a skilled player can easily span longer than an hour, but with changing backgrounds, songs, and tempos, the player constantly feels motivated.
The original introduced such a great formula, and Q? Entertainment's sequel doesn't stray too far from it--and that's a good thing in many ways.
Lumines II offers a plethora of new content, and a great refinement in the user interface. However, is the game enough to warrant a purchase from those that already have the original? How about gamers that are new to this
Lumines craze?
Continue reading PSP Fanboy review: Lumines II
Posted Nov 15th 2006 12:30AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Interviews, Lumines, Video
We got early access to an interview with
Mizuguchi which will be hitting the internet tomorrow. The esteemed game master talks about creating
Lumines II, and we have it available for you to download it to your PSP via m.pspfanboy.com. Make sure you save it to the 100ANV folder, not VIDEO.
Expect an in-depth review of
Lumines II in the coming days.
[
Update 1: Embedded video, after the cut.]
Continue reading Interview with Mizuguchi on Lumines II [m]
Posted Nov 13th 2006 9:10PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News
Do you want to talk to the man behind
Lumines,
Rez,
Space Channel 5, and more? Of course you do.
Eurogamer is giving its readers the chance to chat with the legendary game designer,
Tetsuya Mizuguchi. If you couldn't figure it out, Eurogamer is a European website, so make sure you adjust for the time difference. If it's 12:30PM there, what time will it be in your part of the globe? I think according to my calculations, it'll be early morning for most of America. Will you be staying up to talk to this gaming visionary?
[Picture via
Siliconera]
[
Update 1: Unfortunately, Mizuguchi had to reschedule his webchat to a later date. Stay tuned for more information.]
Posted Nov 11th 2006 3:30PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Gunpey
DS and PSP fanboys can never agree about which Q? Entertainment puzzler is the best. PSP owners love
Lumines' stylish looks, kickin' music, and mellow gameplay. DS owners love
Meteos' wi-fi multiplayer, intuitive touch screen controls, and hectic gameplay. Now, the DS and PSP Mizuguchi fans will be able to argue about the same game:
Gunpey. The two handhelds take two very different approaches to the game, and
according to 1UP, the DS gets the better version:
The PSP version is the purest taste of Gunpey you're likely to receive anywhere. The skin collecting is addictive, and as long as you don't mind the brutal, linear, hours-long grind needed to collect them all, then this is probably the version most older gamers will go for. But if you're looking for a more full-featured game, with greater variety -- and don't mind the cartoony milieu of Gunpey DS -- then you will find this version not only a superior value, but a superior game.
Although the DS version is more cartoony (and looks like
it's for kids), it features one important feature the PSP version lacks: game sharing. I loved playing
Meteos multiplayer with just one cartridge, and it's a shame that most PSP games don't seem to take advantage of this incredible feature. It's sad to think that maybe the PSP version would've outclassed the DS version if it bothered to include game sharing.
Gunpey comes out
November 14th.
Posted Nov 10th 2006 3:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Every Extend Extra, Metareview
Every Extend Extra started as a
freeware PC app that was transformed by the music-loving
Q? Entertainment folks. With flashy skins, and groovin' music, does
Every Extend Extra continue the music puzzling legacy of Mizuguchi, or does it fall flat on its face? Let's see what the critics have to say:
-
CVG (90/100) thinks the game is just as good as its Lumines predecessor: "With all the impressive music and visual tech pushing Every Extend Extra, its easy to forget that when you strip it all away there's a unique and addictive shooter lying underneath. As with Lumines, E3 is a game for those who appreciate a simple yet brilliantly-realised, score-driven experience - otherwise you might just be put off by the limited amount of raw content the game has to offer."
-
IGN (81/100) thinks the game's a bit too short-lived, but its pretty looks keep it coming back for more: "Nine stages may not sound like a lot, and truthfully, it's not. But for some cosmic reason it satisfies nonetheless. Each one provides such a distinct arena, complete with unique musical tracks and background animations, that moving through the game gives players an actual sense of accomplishment."
- The Mizuguchi-worshipping 1UP (60/100) gave a surprisingly low review, saying the game's flashy nature is a bit too distracting: "It's extra flashy, extra chaotic, extra confusing. Q Entertainment's unique sense of style is in full effect, but for once that's maybe not such a good thing. All of Mizuguchi's trademark flash and pizzazz actually detract from the experience."
With the exception of 1UP, it appears that the critics enjoy the
E3 experience. And although it might be too short, or too flashy, the original
Every Extend is included as a nice bonus. The game is
now available for the budget price of $30. I'm buying it just for the awesome box art.
Posted Oct 27th 2006 10:45AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Downloads, Gunpey, Fan Stuff
Of the three upcoming Mizuguchi music fusion games, it feels like
Gunpey's getting the least attention. And that's not fair! The line-connecting puzzler features the same sensory candy as
Lumines, with impressive skins and even better music. IGN has secured some
footage of the game in motion, and it is a beautifying mix of colors and sound. But that's not all! You'll definitely want to download the
three MP3s they have from the game's soundtrack, plop them into your PSP and then listen to some really groovin' techno while you're on the go.
Gunpey hits stores one week after
Lumines, one the 14th. It's also retailing for the budget price of
$30. Rad.
See also:
Heavenly Star Fan Pack
Posted Oct 15th 2006 5:00AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Lumines, Gunpey, Video
I ran into Milky from 1UP a few times at DigitalLife, and during our video game musings, we discovered our mutual love of one thing... Lumines. The latest episode of The 1UP Show (PSP version also available) reveals some new footage and details from the upcoming music puzzler. The show reveals that J-Pop artist Mondo Grosso will headline the introductory track for the game, and it looks like a lot of fun. What isn't so fun are the new English language pop music video levels. The music doesn't mesh with the game, and the videos can be distracting, according to the Milkman. Interestingly, the graphics of this puzzle game have somehow become more beautiful. Gyuh? The rest of the episode goes to detail about the customization options in the new Lumines, and unlockables, and the new "harder" difficulty level.
If that wasn't enough Mizuguchi love for you, Gunpey is featured on the episode, and there's nothing but praise for the game. With stylish good looks, a rockin' soundtrack, and some addictive puzzle gameplay, it appears that Gunpey is where PSP owners will flock to get a new puzzler fix, if Lumines feels too familiar for them. Interestingly, the show reveals that both Lumines and Gunpey have been delayed in Japan to 2007, meaning American gamers will be able to enjoy these very quirky Japanese-centric games months before the land of the rising sun. And the reason? Because PSP has become so overshadowed by the DS. Lumines II arrives in stores November 7.
Posted Oct 3rd 2006 12:01AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Downloads, Lumines, Fan Stuff
As you may already know,
Lumines creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi has made a
music video for the upcoming video-infused
Lumines II. The catchy tune by Genki Rockets has been stuck in my head for the past few days, and I decided to share the love through this exclusive Heavenly Star fan pack. Included in this zip file are 20 PSP-formatted wallpapers, the song as an MP3 and a PSP-formatted version of the music video.
"While most of my creative energy has been devoted to video games, because music plays such an important role in them, it seemed ideal to create an original music video," Mizuguchi stated about his original creation.
Lumines II hits stores on
November 7th.
DOWNLOAD
Posted Sep 28th 2006 11:35PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Gunpey, Video
Some people say I have an unhealthy obsession over
Mizuguchi's games. Those people are not incorrect.
Gunpey is a totally rad puzzler from the famed
Lumines creator, and two new videos showcasing the music-infused puzzle gameplay have been released. The point of the game is to create a line that reaches from left to right... but of course, it's a little bit trickier than it sounds. If you haven't experienced
Gunpey yet, now's your chance, after the break.
Continue reading Gunpey gameplay footage
Posted Sep 26th 2006 10:25PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Interviews, Lumines
You should know that
Tetsuya Mizuguchi is a gaming god to me.
Lumines is still one of the best games on the system by far, and Mizuguchi's puzzling sequel has me more than a little excited.
CVG recently had an intimate discussion with the gaming master, and he had some really crazy, possibly drug-induced things to say:
CVG: Can you tell us a bit about the title song in Lumines 2, 'Heavenly Star'?
Mizuguchi: So the girl in the video, she is 17 years-old. She doesn't exist in this world; she's a future girl. She was born in outer space and she's never touched on this planet yet. This is kind of the big love song for the Earth; she's always dreaming of what kind of place Earth is.
Uh... Okay... Maybe the guy had a bit too much to drink before the interview:
CVG: How important is synesthesia - integrating music and visuals - in Lumines? More or less important than in Rez or Every Extend Extra?
Mizuguchi: Rez is kind of tequila; a very strong shot, but Lumines is like a Sauvignon Blanc; a wine you can drink at Sunday lunch.
Yep. The secret to Mizuguchi's success has to be some kind of chemical influence. Maybe you too can become a successful game designer with the right... materials...
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