Lumines Supernova

Lumines Supernova is the first Lumines game to appear on the Playstation 3 after iterations on PSP, PS2, PC, mobile phone, and the Xbox 360. Unlike the original releases or Lumines Live on Xbox Live Arcade, Supernova offers a new mode called Dig Down, new skins (though some of them are from previous games) and 1080p support. The normal modes remain in this iteration with base and advanced challenge modes, time attack, skin edit, mission, and puzzle modes.

There is also a synthesizer used to create customized music which can be added in to the gameplay. Multiplayer modes are scarce with local play only, so there is no online multiplayer. Downloadable content is also planned after the game's release with more skins. About 700 MB of hard drive space is required to download and the game also has trophy support.

Game Modes

Lumines Supernova tasks players with dropping bi-colored blocks, formed from four 2x2 squares, to create single colored blocks. These blocks are periodically cleared away by the Timeline, a washing line that sweeps away formed blocks and awards players points.

Single Player Game

Challenge Mode

The Challenge Mode is the standard game in Lumines Supernova. It features two difficulties, Basic and Advanced. Basic isn't as frantic as Advanced, which speeds and slows the speed of the falling blocks as well as the Timeline, but is significantly easier and better for getting your feet wet. Basic is the standard game mode, while Advanced is designed for experienced players looking for more of a challenge. The levels, known as skins, are short, lasting only as long as the song that the stage correlates to. Completing a stage in Challenge Mode unlocks it for use in Skin Edit and other modes.

Challenge Mode is entirely linear, progressing players through the same skins each time they play. The ultimate goal is to rack up as high of a score as possible to place well on the leaderboards, earn a great personal rating, or to compete with yourself.

Skin Edit Mode

With a similar gameplay approach as Challenge Mode, Skin Edit lets you choose from your unlocked skins to create a customized playlist of blended-together levels. This allows for a more personalized single player experience, and is perfect if you're tired of hearing the same songs at the start of Challenge Mode. Playlists can be saved for later use, and allows for short or long sessions at your leisure.

Time Attack Mode

For players who are budgeting time, Time Attack allows for spurts of gameplay at various lengths: 60 seconds, 180 seconds, 300 seconds, and 600 seconds. The goal is to erase as many blocks as possible in the alloted time slot by building huge combos and chains. Each length of time features its own song and skin.

Dig Down Mode

With pre-set stacks of blocks restricting your access to the bottom, you'll have to clear a column to dig to the next sub-level in Dig Down mode. With a ticking timer, you'll have to dig your way through the stack by erasing blocks, earning more time as you complete levels.

Puzzle Mode

Puzzle Mode offers outlines of shapes for you to create from blocks as quickly as you can. Starting with a small cross, you'll work your way down the list of increasingly complex puzzles until you ultimately reach the tulip, the most complicated of all 40 brain teasers. With very short time limits, you'll need to drop blocks according to your objective without any fault, keeping adjacent blocks separated by a gap or a different color. Time limits range from 1 minute to 3 minutes.

Mission Mode

Erasing blocks and columns to clear the screen, Missions give you a limited time limit as well as a predetermined amount of turns that cannot be exceeded without failure. Starting with a set few Missions, you'll need to complete the column-killing if you're going to unlock them all.

Multiplayer

At launch, the only multiplayer mode available in Lumines Supernova is the 2P Battle mode. This one on one versus mode sees opponents pushing a vertical border against each other with big block combos. This limits the losing players space, making it increasingly difficult to clear columns. 2P Battle can be played on any unlocked skin, and is not available for online play.

Sequencer

Initially appearing in Lumines II for PSP, the Sequencer allows for user-created content in the form of music mixing. With drums, bass, pads, effects and other noises, players can easily copy pre-made beats and blend them in to a personalized song that can be played in the background of a generic Lumines skin, or in the 2P Battle. There is no way to share the created music, which can be sped up or slowed down by changing the tempo, and saved for later use.

Announced/ Downloadable Skins:

• The Holiday Pack DLC is out along with the game's launch for free.
• If Lumines Live is any indication, expect more downloadable skins in the future like the Genki Rockets skins.