Every Extend Extra [PSP]

Given the runaway success of Geometry Wars Evolved on Xbox Live, and the cross-platform jealousy it inspired, it's no surprise that variants are showing up elsewhere. The PS3 will soon have it's own GW clone, and on the PSP there's Every Extend Extra, just as frantic as Geometry Wars, but with significantly more planning and thought to bolster your lightning reflexes.

And EEE is no mere knock-off. Originally a homebrew game by Omega, it fell under the eye of Lumines designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi, who added his trademark musical bent to warp the gameplay into a rhythm-centric combo explosion. Every Extend Extra ultimately amounts to the space shooter equivalent of a massive juggle combo in a fighting game.

Though it looks like a space shooter, you won't actually shoot anything. Enemies appear at random from all corners of the screen; your only offense is to detonate your own ship. The goal is to build massive detonation chains by waiting until enemies are in the proper position, relative to one another. Contact with an enemy removes one of your bombs; new bombs can be earned, and enemies will also drop diamonds of varying effects. Some increase the game speed, while others trigger a timed detonation.

Holding the 'fire' button charges up a detonation, increasing its radius and therefore combo potential. This, combined with the urge to collect dropped diamonds, proves crucial to the odd mix of timing and daring that characterizes EEE. Should you go for a blowout chain, or be more conservative, holding out for the end of the timed round?

Those questions press further at the end of each stage when bosses appear. The big guys can't be hit directly; instead you'll have to reflect a detonation off other enemies and catch the boss in the combo. This is where synching into the rhythm of each stage becomes crucial; while you won't be playing on the beat quite as in Lumines, there's an underlying pulse that can guide your movements and bomb detonations.

Much like Lumines, however, Every Extend Extra rides the line between flash and total sensory overload, with flashing colors, oversaturated backgrounds and that omnipresent musical accompaniment. It can almost be too much at times. But the concoction works, if only for the relatively short play time. Compared to Lumines, there isn't the same seemingly endless parade of stages, though the random appearance of enemies in each adds some replay value. And when the going gets too tough, there's always the original freeware game, included as a bonus.