Lumines II [PSP]

In the bleak cavern that was the early days of the PSP, Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Lumines was a shining gem. The creative force behind Space Channel 5 and Rez, Mizuguchi has always had a talent for blending music and gaming in intriguing ways. Lumines was a fusion of the two which resulted in addictive puzzle action. Now Mizuguchi is back with a sequel that promises to be just as enticing as the first.

One of the big changes in the second act is the introduction of licensed music and music videos. According to Mizuguchi, the addition of licensed music was a natural evolution for the game. He always viewed Lumines as something like a musical instrument and music videos are simply another form of musical expression.

"When I was a high school kid, we watched the first music video on MTV. That was the new form of the new expression. I was so surprised," said Mizuguchi. "I learned about the media aspects at university so I am very happy to use music videos in the game."

Lumines II features the following music videos:

• Beck - "Black Tambourine"
• Black Eyed Peas - "Pump It"
• Chemical Brothers - "Star Guitar"
• Fatboy Slim - "Gangster Trippin"
• The Go! Team - "Bottle Rocket"
• Gwen Stefani - "Hollaback Girl"
• Hoobastank - "Born to Lead"
• Junior Senior - "Take My Time"
• Missy Elliott - "Lost Control"
• New Order - TBD

Junkie XL's "Breezer" and Stigmato Inc's "Reality Check" also appear on the soundtrack for Lumines II, however, neither of those songs have a video. In addition to the licensed tunes, the game includes more than 60 original skins with all new music and graphics.