My order from Play-Asia arrived yesterday, it took just over a week which isn't bad.
I picked up Lumines and a Professional Screenguard which is just the name for a PSP screen protector.
First of all the Professional Screenguard is much better than another brand I previously used. The reason being is that this one was much easier to apply. Now if you have ever put screen covers on anything like a PDA you know they are a bitch to apply. The great thing with the Pro Screenguard is that is first of all it has a covering on the front and back. You peel off the backing to expose the adhesive, then align it on the PSP, smooth it down with the soft little thing they give you, then peel of the front. The great thing is you can't even tell it's on there. It's one of the clearest protectors I've seen, I would highly recommend it to anyone with a PSP, plus it's under $10.
Onto Lumines though, this one of those games I can see being launched with the PSP in Western territories and not getting the recognition it deserves, or people will just ignore it like Rez. This is in the same vein as Rez, where really you have to play it to really understand and appreciate it. Every mode in this game is great, from Single Player Challenge, Puzzle Mode and CPU Challenge. One of the best things in the game is unlocking new Skins, which are basically the name for each level, which include a different background and colour scheme and also different soundtrack.
Puzzle mode is quite interesting but also very challenging. You are given a picture of something, like a cross, you have to make it out of the falling blocks in a giving time limit. Sounds easy, but isn't not. Some of them you get first go, others I've spent nearly an hour working out, but it's great fun.
CPU Challenge mode, is basically VS mode against the PC. The screen is split into two, and you go head to head with the PC trying to beat each other. The catch is, the person performing better, and creating more combos make their opponents side of the screen small, making it harder to move and position falling blocks and causing them to pile up faster. It's a lot faster than the main challenge mode, and a lot harder.
There are also some other modes I haven't played, including Time Attack, Human Vs and Single Skin mode, but they are all pretty self explanatory.
The funny thing is I normally don't like these types of games, but the first time I played Lumines I was hooked, if you own a PSP you really must at least try it out. Plus it's quite cheap at only $65.
