Lumines on iOS has always hypothetically been a perfect fit. The compulsive amalgamation of high score breaking action of Tetris, with one of the best soundtracks in a puzzle game ever, was incredible on the limited portability of the PSP back in 2005, and would be even better given a proper release on smartphone devices. While it may not be the first game of the series on iPhone (a rather half-hearted rushed effort released back in 2009, but we don’t talk about that anymore), we finally have a title that is truly deserving of the Lumines name. LUMINES PUZZLE AND MUSIC has just soft launched in New Zealand, Japan and Australia and, despite being a paid title, it is certainly one worth buying for any fans in these regions – or anyone who can circumvent the region restrictions of the App Store.

For any fans of the Lumines series, LUMINES PUZZLE & MUSIC appears to offer a significantly expansive experience, with multiple game modes to choose from, such as Challenge, Time Attack and Endless Score Attack, coupled with a predictably eclectic selection of fantastic songs to play along to. Some cool social media settings, like being able to share videos of particularly good runs on Twitter is a great feature for anyone looking to compete and show their skills on the global stage. While the global launch is not until September, there is a free-to-play entry titled Lumines VS coming sometime this year which will hopefully make up for the wait. Alternatively, if you are able to get your hands on a New Zealand, Australian or Japanese iTunes gift card you can always use our soft launch guide and download the game early. Let us know your initial impressions, or share in nostalgic praise of a pretty incredible franchise, on our forum thread.

New Zealand App Store Link: Link