Lumines Remastered officially gets a surprise release on iOS and Android

Cult classic puzzle series Lumines has made its return to mobile devices for the first time in a decade. Lumines Remastered, a 2018 remaster of PSP launch game Lumines: Puzzle Fusion, is available to download on iOS and Android today. It’s free to try, but you can unlock the full version of it for $7.99.

Created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Lumines is a rhythmic puzzle game where the goal is to 2×2 squares in a horizontal well and create color matches to the tempo of music. After debuting in 2004, the series got multiple follow-ups, including a couple of mobile spinoffs. Lumines Remastered is the series’ first mobile game since 2016’s Lumines: Puzzle & Music, and the first time the original PSP game is available on iOS and Android.

The mobile version was handled primarily by Spilled! developer Sound Games, working in collaboration with Enhance. It’s a fairly straightforward port of the remaster, complete with Time Attack, Challenge, Puzzle, and Mission modes, alongside two-player battles. The only difference is that it now features touch controls.

Ahead of its surprise release today, I spent some time putting Lumines Remastered through its paces on iOS. For context, I’ve played the remaster extensively on Nintendo Switch — it was the first game I thought to download to my Switch 2. I’ve always argued that Lumines is one of the greatest puzzle games of all time. From that perspective, I have few complaints about the mobile port. All the modes I expect are present, the excellent soundtrack is intact, and the puzzle premise remains a perfect fit for on-the-go sessions.

The biggest learning curve is the controls. The mobile port features three control schemes that give you some needed flexibility. Classic controls put arrow buttons on the left side of the screen, two rotate buttons on the right, and drop buttons on both sides. The simple scheme is the same, except that it only has one rotate button and drop on the right side. Classic feels more natural for me between the two, but both took some time for me to get the hang of due to the buttons being a little small.

I’ve found that the Gestures control scheme is the best option for me. Rather than using buttons, you drag your finger to move a piece, tap to rotate, and swipe down to drop. That’s where I was able to begin playing as quickly and fluidly as I can on a controller. I can still react quicker on a traditional gamepad, but I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve been able to get the hang of a touch-controlled version of a game I’ve played to death.

If you’ve never tried Lumines before, the mobile port is a great introduction to the series. The $8 price tag is a steal considering that it’s $15 on PC and consoles. Even though the series got a new installment in the terrific Lumines Arise, Lumines Remastered remains the king for its more fluid puzzling and all-time great game soundtrack. I can at least assure you that it’s a much better use of your phone screen than going on social media.

Lumines Remastered is available now on iOS and Android devices. Its original soundtrack is also available on all major streaming platforms today.