Lumines II is the latest creation from famed developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the man behind games like Rez and Space Channel 5. The ever-popular Lumines brought Mizuguchi into the forefront of gaming superstardom. His vision for Lumines was to help create a music-based game that was more about the experience and feeling of being inside a trippy discotheque, and he succeeded big time.

Lumines II continues the psychedelic fun with over 100 new puzzles and dozens of new music skins that will once again burn visions of falling squares into the insides of your eyelids. The object of the game is simple enough: 2x2 squares fall from the sky, which must be rotated and moved to create squares of the same color. A line that moves in sync with the music sweeps past to clear these squares, points are gathered for each square made between sweeps, and the music plays on.

That simple gameplay concept quickly turns into a challenging puzzle game as the music tempo switches from song to song, with each passing minute adding just a little speed to the drop rate of the falling blocks. Once the blocks reach the very top, it's game over. The gameplay is easy enough for anyone to pick up and play, but, like any good puzzle game, it is difficult to become an expert.

While the gameplay of Lumines II is enough to make for a great puzzle game, the music helps to make for a groundbreaking experience. Puzzle games like Tetris and Bejeweled have a pretty basic stage, and the focus is completely on that gameplay. Lumines takes that addictive gameplay and mixes in a fantastic soundtrack, complete with music videos playing in the background. The entire experience comes together in a stunning kaleidoscope of color and music that has the Lumines series standing out from most games on the market.

Lumines II includes many of the beats from the original, including fan-favorite skins like Take A Dog Out A Walk and Meguro. And don't mistake this as merely a rehashed soundtrack, as the additions are plentiful. Mondo Grosso and Nobuchika Eri don't make the cut in this new one, but are replaced with several major artists who fit in very well with the rhythm of the game.

Included in the new game are tunes from Beck, Fatboy Slim, Missy Elliot, Gwen Stefani, and Junior Senior, among others. Many of the songs from these tried-and-true artists feel quite old by now; "Hollaback Girl" isn't really tearing it up anymore in 2006. But no matter, the songs work quite well with the overall theme and feel of the game. And for those complaining about the lack of Shinin', the stellar opening track from the first game, Heavenly Star, is an original song produced by Mizuguchi himself takes its place. Performed by Genki Rockets, the song encompasses the theme of Lumines with its airy, energetic feel that helps liven the experience even more.