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From the minds behind Lumines. Aside from releasing a direct sequel to Lumines with Lumines II, Q Entertainment has been hard at work on Every Extend Extra, which they described as puzzle shooter. Although it doesn’t have the razor-sharp gameplay of the Lumines series, it is nonetheless a top-notch puzzle game.
The primary gameplay mode in Every Extend Extra is the Arcade Mode. This move has nine stages that culminate with a boss fight. Additionally, there is a Boss Rush mode that is literally a string of the game’s boss fights one after another. The game also has the Caravan mode, which lets you play stages out of order. The game also has a multiplayer mode. In multiplayer, setting off chain reactions causes havoc for the opposing player, thus adding a bit of a competitive nature to the game.
In Every Extend Extra, you control a ship which you move around with the PSP analog stick and have to detonate when you get close to an enemy. Your goal is to detonate near an enemy that will cause other enemies to explode in a chain reaction. This requires you to plan ahead and make sure that every explosion actually counts. Although you’re free to go in and try to detonate every enemy single-handedly, doing so will more than likely result in an end game screen. Executing a denotation that ends up taking out 30 or 40 enemies is quite satisfying, but you’ll suffer through a number of frustrations before you get to this level.
Every Extend Extra includes nine stages though you’ll need to refine your skills to get to the second half of the game. The stages in the game have time limits which add another layer of depth to the game. You really have to make good use of time, which may prove difficult for novice players. Like Lumines, each stage is really its own world with its own backgrounds and soundtrack. The stages have some mini-bosses and even a boss that force players to get a certain combo. A boss may bring out five enemies for you to take out, and then bring out 10 or 20. In addition, the boss can quite easily destroy your ship.
Q Entertainment is known for their stylish presentation with the Lumines series and the same carries over here. The screens are packed with color and light and it is actually a handful just to keep your eye on everything going on. It is nonetheless a pretty, action-packed game. The music in the game flows with the game very well. The presentation is top-notch and really helps bring the game to greatness.
Every Extend Extra is a good first attempt in this different style of puzzle game. It has solid if a bit frustrating gameplay and the number of stages is limited. Nonetheless, it proves to be one of the better puzzle games available for the PSP. -- Jake Wilson, PGNx Media
---- Nov 25, 2006
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