The article discusses the strategic importance of choosing the right launch titles for game consoles, using the example of Lumines for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). Henk Rogers' insight from the Game Boy era highlights that universally appealing games can enhance console adoption. Lumines, created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, is praised for its appealing puzzle mechanics, engaging color challenges, and captivating auditory experience. This combination has solidified Lumines as an iconic title that remains beloved two decades after its release, illustrating how effective launch titles can define a console’s success.
Henk Rogers, managing director of The Tetris Company, famously told Nintendo in the lead-up to the Game Boy's release, "if you want little boys to play Game Boy, pack in Mario - but if you want everyone to play Game Boy, pack in Tetris."
Lumines is a block-based puzzler in the style of Tetris, created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, and its rules, unlike Tetris, focus on matching colors in squares.
The game's actual rules are just half the experience; the player's rhythm is driven by one of the most arresting auditory experiences in all of gaming.
Lumines was a launch title for Sony's first handheld 20 years ago, and it remains one of the console's best, and most universally beloved games.
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