Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8215 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Disney
• Released on: 2006-02-09
• Platform: Sony PSP

Amazon.co.uk Review
Japanese developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi has made quite a name for himself with games like Rez and Lumines, games that combine music, graphics and gameplay with a verve unmatched by any of his peers. This wasn’t originally his game though, but an amateur PC project popular online which his company signed up and expanded upon for the PSP. The basic concept is that you control a limited number of bombs as they freefall through various abstract computer landscapes. You control one bomb at a time, aiming to detonate it at a point at which it will destroy as many nearby enemies as possible in its blast. Chaining combos becomes the only real way to earn enough new bombs to carry on. There are several other complications though, most obviously a very strict time limit and collecting "Quicken" power-ups to increase both your speed and the tempo of the music. New to the PSP version is the ability to unleash a charge attack by keeping your finger on the fire button and create a larger blast radius.

Since this is at heart still a shoot ‘em-up it also features some pleasingly expansive boss battles, where the larger enemies can only be injured by combos of a particular size. It is this mix of traditional arcade gameplay and a perfectly balanced strategy of risk and reward that ensures there is more to the game than just its artsy presentation. There is a problem with its longevity though, but the score attack like Caravan mode does go some way to addressing it. In this aspect, as in many others, it closely resembles Mizuguchi’s Rez and indeed until that game gets a sequel this is perhaps its closest compatriot.
HARRISON DENT

Go Play magazine issue 10
91%

Manufacturer's Description
Every Extend Extra is a unique puzzle shooter, brought to the PlayStation Portable (PSP system) by Q ENTERTAINMENT, the creators of the critically acclaimed hit Lumines. Every Extend Extra delivers an addictive gameplay experience through a fusion of arcade-style shooting action, cutting-edge music and visuals. Players evade enemy attacks and then use perfect timing to blast their foes in a colourful display of explosive chain reactions. The bigger the chain reaction results in the higher the score and the larger the rewards.

Customer Reviews

Synaesthesia at its very best
The game Every Extend Extra is simple yet compelling: using timing and tactics, blow up your own ship to start a chain reaction that destroys enemy ships, racking up score and bonus pickups along the way. Building more score earns you extra ships which allow you to stay in the game. Grab Quickens to increase the speed of the stage and the music follows suite, adding extra waves of enemies and potentially bigger combos for higher scores. All while fighting against waves of enemy ships, mini bosses, end of level guardians and an ever-ticking countdown.

This is a game from developer Q from Japan, who are responsible for bringing Lumines and Gunpey to the PSP. Those familiar with either titles will quickly grasp the idea of a game that influences the sound and light show of a given stage. While the graphics won't earn any awards for next-gen graphics, the intention is to put as many enemies on screen as possible without too much slow down. Each stage comes with a different style of enemy ships and bosses, swirling background patterns and colour schemes. Blowing up ships causes them to change into blooming colours with accompanying sound effects. Pull off a big chain of explosions and the points stack up and the stage literally pulses with light effects - quite an addictive reward!

The music is incredibly compelling and is mostly original electronic dance which builds progressively as you play each stage. As you gain more Quicken power ups, the speed of the music changes pitch and speed to heighten the sense of speed as more enemies fly at you. The effect works well, especially as it will slow down if you lose your Quicken bonuses.

While it takes some time to get into, the tutorial is thorough and practice is rewarded by giving advanced players access to harder versions of the same stages on a tier-mode system. Further game modes include a VS player game, a Boss Rush stage and Original Rules game, so there is enough to keep players amused.

The game isn't a familiar style to Western gamers, the closest comparison would be a sort of shoot 'em up, but EEE seems to carve a hole in genre description and sit firmly in its own category. It oozes "one more go" appeal, tempting gamers to try one more time to get a higher score. If anything, it is an arcade-inspired classic, much in the same style of latter-day arcade titles like Geometry Wars, and is likely to impress fans of this game too.

I would heartily recommend picking up a copy of this or at least trying out a demo (available on the Lumines 2 game) to see just what I am raving about. This is just about all I am playing at the moment!