Every Extend Extra

Does Mizuguchi's latest work inspire or infuriate?

	Version PSP	Developer Q Entertainment	Publisher BVG (US/EU) Bandai (JP)	Genre Music/puzzle

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Those without nerves of steel can even choose to self-detonate should they find themselves in a tight-spot. You will sacrifice a precious craft of course but more importantly be left wondering if maybe you could've made it out intact after all.

Although enemies mainly appear at random they're typically in formations, appearing several at a time. The more Quickens you can obtain they faster and more frequent they will appear. Destroying any green enemies will cause them to drop the green point pick-ups and for bonus points you must pick up as many of these in succession as possible before detonating again - once you detonate the scoring starts again. Thus, a balance is formed between collecting those points or risking a detonation in the hope of causing a large chain reaction and collecting even more points.

Other considerations arise from certain enemies releasing a missile when destroyed and from the tougher enemies that appear on each level that can only be destroyed via a chain reaction as well as firing missiles into the playing field.

Much like Lumines, each level has its own distinctive light-show style visuals and audio as well as a tough end-of level boss, all to be completed within the strict time limit. And like the harder in-level enemies, the bosses require chain reactions in order to defeat them and typically must be tackled in segments - destroying certain parts of them first and then attacking with as big a chain reaction as you can muster before the time runs out.

Defeating the end-of-level boss also opens up the level to be played in Caravan mode, where you can replay just that one level aiming for a high score, and also the Boss Attack mode, where you can try to defeat the boss again.

Other than multiplayer though, these are sadly the only different modes on offer. It is also a little cumbersome to have to play through all the levels in order to progress - you cannot simply start and complete level 5 in order to unlock level 6. Instead, levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 must be played through first. Still, as the player becomes more adept this is hardly a burden and only prolongs what in essence is a relatively short game.

To paraphrase a quote, Every Extend Extra is a simple game made by complicated people. Where staying alive is the easy part; it's knowing when to die that's difficult.

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