Lumines extras nearly 180MB! News

Lumines Live's promised downloadable content packs are now available to download from Xbox Live Marketplace, but you'll need to set aside more than a few minutes to grab them.

As it turns out, those anticipating a quick install routine to underscore the perceived cynicism behind the game's fragmentation - which saw buyers limited to just the challenge and online elements, along with a handful of "trial" levels for other modes - will actually have to wait for nearly 180MB of data to trundle down the line.

Microsoft and Q Entertainment have previously said that one of the reasons Lumines Live was broken up into sections was due to the 50MB download-size cap - reportedly now more of a "guideline" than a rule - and the size of the add-ons that make up the rest of the game go some way to backing that up. When you fire the game up, there's a mandatory auto-update to nab too.

The biggest of the three additions is initially free for Gold members. The Heavenly Star skin features a song by Genki Rockets, produced by Lumines creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi, and will be available for nowt until 21st February providing you have a gold account. It weighs in at 124.50MB - a reflection of the fact it adds not only new musical accompaniment, but also a video background for the skin's tweaked gameplay conditions.

Also available today, for 100 Microsoft points each, are the Vs. CPU and Puzzle/Mission add-on packs. The former weighs in at 24.48MB and unlocks a range of challenges that see you face off against AI-controlled opponents. The original Lumines Live package only offered one stage. There's a new unlockable bonus skin at the end of it too. Puzzle/Mission pack, meanwhile, fills out the Puzzle and Mission modes, with dozens of new additions to each, and is 29.59MB. Both packs will revert to 300 Microsoft points after a month on sale.

For more on Lumines Live, be sure to check out our review. The base game costs 1200 Microsoft points.