TGS 06: Meteos to puzzle PCs

TOKYO--Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Meteos is best known as one of the first titles he developed after leaving Sega and launching his own studio, Q Entertainment. Though it's already been well over a year since the game was released on Nintendo's DS, it looks as though it is getting a fresh pair of legs--the game is making its way to the PC.

At the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, major online-game provider NHN Japan announced that it is working with Q Entertainment on "Meteos Online." The game is scheduled to launch within the year in Japan, and will be downloadable through NHN Japan's game portal site, "Hangame."

Playing Meteos Online will be free; users will pay money for purchasing items. The game will allow up to six players to compete in several fashions, including two-on-two, three teams of two, three-on-three, and battle royale. The game will feature items not in the original DS version and animated gamers' avatars. There will also be various costumes and accessories for the avatars that will affect their animations.

Meteos Online will be exclusive to NHN Japan and Hangame for the first six months after launch. There weren't any official announcements regarding the game's distribution outside of Japan.