Meteos caught my interest when someone posted a flash demo on a forum I read. The idea of sending blocks up instead of them merely disappearing seemed like an interesting take on the genre. When I finally bought the game and popped it into my NDS, I realized I was not prepared for what was in store... This game could easily be renamed to "Puzzle Smash Bros." because everything from the menu, the interface, the crowd cheering, and mutliplayer feels like it is the cousin of Super Smash Bros. Melee, which should not be suprising since the games creator (Masahiro Sakurai) also made Smash Bros. The way the music and sound effects are utilized in the game can be attributed to the influence of Tetsuya Mizuguchi of Rez and Lumines fame. The game starts off with a really dramatic intro movie quite uncommon for puzzle games. Even the tutorial uses this dramatic effect. It really gets you in the mood to play, because in the back of your mind you're not only rocketing meteos into the sky, but you're saving a planet! You play the game by lining up at least three meteos in a row, either vertically or horizontally. The meteos can only be moved up and down. Mastring a method of writing with the stylus for this game is a must, since moving the meteos around isn't as instantly responsive as we'd all like it to be, but it's as close to instant response as a touch screen can get. Doing combos on the ground and in the air is fun, but screen-clearing combos are what this game is all about. When acheiving this task, the presentation of the game gives you almost a sense of pride for saving the little people on the planet's lives. The graphics in this game are alright for a puzzler, but some of the planets have meteos that are simply too basic or ones that are animated that cause a bit of confusion to the player. The animated meteos have the added misfortune of causing a lot of frame dropping issues in the game. The sound in this game is implemented in such a fasion that there is no way you should ever play the game without it. The background music has some pretty basic, looping tracks, but as you launch meteo combos of different sizes you are making music to go along with the loops. The music also changes as it seems like you're about to lose, adding to the dramatic effect of the game, and if you're fortunate enough to save the planet from it's imminent doom, the game rewards you with a sort of jubilant fanfare. I've played this game for many, many hours and I see no end to my enjoyment. All the unlockables, the multiplayer, and the "I wanna beat my high score!" feeling gives this game uncanny replay value. Meteos is exactly what a DS game should be. Easy to pick up and play, great multiplayer, innovative gameplay, and ultra addictive. I highly recommend this game, and it is a must have for every DS gamer, and if you don't have a DS, you should get one to just play this game.
The thirst thing that I thought when I read Gamespot's preview on Meteos was: this game is just a sort of Tetris clone. When I watched the videos of the game in action I was immediately proven wrong, and repented for my ... Read Full Review
Positive: + excellent presentation + fun, addicting gameplay + lots of variety within the few offered modes + awesome soundtrack and sound effects + offers a lot to keep you coming back for more Negative: - no... Read Full Review
