Best puzzle game on the Nintendo DS! Especially recommended for Lumines and music fans!
graphics: 4/5
It can vary between levels, but it's generally very good. Kudos for the alien designs, which are all distinct in both motions and looks and it's fun to look at the aliens. Planets are also just as distinct as the aliens that belong with them.
sound 4.5/5
Sound is very good, but a little too old-school at times (nothing against Mekks sound set). Each planet has its own sound set, which you can buy from Meteos that you launch during any gameplay mode. Different sound effects for each planet play depending on what type of launch line you do, vertical, horizontal, in the air, linking a launch to another column, etc, etc, as well as a basic tune in the background which changes up and down depending on how full the screen is of un-launched Meteos. It's an enjoyable system that works very well and helps add to the experience.
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Gameplay is deceptively simple on all mode, line up 3 to 5 of the same type of Meteos horizontally or 3 vertically to send a stack of Meteos up and sometimes off the screen. However, you can only move Meteos up or down, never side to side (like you can in Disney Meteos, but it rather sucks the challenge from the game as well), in what is most easily described as the opposite of Puzzle League where you only move side to side and never up/down. While the game is releasing Meteos slowly, it can be simple, but there are also items you can use to help, chain linking of Meteos for higher scores extra launch time, more sound effects, etc. The gameplay takes place on one of the 32 Meteos planets, which are all distinct in graphics, sound sets, effectiveness of horizontal and vertical launches, launch height, launch duration, burnt meteos duration, width of the planet, frequency of the different element types, etc. One planet may have no effect from vertical launches (Vubble) while another will launch everything from a single vertical launch (Forte), which will require a different strategy from planet to planet. Basic strategy is the same, but when all the little differences are factored in, it's more than it seems at first, new planets aren't just new skins (like they are in Lumines where basic gameplay is still the same). You start with 4 basic planets (Geolyte, Firim, Anasaze, Oleana), but can fuse more using the Meteos you launch (as well as items and sound sets), and unlock a few planets from story mode.
There are also plenty of modes to choose from: single player, single player vs computer, player vs player (up to 4), deluge, branched story mode (3 types) with over 10 different endings. There's single card multiplayer, but players cannot choose between different planets. If everyone has a cartridge, everyone can choose their own planet. The game modes are all great fun and encourage you to improve your skill, even at 3 in the morning. To top it off, the game keeps track of all sorta of silly little things, like amount of time turned on, high scores, number of burnt meteos launched, number of meteos launched, total time playing, and many other silly little things that are great fun to look at from time to time.
Overall: 4.5/5
Fantastic puzzle game that got overlooked with all the other stuff on the DS and was outsold by Tetris DS, but Meteos is by far one of the most addictive experiences on the DS. A must play for any and all puzzle fans or fans of Lumines.