Customer Reviews

Meteos

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This game is very hard to describe when trying to make it sound as good as it is. Many people might say it's Tetris like, which it is to a SMALL extent, but it's far more. The basics of the game is trying to line up 3 falling blocks of the same color---when you do, they fly up into the sky and blast enemies. There is a little bit of a story line, but mainly, you are just trying to line up those blocks! The fun comes in that there are many different playing field to do this with, and each is a little different---different gravity, different strategies that work best, different kinds of blocks. And wildly different music---I am not someone that usually is that into music in video games, but this music is GREAT---it ranges from a country twang to a outer space sound to almost classical, and it really gets you into a groove. The other cool thing is that any block you manage to shoot into space gets added to your store of blocks, which you use to unlock more planets, and to unlock special kinds of blocks that do things like clear the board. You can play multi-player against the computer, but I so longed to try this in real multi-player mode I actually broke down and bought a second DS. I think I'm going to buy a second copy of the game, too, so I can use all the multi-player options (with one copy, you can play a limited version two player) This is the kind of game that makes you want to keep playing just a little more, to try to get a new planet, to try to make a new goal, just to see what the next area sounds and looks like...a TERRIFIC game!

I definitely am amazed at times to what makes games so addictive and fun, especially puzzle games. To me, they are just the most addictive video games ever in the world. Since the days when Tetris and Dr. Mario reined supreme, they have spawned so much more within the linking chains of virtual puzzles. That also has been the case with the Nintendo DS. Although they have tried to make the status of must have puzzle games with Polarium, it really didn't add up all the way. However, when the thought of putting puzzles into action and space came around, the battales became uniquely outrageous.

Meteos for the Nintendo DS is a really, great puzzle game that really tests your memory, thinking and the movement with the stylus in the blink of a eye. The object of the game is for you to defend you spacecraft, and try to connect three of the same, exact puzzle blocks across or vertical for you to launch missles at the mind-controlling worlds. Unlike most handheld games, Meteos really is all about the control of the stylus. Although you can try to use the d-pad and buttons in this game, they arguably won't be as easy or skilled as the stylus. The graphics in this game are incredibly unique and vivid not just with the worlds, but the fact that the blocks are specifically designed to test you through each one of the worlds. That makes you feel like you absolutely aren't playing the exact same game. The music also has the feelings of space-like conditions of Star Trek through a blender, and carries out fairly well with each turn of the game.

Meteos is definitely one of the most addictive puzzle games I've ever played in years. This is absolutely the must have of all puzzle games for the Nintendo DS. I definitely love it, and you'll definitely enjoy it, once you start to play this gem.

Graphics: A-

Sound: B

Control: A

Fun & Enjoyment: A+

Overall: A

Ever since Tetris made it big in the original Gameboy, several clones have come. Dr. Mario, Columns, Blocktris.. You name it.

This game, while inspired in Tetris, is another thing upon itself. Sure, you have the same setup: big rectangular container, blocks come falling down from the top of the screen to the bottom, you have to rearange them somehow in order to clear them. But this is as close as it gets to tetris.

As the blocks (Called "Meteos") fall from the sky, you have to rearange them to form groups of three or more blocks, either vertically or horizontally. The trick? you have to do this with the stylus, and you can only move blocks in a vertical line. Once you do this, the Meteos "fuse" together and are shot upwards, back into the sky. Any other block that stands in its path is propeled into the sky too.

sounds simple enough, right? Well, it is, but several factors come into play. Every "World" where you play has it's own physics: The Meteos fall faster or slower, and when fused, they can fly upwards faster or slower. The amount of loose Meteos above the fused Meteos also factor in: they have an inherent weight, so if you have too many loose Meteos, then the fused Meteos won't be able to make it to the top, and will ball back down. There are bombs, hammers, lasers, and all sorts of items that can make your life easier or harder, depending on when they strike. And, of course, as the game progresses, it gets faster.

That's not including the multiplayer factor. You can play with up to 4 other players, and when you shoot some Meteos into the sky, you can choose which player gets them. This can allow groups to "gang up" on others, and have a lot of fun. Only one cartridge is needed for multiplayer games, and if you don't have any friends nearby, you can play against CPU players. Wi-Fi is no go, but it wasn't available when the game was released, so it wasn't an option then.

All in all, this is a great game. And that's not even mentioning all the extras and unlockables. When I pick it up, I can play for hours without realizing it. I highly recommend it.

Curse you, Tetsuya Mizuguchi! Unleashing Lumines on an unsuspecting public wasn't enough? You had to make another incredible puzzle game?

Much as I'm loathe to admit it, Lumines drew from that Tetris vibe everyone is so fond of. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just saying that it really wasn't that original. (Not that there are very many ways you can make falling blocks seem interesting.) Meteos, in contrast, doesn't really have any games you can compare it to. It's also probably the only puzzle game with a plot of any form, let alone alternate endings. Basically, a giant eye is out killing planets by spewing blocks on them, and you're the only one who can put a stop to it.

Unlike most other games in the genre, you don't get to control the blocks as they appear. They just fall and fall, faster and faster. What you do get to do is use the stylus to move the blocks either up or down. Match three of the same kind of block (vertically or horizontally), and you jettison all of the blocks above them into the air. You're basically in constant peril, because when there aren't a lot of blocks on the screen you're hard pressed to find a match, and when there are you can easily find a match but have nearly no time to do so. In short, I find playing to be exciting! Challenging, to be sure, but I can respect that.

BOTTOM LINE: Both of Mizuguchi's puzzle games are good for different reasons, but that doesn't diminish their quality.

Pros:
-The music is very impressive. Each of the 30 or so planets have different music.-10/10
-The graphics are very clean and good looking.-10/10
-Multi-player can be multi-card or single card play, I had so much fun playing with my cousin!-10/10
-The control is the best I have seen for a puzzle game (yes, better than polarium. In fact, polarium was a huge bust compared to meteos. If you are deciding on which games to get, completely rule polarium out.) Anyway, control gets a 10.
-Replay is very good. It is not really repettitive, unless you do the same planet over and over and over again. Then the music starts to sorta get to you, but other than that, this game is one I play very very often, so if you beat games quickly, you will be ok. 9/10
-The difficulty can be changed, 1 being the most easy, and 5 being the hardest. (like you needed to know that,) Starting out can be a little difficult until you get how the game works. Yes, I do recomend the tutorial.-10/10
-did I mention how great the music is? Well, the music is the greatest reward in the game. I think that the music is the best motive to do cool combos. Well the music is superb.


Well. I guess I got everything unless you count those people who put stuff like "gliches" in there review. (Which meteos have none that I can see.)
Yah.

Meteos is a game that stands head and shoulders above most of the other puzzle games on the DS. When you consider just how many puzzlers exist for the DS you'll realize that's a pretty strong statement, but of all the puzzlers I've seen and played for the handheld system I'd rank Meteos very near the top.

Audience: This is a puzzle game that requires fast reflexes and the ability to use the stylus with some precision. It probably won't be for everyone since coordination (or lack thereof) with the stylus is such a big part of the game. Still, any fan of puzzle games or anyone who likes Tetris or just wants something to kill a little time should find this game appealing.

Graphics and Sound: The graphics on this game are excellent. It would seem that graphics wouldn't make much of a difference for a puzzle game, but the great graphics for Meteos would suggest otherwise. The blocks vary from planet to planet but all look great, the cutscenes and background from space are very attractive, and the animations and explosions are very well done. The soundtrack is also very good.

Gameplay: While the basic gameplay for Meteos is very simple it, like all great puzzle games, takes a long time to fully master. The concept is easy to get the hang of--you can drag blocks up or down in columns using the stylus to line up groups of 3 (either horizontally or vertically). Lining 3 blocks up 'ignites' them, meaning they explode and the blocks above them are propelled upwards. The object is to send as many blocks as possible up, and once they reach the top of the screen they disappear and are "collected," both as a means for keeping score on whatever stage you're on and also for future use.

Meteos you've 'collected' are saved according to color (each color represents an element or basic material) and stored for future use. You can use these meteos, acquired from any of the many gameplay modes, to 'create' (unlock) new planets, items, and rare materials. Each planet has a different composition of materials, a different gravitational pull (this affects the blocks you send into the sky when you ignite a row of 3 meteos), and offers a very different experience, so these planets are worth unlocking.

Control: This game is played entirely with the DS stylus. Whereas some games seem to throw stylus control in as an afterthought, the whole gameplay of Meteos revolves around it. Precision is very necessary when using the stylus for this game, however, and at times I find myself grabbing the wrong block.

Challenge: There are so many modes of gameplay available in Meteos that there is always something challenging to do. You can scale the difficulty in many of the games, though with some of them the blocks just keep getting faster and faster until you eventually lose. Some modes are actually pretty easy, but some offer such a challenge that I'm not sure how anyone can handle the highest difficulty settings.

Multiplayer: Up to 4 people can play with one cartridge. I consider this a must with puzzle games like this, and Meteos delivers.

Meteos is definitely one of those must own games if you're into puzzlers, and should be at least considered by anyone who owns a DS. This game is relatively difficult to find as of this writing, and for good reason--it's an absolute classic.

I mean it, I was up until 3am some nights playing it, and needing to be up at 6am made that a bad choice. I'm in my thirties, and I hate tetris (find it dull) someone else compared this to tetris, it's more like the 3-in-a-row games like puyo puyo etc. the way it's hooked together, the unlocks, all of it make you keep playing.

It was a little too hard to control the impulse to play (seriously), so I sold it on eBay. If I didn't have a family to provide for I'd have kept it, but it was affecting my productivity at work.

Meteos is yet another spectacular, exclusive title for the DS that takes full advantage of what Nintendo's dual screened portable system is capable of. Best described by a previous reviewer as being Tetris on crack, Meteos is a fast paced, alien world themed puzzle game that features a variety of playing modes and options, each doing something different with every play. Using the stylus to shoot matching, lined up blocks into the sky, Meteos' innovative gameplay comes off as being surprisingly addictive, helping the game become one of the early flagship titles for the DS. For puzzle game veterans, Meteos may not be as challenging as some may hope, but above all else, this game promises on what Nintendo promises for all of their first party DS titles: fun, innovative gaming that takes full advantage and use of the portable's capabilities. Man this game is fun. Do yourself a favor, if you dig Tetris in all it's forms, Meteos should definitely be right up your alley.

This game...wow, what can I say? This is the best game I have for the DS, one that I find myself going back to over, and over, and over again. The premise is simple...combine like-colored "meteos" in an attempt to launch them into space, should the planet's gravity permit it. It's a creative, fun variation on Tetris, and offers a ton of unlockables, several different modes, and a multiplayer option that is incredibly intense and enjoyable. The graphics are great, with bright, vibrant colors, and the music, believe it or not, is actually quite good, with different tunes for each planet. In short, a great puzzler, perhaps the best game out there for DS right now...get yours today!

This is definitely one of the better games out for the Nintendo DS. I'd highly recommend this for anyone looking for an addicting puzzle game. Very fun multiplayer, lots of unlockable features, and a quick, engaging single-player mode as well.

The game play is quite hectic at first, but give it a chance, it will grow on you.