Meteos

[Gadfly2317]

First, I'd been pronouncing this game "Meaty-oh's" as those it were some sort of pork based breakfast cereal. But when the Robotic Gamestop Voice called and left a message that my game was in, the robot called it "Muh-TAY-ose."

Whatever. I'm ready for a big bowl of Meaty O's.

Briefly, just some general impressions: It was nice turning on the game and seeing the Bandai and Q? logos, just like booting up Lumines.

Without much detail, its still a block based puzzle game, but a lot more colorful and action packed than Lumines. Game's are also much shorter; a few minutes rather than an hour and a half.

The music is really nice.

The story is that some evil planet Meteos is sending out this phantasmagoric crap out thats destroying planets, but by aliging three of like meteos, it creates an ignition, launching it back at the planet. Story. . who cares???. . .its a puzzle game and it doesn't really matter because what you are doing is a lot of fun.

The core gameplay mechanic is lining up rows of three. You can't move blocks horrizontially, only verticly up and down the row they land on, but you can create horizontal groups of three, or verticle groups of three. Verticle groups launch with more power, while wider groupings (three or more) will launch a larger heavyier section of blocksl These larger groups sometimes have trouble escaping the atmosphere and will begin settling back towards the ground as more blocks land on them. If you can continue to make more lines of three in the cluster struggling to launch, you can give it a bigger boost.

Lots of different modes adn multiplayer. The mode I like best is the one that allows you to play three a series of planets with branching paths in your choice of planet, kind of like one of the Starfox games. So there's a large variety of environments in which to play.

I've heard mention of a "cheat" technique, and I figured it out, but its more a desperation move, and it isn't going to do much beyond give you a little breathing room in a tight situation, You can't just stroke the blocks at random and expect to do well. You've got to play intelligently and with quick decisions.

There's also some other aspects I haven't explored yet, including stuff you unlock, collect, and then "fuse" in some lab mode or something.

Puzzle Fans, this is the best original puzzle game on the DS (the best unoriginal one is ZooKeeper, ultra addictive rip off of Bejewled.)

Is it as good as lumines? Kind of depends on your temperement and what you are looking for. In ways its equally good (quality, fun, presentation) but there's something truly classic feeling about Lumines that I think still leaves it this years Puzzle Game of the Year.

But I am saying, Lumines fans, you can not go wrong with Meteos.

[Aylmer]

Well, I've only about three hours into it. I can see that the same developer did both Lumines and May-tay-ohs. And they are obviously both falling block puzzle games. They are both beautiful to look at and both have great music.

The only real difference I've noticed...I can't put Meteos down!

[Gadfly2317]

Well, I've only about three hours into it. I can see that the same developer did both Lumines and May-tay-ohs. And they are obviously both falling block puzzle games. They are both beautiful to look at and both have great music.

The only real difference I've noticed...I can't put Meteos down!

I swear to god. . . its like this with all good DS games, and I firmly believe the zero load times is a big part of what makes it so hard to stop gaming. Instant on, instant gaming, get your ass whooped, with the touch of button you are going again.

And now back to Meaty-O's for me. . . this game has much more to reveal. And seriously, the graphics are truly impressive. For some reason, seeing how this space-themed puzzle game looked really got me drooling for Metroid Pinball (about which there is not nearly enough info yet!)

Oh yeah, my mom just got a DS for her b-day (her husband saw how much she was digging mine, and got her one!) My wife has a DS now too, so that's more multi-player opportunities for me. Meteos two player is pretty cool, single card download, but its basically just a race for high-score. I think there's a two-card multiplayer that's different, but I haven't looked it over better. I need to explore it a little more; I think there's more too it, and a way to dump those heavy blocks on your opponent. Finally got to play multiplayer single card Zookeeper also, and I that might have been even more fun (the better you do the more of your opponents time you use up.)

Nintendojo just published a whole list of games that are in development for the online wireless network. It just keeps getting better and better.

[Gadfly2317]

I played this game a whole lot more last night and this morning, tried out some of the other modes, time attacks, # challenges (where you try to rack up the largest number of meteos launches.) This game has enough variety and modes and unlockables (unlockable weapons, and planets/characters. . . .the different planets are essentially like the concept of skins in Lumines.

I'll have to sink quite a bit more time into this though to decide if it surpasses Lumines. It might actually be the cooler game (it's a lot less like tetris than Lumines is; conceptually, its a lot more original, and graphically its way cooler in my book.

Until lately I hadn't played a straight puzzle games since Wetrix (Pikmin is NOT a puzzle game--as I saw someone say recently.). It's nice this little puzzle rennaissance we're having.

[Aylmer]

Lumines is an ok game, I play it a lot, tho not as much as when I first got it. But, in comparison, I still play Tetris many years after playing it for the first time. It may be premature, but I really think Meteos will have that kind of staying power.

I really dig the fusion thing. Other worlds, new music, and so on are cool enough, but I really like being able to make bombs and stuff for the playscreen. Though it took me a while to figure out that you must rotate the bombs a few times to set off their timers.

So far, I've only unlocked a couple of new worlds. I have noticed the variation in gameplay in the different worlds. Some are deceptively easy, at first...

The more I play it, the more the gameplay depth unfolds. Strategizing and lining up your blocks during 'lulls', boosting a stack that's already aloft, avoiding boosting the incinerated blocks...geez, it's a lot going on at once.

[Gadfly2317]

Lumines is an ok game, I play it a lot, tho not as much as when I first got it. But, in comparison, I still play Tetris many years after playing it for the first time. It may be premature, but I really think Meteos will have that kind of staying power.

I really dig the fusion thing. Other worlds, new music, and so on are cool enough, but I really like being able to make bombs and stuff for the playscreen. Though it took me a while to figure out that you must rotate the bombs a few times to set off their timers.

So far, I've only unlocked a couple of new worlds. I have noticed the variation in gameplay in the different worlds. Some are deceptively easy, at first...

The more I play it, the more the gameplay depth unfolds. Strategizing and lining up your blocks during 'lulls', boosting a stack that's already aloft, avoiding boosting the incinerated blocks...geez, it's a lot going on at once.

I think you just nailed it what it is about this game that's so great.

[theWacoKid]

Just picked it up from blockbuster with my trade in credit. Actually, there's a good deal for canadians at Futureshop. Buy a super mario DS bundle, the DS and Super Mario DS for $199 canadian and get meteos for only $9.99 more. Nintendo is becoming quite aggressive with their promotions. I might pick up this bundle for my nephew, but only if I can get the electric blue model, which is the one he wants.

[theWacoKid]

Well, I've had a chance now to play around a bit with Meteos. You can clearly tell this game is from the makers of lumines. But, its like the antithesis of lumines, it ramps up and gets hectic very quickly. This is a very interesting and addictive little title. I'd have to rank it higher than lumines. This is a much better game for short bursts of play. Lumines has a significant design flaw, in that in order to progress to later skins you have to plow through all the early ones and that can take a rather long while.

The DS right now owns the psp in the puzzle category, with titles like Meteos, puyo puyo fever, zookeeper and bomberman. The psp has luminous and mercury, but mercury's frequent load times are very off putting. Smart bomb apparentlhy isn't very smart, but it is a bomb. That leaves two categories where the psp excels over the DS, sports and racing. Sony better get their act together along with the third parties, because I'm getting bored stiff with this rehash sh#@ that's being released for the psp. Dead to Rights and MC3:Dub edition.

[Aylmer]

In the August issue of Nintendo Power, there is a two page spread on Meteos, featuring an interview with Masahiro Sakurai, the game designer, and Takeshi Hirai, the director of Q Entertainment. It is an excellent read.

Of course, it would not be an awesome interview if they didn't give up some of Meteo's secrets, which they did. In fact, they put out an entire list. Mind you, they did not tell all...

Play five hours straight, unlock a secret world. Get another players' profile (wireless head to head) get a secret world. Get five of them, get an awesome powerup. Get 50,000 points in Two Minute Time war, get a secret planet.

There are lots more. I love this game.

[Gadfly2317]

In the August issue of Nintendo Power, there is a two page spread on Meteos, featuring an interview with Masahiro Sakurai, the game designer, and Takeshi Hirai, the director of Q Entertainment. It is an excellent read.

Of course, it would not be an awesome interview if they didn't give up some of Meteo's secrets, which they did. In fact, they put out an entire list. Mind you, they did not tell all...

Play five hours straight, unlock a secret world. Get another players' profile (wireless head to head) get a secret world. Get five of them, get an awesome powerup. Get 50,000 points in Two Minute Time war, get a secret planet.

There are lots more. I love this game.

Aside from some early press-release and preview stuff, I didn't read anything about this game. I just planned on getting it. I just now read the IGN review to see what kinds of things were being said about the game. Iiked the two quotes from the game about that it could not be considered a tetris-variant like Lumines, that it was something totally new, and not possible without the DS's interface. I expect many DS games to continue to elicit comments like "NEW" and not possible on any other system.

This game is my my new crack cocaine; of course, I'll still get time to complete Kirby and unlock everything there too because now my wife has become hooked on Meteos so I have to share it (though it might be cool to get a second cartridge.) I've played 2-player download with the limited multiplayer mode that allows and its a blast, but I'd really like to try the multi-card version with stat-tracking and more options.

I've also been discovering a lot more about the strategy, like what you were talking about "setting things up."

Also, I hadn't initially even looked much at what this "fusion" system was, but I've unlocked a whole lot more stuff, and the more time I play the more I feel this handilly surpasses Lumines as the best puzzle game out this year, and also possibly as the best handheld game this year. There is so much more variety in both the music and the graphics than in Lumines, and most importantly, its just so damned original.

[Aylmer]

The strategizing has hooked me big time. As I'm sure you've noticed, each world has it's own gravitational and atmospheric quirks. For some worlds, it's nearly impossible to loft your meteos out of the gravity well. And, as it turns out, these are the ones that get the odd, strangely colored meteo that you need to loft in order to get a rare metal for fusion.

Also, some items that you can fuse are obviously meant for head to head play (like the Smokescreen) and others, like the bigassed hammer, you have to be very careful how you use.

What's cool, tho, is the fused item manager, where you can minimize or even take out of play those fused items you don't want on your playfield.

I play this thing every chance I get, and my wife is not a gamer, so I am starting to catch grief from her...

[Gadfly2317]

My wife and I had been apart for a couple months due to business travel. Now she's got her own DS and we're back togather again. . . I haven't gotten to have Meteos in my machine in almost two weeks. So . . .I've been tracking down all the coins in Kirby, but I can't wait to either steal back my Meteos, or buy a second copy for true head to head (the limited download 2 player/1 card is fun, but I really want to do the full-on head to head with two cards and all the weapons and stat tracking.)

This is a puzzle game that with a great multiplayer mode. I totally love trying to set up a big launch that launches the entire screen at once to swamp her with blocks. Also, this is one of the rare puzzle games she doesn't just destroy me at (I can't touch her at Zookeeper/Bejewelled, and she's better at Lumines, too, which I suck at.)