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Meteos Review
Written by Señor Cha Cha on Friday, June 24, 2005
One of the most option heavy puzzle games on our planet
The touch screen will sometimes let you down when things get crazy
No one can ever say that legendary game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi isn't a generous man. Not only is he responsible for the stylish Space Channel Five series and the electrically charged Rez, but he's also given unto us two of the finest puzzlers ever made, the wonderfully exquisite Lumines for Sony's PSP, and now the wildly addictive as well as charming Nintendo DS title, Meteos. In fact, both games are so amazing that choosing either one is an excellent decision, but the primary reason why I'm in love with both of these titles is because of how different each one of them is. Unlike Mizuguchi's PSP title, Meteos isn't so much an aural experience as it is a mental one, as it seriously tests your motor reflexes and the ability to identify patterns. Unfortunately, some occasionally perplexing flaws keep it from attaining the much coveted perfect score, but that doesn't keep it from shining like a thousand Meteos burning in the clear, night sky. Just as Lumines has made Sony's PSP worth owning, Meteos has elevated the Nintendo DS into a new plain of existence and therefore, desirability.
Breaking Meteos down into its core components, it's a falling block game where, just like in most falling block games, you'll lose if said blocks pile up and reach the top of the screen. In this case, the evil planet Meteo is firing these multicolored rocks called Meteos into deep space, and as they sail through vacuum and into the atmospheres of various planets they strike the surfaces with immense power, causing these celestial bodies to explode into a billion pieces. The entire universe is petrified until (by chance occurrence), three plummeting Meteos (which were coincidentally of the same hue and elemental type) horizontally joined and were unexpectedly propelled back into space, whereupon which they exploded in a dazzling light show. Overjoyed, the numerous races of aliens united to battle this powerful menace, and, much like in most arcade shooters, there is only one final space ship that can save life as we know it. This, of course, is where you come in. Playing as the warship the Metamo Ark, you must make your way from planet to planet, fusing the same types of Meteos in horizontal and vertical rows to send them back into space, the eventual goal being to meet Meteo in a climactic final showdown and hopefully annihilate it.
Now I don't want to give you the wrong impression here. Meteos isn't a vertical shooter/puzzle block falling hybrid game. Aside from the spectacular cut scenes (which I'll get to later) you'll never see the Metamo Ark. Rather, the top screen will display the planet that you're trying to save and your score (among other statistics), and the bottom one is the playfield. Meteos of all colors and designs constantly drop into place and form vertical columns, and the object is to link three or more of the same type in a horizontal or vertical row, whereupon which they'll take off like a rocket towards the top of the screen. You'll do this with either the d-pad and face buttons (which isn't recommended because these controls are much too slow) or with the stylus, which is the preferred choice.
You can only move Meteos up and down (not being able to drag them horizontally is a real bummer), and you do this by touching the block that you want and sliding it along the screen. It's really that simple, though there are numerous intangibles that you need to be aware of. For example, often times linking three Meteos together won't be enough to send them back into space, especially if they are buried under a whole mess of blocks, so you'll have instances where this humongous body of rocks will barely be able to lift more than a centimeter off the ground, so to get them to go higher you should try to match colors while this huge load's in the air, and if you're successful you'll build up enough steam to propel them to oblivion. You should also make use of several different types of power ups that randomly drop into place, many of which can be used to clear entire rows and sections of Meteos. There are certainly other strategies to explore, but that's the gist of it.
By and large, Meteos' gameplay is extremely satisfying because it's excellently addictive and rewarding, though it's unfortunately not perfect. If you play calmly enough you'll be able to move blocks around with ease, though if you bump up the difficulty one of the game's glaring flaws may drive you a little nutty, that flaw being spotty touch screen control. Unfortunately, Meteos are rather small, and if you're frantically rushing to avoid being destroyed (which is called a Nova), more often than not you may go to touch the blue piece but instead latch onto a yellow one. As I continued to play this kept happening more and more and it's just a real nuisance. After all, the last thing I want to go wrong in a puzzle game is the controls. If I'm going to lose I want to know that it was my mistakes that did me in and not the game itself.
The last issue I have with Meteos is how easy it is to cheat. Any time I was about to lose and I was struggling to identify patterns I would resort to frantically rubbing the touch screen, and more often than not (early on) I'd be able to link up a few Meteos and get bailed out. I can't blame the developers for this because it's a natural byproduct of how the game is played, but it still cheapens the overall experience, that is, unless you refrain from partaking in such devious practices. Just keep in mind that as the game wears on and the blocks fall at a faster rate, crazily scratching at the touch screen won't always help you. Alas, it all comes back to using your brain in the end.
Those are really the only issues that I have with this game. The rest of it is pure genius. Not only is the core gameplay fantastic, but Meteos has so many modes that I was intimidated when I first turned on my DS. Actually, I think that it has more gameplay modes and options than any puzzle game ever made. There's Star Trip (where you save a set number of planets spread across three different arrangements), Time War (where you'll attempt to attain certain scores and number of Meteos' launched), Simple (where you set your own rules and play a single game), and what every puzzle game needs, Deluge (where you just play until you mess up). BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! You can wirelessly battle against up to three other players (a super cool mode where you cripple your opponents by sending Meteos their way, thus forcing them to Nova) with just one game card (though more options are available if you all have the game), enjoy countless extras (such as check out planet profiles and listen to music), send a demo to a friend's DS, adjust a whole bunch of gameplay options, and FINALLY, Fusion, which is especially cool. You see, Meteos is a stat-tracking machine. It records every single thing that you do, and since Meteos are composed of different elemental types such as fire, water, and electricity, among others, you can use the ones you have collected over time (from playing) to create a whole mess of stuff including new planets, rare metals, and items. It's actually a really sweet mode, and it gives the game almost infinite replay value because you'll always wonder if you've unlocked everything.
As for the game's various bells and whistles, its soundtrack is actually more consistent than Lumines' in terms of repeated quality. Meteos' aural component is a marvelous blend of cute music as well as classic SNES-like space shooter themes and it's all been expertly blended together to produce a collection of tunes that are a pleasure to listen to. However, note that I said that Meteos' soundtrack is more consistent than Lumines', and therefore not necessarily better, as the famous PSP game's first song is much better than anything heard in this title. Its music is cool while playing the game, but on its own it loses much of its luster.
Up until recently puzzle game graphics weren't important, and I suppose in many ways they still aren't, but I'm definitely thankful that Meteos is a feast for the eyes. Right from the get go I was treated to this dazzlingly sensational FMV cut scene that proves that the Nintendo DS is more than capable of putting on a stupendous theatrical show all its own. During play, the distinct visual styles for the planets, the game's numerous aliens, the explosions, and the overall clarity of the images are remarkable and very well done. None of this is nearly as dazzling as what occurs in Lumines or Mercury, but considering the platform, Meteos' visuals are magnificent.
It really pains me to award Meteos with a 4/5 because my heart is screaming for a perfect score, and to be perfectly honest I would be able to sleep at night (as Meteos rocketed past my window and disintegrate upon impact) knowing that such a score is indeed justified, but I decided against it. Not being able to select the correct Meteos in a pinch made me very frustrated, and frantically rubbing the touch screen to get myself out of jams cheapens the game's strategic element. Otherwise, this is a remarkably cute and enthralling title that serves to further enhance the DS' library, and if you're seriously considering purchasing the system this should really be the first domestic game that you buy with it. Incredibly challenging, chock full of options, and as charming as an abandoned puppy or kitten, Meteos is a beautifully constructed puzzle game that shines as bright as the early morning sun. Unsurprisingly, it's just as refreshing.
