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Incredibly Overrated

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 12
Date: March 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

THE GOOD: Great presentation featuring catchy tunes and vibrant, colorful graphics; cool interplanetary theme; provides some challenge

THE BAD: Puzzle aspect isn't brain-based but twitch-based; lots of modes but most feel the same; gameplay can get old rather quickly.

DIFFICULTY: Medium

When Meteos was released alongside Lumines for the PSP, they were both hailed as the two "must-have" titles for both competing handheld systems. Now, while I haven't played Lumines, Meteos doesn't have much relation in the gameplay theme (if at all), so this one really stands on its own as sort of "THE" puzzle game for the DS. Now, while first playing this game was fun, things became old and tired a little too quickly.

The main gameplay aspect in Meteos is rather simple: blocks (or shapes) of various colors (or designs) fall from the top a la Tetris, and using the DS stylus you must move these blocks up or down in order to match 3 or more like colors or shapes in one row, therefore they'll shoot upwards, along with any other blocks that may be resting on top of them. The point is to be as quick as possible and not let the blocks pile up to the top, or else, you lose. Various little trinkets exist within the game to try and keep things fresh, like weapons, such as a hammer or bomb for example. These can add more power when touched, therefore eliminating more blocks. There is also a feature where you can speed the drop of blocks by either holding one of the shoulder buttons or rotating an icon on the bottom right of the screen with the stylus (I don't really see the point in this). It all makes for a very colorful and flashy action sequence with the game's interplanetary theme at work using the top screen. Basically, the more blocks you shoot up, the more "attacks" fly out into space on the top screen thus destroying whatever planet you need to destroy.
Various modes make for some replay value, like a mission mode where you can choose a pattern for which planet you'd like to head to next, or simply challenging planets individually.
All this may sound exciting (well, depending on how well I write), but the problem is that no matter how pretty or cute the various stages and backgrounds may look, you're really doing the same thing over and over - moving blocks up and down with the stylus. This wouldn't be so much of a problem if the action weren't so straightforward. By that I mean, the game doesn't really feel like a REAL brain teasing puzzler, but more of a twitchy action frenzy. You have ONE objective in mind, and if you're simply not fast enough to catch a pattern SOMEWHERE, you're as good as dead. This isn't like Tetris where you can plan out some sort of strategy and rotate various blocks according to what YOU think is best, build a pattern and try to up the bonus points. This gives way to different people playing different ways, using different patterns and using blocks differently. In other words, Tetris worked according to how YOU work. Meteos is simply look and react, and this means that no matter who you are, everyone will be playing in the exact same fashion. Of course this becomes old once you've beaten the mission mode various times, by then you'll find yourself playing but not getting excited about it.
Another huge letdown is that at times you'll beat a stage and not even know how you did it, because the blocks will simply fall into place THEMSELVES and earn that extra punch to pass the stage. This is incredibly dogging, because many times you feel like you're not the one causing your victory. In simple terms, this game isn't about thinking, it's about reacting... and sometimes getting lucky. This is NOT a puzzle formula in my opinion.
The game does try to keep you coming back, because the more stages you beat the more little unlockables you can open, like a mixing sound mode. Here you can open up new tunes and mix some sound effects together. You can also do this wierd purchase-planet and elements mode, where you can fuse elements together. Where you use these elements and how they actually affect gameplay, I have no idea, it simply feels like it's there to give you something completely unnecessary to do.
This game has gotten a lot of ridiculously praised press, which in my opinion is most definitely not deserved. It's not addicting, it's not all that exciting after you've beaten the mission mode ONCE, the extras are presented well but ultimately tacked on, and lastly, although the game does use a cool space theme to go with its gameplay, for some reason I just feel like it's lacking a personality of its own.

BOTTOM LINE: This feels more like a puzzle game for the casual gamer who wants to feel smart. Real puzzle fanatics will wonder where the hell the real thinking in this game comes in.

Um, TOO addicting

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: December 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

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.

Not a favorite

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: November 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm an adult and bought this game for myself several months ago because I like puzzle games. I was disappointed with this one. I just found it too stressful because you have to think really fast in order to win. It also got difficult very quickly. I prefer games where I can observe the situation and ponder what the best move is. I wasn't having fun with this one and so it has been "shelved".

If you like puzzle games, my favorites DS ones are Clubhouse Games and Puzzle Quest - I could play them for hours at a time and not get bored!

Just wow...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is simply jaw dropping. i have never had so much fun in a puzzle game not even tetris(which was my favorite puzzle game 'til now!). words can't describe this beautiful puzzler. this is definatly one of the best handheld games ever made especially if you luv puzzle games.

There is always one in the crowd...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 9
Date: December 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

We enjoy playing all kinds of puzzles games, including Dr. Eggman's mean bean machine and Wario's woods because they combine both action and a story. However, Meteos just isn't as played as the other puzzle games.

I may be the only one giving this game a low rating, but I just don't find Meteos as challenging as other puzzle games. Basically, all you have to do is scribble the magic pen around in order to get the blocks to disappear. Another thing that bothers me about this game is the sound balance system. When you turn down the music, you turn up the sound effects (and vice versa). My advice is to turn down the volume with the switch on your DS because otherwise, this thing is not quiet at all!

The only reason why I gave this game 3 stars instead of 1 is because the graphics are colorful and attractive, and there is a variety of activities to play, which is no doubt why this game gets plugged in and played with for about 15 minutes every few weeks. If you are new to puzzle games, this game is a good choice, but if you're an advanced gamer, you might not be as challenged.

awsome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: August 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

this game is one of the best puzzle games iv eever played and it never gets boring

Innovative

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Meteos is a pretty cool game, overall. The gameplay is unlike any other puzzle game, where the focus is not so much on eliminating individual pieces so much as quickly eliminating large groups. Meteos manages to be very fast paced, but at the same time not stressful or frustrating.

Another cool feature is that the different characters (planets) are vastly unique. Each planet has it's own sound set, music, physics, and semi-unique graphic set*. It's like playing 20+ different versions of the same game.

*Most planets share a graphic set with one or two other planets. For example, the two electric-themed planets share the same graphic set.

this game is so cool......

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

i mean it. i have 2 cousins (14 and 9 years) tha hateD puzzles, but well, this game is kind of puzzle-action. whatever, i borrowed this game to them, and i think it washed their brains, because now they love puzzles (speccialy this one). this game is perfect for everyone, being lover or hater of puzzles.

why is this so fun?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

the concept of this game sounds simple enough, colored blocks are falling and you must line up three of the same color in an attepmt to get rid of them. But for some odd reason something so simple is stupidly addictive, i simply could not put this game down for a very long time. With many planets to play on and each one having a different style of play, you must adapt quickly or fall under the crushing wieght of a screen full of meteos. each planet starts out slow to let the player get the hang of it's specific gravity quirks but will gradualy speed up until it simply becomes inhuman to continue. So all in all it is a simple yet highly addictive puzzle game that is an absolute must have for any DS owner.

Over-rated

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: July 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is a puzzle game. I personally feel that the reviews are too over-rated for what it's worth. It's kind of like Bejeweled except you can only line up blocks vertically, and not horizontally, which kind of bothers me. There's not really a storyline ... it's not incredibly fun, but will probably last you a fairly good ten minutes of game play. It's really the effects when you line up the same colored blocks and the sounds and graphics that give you that "high" of the game.

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