Meteos is one of those puzzle games that comes around once in a decade, like Tetris or Tetris Attack...
An evil planet, Meteo, rains terror down on all other planets in the galaxy, releasing deadly meteos that cover the planet and turn it into phantasmagoric energy to feed their producer. When all hope seems lost for the planet Geolyte, three meteo lined together, fused, and shot back off into the stars. A plan was set forward, an amazing space ship was built, and now, you are on a mission to save the galaxy from an ever growing threat. It's a pretty cool story for a puzzle game, isn't it? And with eight different endings that range from shocking to comical, it is a story well worth listening to a second, third, and eighth time.
Like any good puzzle game, the gameplay of Meteos is deceicively simple. Line up three matching blocks in a row or column and make sure they shoot off into space. Now throw in dozens of varied items from smoke lines that hamper enemy vision to smart bombs that clear all the meteos on your screen. And don't forget about different air resistance and gravity conditions for each unique planet, all 30 of them. The fast and frenzy pace hooks you instantly, and the fact that you can use meteos that you blasted into space as currency to "buy" new planets, items, and music for the sound test area (!) and you have no reason to ever stop playing this game. The game modes include Deluge (endurance challenge), Time War (fight for high scores for four different conditions with their own planets), Simple (just playing a game of Meteos on any planet you have unlocked), and Star Trip, which follows the potentially epic quest of the Metamo Ark (depending on which path you pick.) They are all individually unique and always strangely fun to play.
The visuals for the game are of an incredible quality for the DS hardware. The bright and vibrant blocks look great, especially on planet Meteo. The backgrounds for each planet are detailed to a delightful level and each contribute to the individual mood of each planet. The effects are also astonishing featuring some nice smoke and explosion effects that really put your DS to work.
Meteos truly shines, however, with its beautiful music and sound effects. Each planet has individual music pieces ranging in styles from the acoustic guitar "Wild West Cowboy" on Anasaze to the techno-flavored beats of "Eurorockitude" on Layazero to the soft beating sound of a heart in "Inner Bubbles" on Globin. Each piece is fantastically orchestrated for the game and, in Mr. Mizuguchi's style, is fully customizable based on how well you play. Say, a whole bunch of meteos fall onto your screen at once, then there would be a few dramatic notes to accentuate the moment. Or if you manage to push all your blocks off the screen in one fell swoop, a triumphant tune rings. It's all very entertaining and makes the game different and fun every time you play it.
Multiplayer for Meteos is of an exceptionally high quality. With up to four player support and one cart multiplayer support, Meteos is very entertaining with a group of friends. The ability to decide who you're launching your meteos at increases the level of startegy involved in playing, creating key opportunities in which survival of the fittest rules apply. Alas I would have loved to see this game support Wi-Fi online play, but what's available is very good and you really can't beat single cart gameplay.
This is by far the killer app for the Nintendo DS and is a great choice for anyone looking for a cure to the common Tetris knockoff.