A look back: t27duck reflects on Meteos

The flow of news has seemed to slow down a bit. So I decided to throw this short piece together to get something off my chest. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and figured now was a good time to really test out my on-the-fly writing skills. No editors, no peer reviews. Just me and my pal, Mr. Spellcheck. Here we go.

The other day, I found my copy of Meteos for the DS (the original, not the Disney-themed sequel). I forgot how much fun this little gem was. For those who don’t remember, Meteos is a puzzle game released very early in the DS’s life. I’d say just outside the original launch window. It’s a puzzle game by lead designer Masahiro Sakurai. Yes, that’s right. The same guy who made Smash Brothers made a puzzle game. I will admit, I do get a very small Smash Brothers vibe when I play this. Even the main menu reminds me a bit of Melee’s menu.

The object of the game is simple on the surface. Multicolored blocks fall from the sky. You use the touch screen to move the blocks around. Match up three or more of the same color and the blocks turn into little rockets and “launch” the stack back into the sky. Simple right? WRONG! If you read the odd and rather irrelevant story, you’ll know that the game is played on one of thirty-two planets. Each planet has their own unique play style in regards to the falling blocks. Some planets have higher gravity for example. Every planet also has its own set of block graphics, background music, and sound effects.

The game is an addiction to say the least. There’s always something you could do. The single player game (Story Mode) takes you through a path allowing you to visit several different planets before taking on the final planet with the highest difficulty. VS mode allows you to play locally with up to four DSes or against the computer. CPU player difficulties can range from very easy to near impossible.

Regardless if you play story mode or VS, the game keeps track of the number of each colored block you shoot up off the screen. After you accumulate so many of certain colors, you can trade them in for unlockable bonus planets, sounds, and items. Yes, I said items. Items, such as a giant hammer that clears away random chunks of blocks on your screen or a smoke screen block that distorts the view of your opponents, are randomly dropped onto the playing field throughout the round. Meteos is basically Tetris meets Bejewled meets Mario Kart.
The game can be played in short bursts or over the course of several hours. It’s great for plane rides or long drives. The multiplayer and varying CPU difficulty always provides me with a challenge. In short, Meteos was to the DS as Tetris was to the GameBoy. That is, until Tetris DS came out.

I guess what I’m saying is, if you have a DS or getting a 3DS and you enjoy a good puzzle game, FIND THIS GAME! Search eBay, GameStop, Goodwill, whatever. Meteos was, in my opinion, the DS’s first killer app. It’s such shame it never got the recognition it deserved. It’s a solid puzzle game that provides great entertainment on the go.

The End

I am so going to catch flack from cort for posting this without him editing it. Oh well, let’s see how long it takes for him to notice. :D