"First, there was Tetris... Now, there is Meteos!"

Heh heh, realistically, this game is not on Tetris's level, but only a peg or so behind it. Tetris became one of the most popular games today, along with other greats, including Pong. But will Meteos become a classic, too? Let's find out...

Gameplay: 9/ 10
For a puzzle game, it's everything you'd expect. You deal with falling blocks, like most puzzle games out there, and have to match them in a line of three or more. One obvious thing is that blocks can only be moved up and down, not side to side. While some may think that's a problem, in reality, if you could move the blocks any way you wanted, the game would be too easy. Even though it might seem like it constricts you from doing much, it really only forces you to think more, and strategize. As the game goes on, blocks may rain down faster, increasing the difficulty; even the specific planet you're on can have effects on the game, such as slower moving blocks.

Graphics: 10/ 10
Even though the opening video is only an FMV, to which any console could handle (nowadays), it looks totally awesome. When I first watched it, I was thinking "Am I really seeing this on a DS game?!" But, more importantly, let's move onto the game graphics. Now, everything is pretty simple, really. Blocks are basic squares, etc. But the backgrounds are just gorgeous, in my opinion. Even looking at the top screen, seeing planets do battle & explode as the little aliens dance around is a sight to see. I also love the little alien creatures; they're all so simplistic in design, but just have this look to them that, for some reason, makes me like this game even more.

Story: 9/ 10
Personally, I've always thought that puzzle games weren't mean to have deep stories, or anything like that. But, for a puzzle game, the story isn't all that bad. A little weird, and not something 100% fresh and original, but still, good. I, myself, have found myself mostly just playing the other modes, at the moment, not delving far into the story, just yet.

Replay Value: 9/ 10
There are just so many things to unlock in this game, from planets, to sounds, to new items, it seems like there's always something more to unlock. Not only that, but I've heard that there are eight possible different endings. If that's not replayability, I don't know what is. Though, I imagine a few months down the line, players may get a bit bored after unlocking everything and playing for a while. Usually, I get bored of a game after I beat it, because I've done everything to do; if it has a story, I already know everything that happens, and all the excitement is pretty much gone, so I stop playing it. But with a puzzle game like this, there's no real "glass ceiling" on the replay value, since you can always just kick back and try to beat your high score, or something.

Other things I like about Meteos
I LOVE the menus; everything is so reminiscent of Super Smash Bros., and it just looks great. This game is also super addicting, and, even as I type this, I'm still picturing the Meteos blocks raining down from the sky, faster and faster, as I try to match them up. The multiplayer looks very enjoyable, but not having any fellow DS fans around me, I'll likely never get to try it.

Things I don't like about Meteos
Hm. That's a tough one. For this, some may say the "flaw" drives them away, and I'll explain. The "flaw", if you can call it that, is that you can pretty much just scribble the touch screen and randomly make matches without the intent of doing so. Thing is, for one, it doesn't help as the game gets harder and faster (subliminal message! =p), and two, there's a simple solution -- don't do it. Some times, though, I do find myself making matches that I didn't mean to, but not because of the "flaw", it's usually accidental. The only thing that kind of bothers me is that, to my knowledge, the game doesn't tell you what you need to fuse to unlock something, unless you have or have had the proper Meteos. I'd rather the game just list everything to unlock, along with what Meteos you need to use, so you could just find out instantly what else you need to unlock. Otherwise, I don't have any other real problems with the game.

Overall: 9/ 10
One of the DS's first triple A titles comes in the form of a puzzler, in Meteos. The game is so wonderfully addictive, and also lighthearted, in the sense that you feel like you're having fun when playing, as opposed to being serious, or something. Honestly, I feel a large range of gamers could enjoy this game. Of course puzzle gamers will eat this up, gamers that love multiplayer will enjoy it, gamers that are just looking for a good pick-up-and-play with love it, etc. Perhaps Meteos won't become a classic on the level of Tetris, but this is one game I will never forget.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/11/05