meteos sightings

one of the first DS games i got was meteos. i’d been a fan of puzzle games since the black and white game boy tetris days, so i was looking forward to this one which had gotten great reviews. i know i must be in a clear minority, but i just couldn’t get interested in this game. i even forced myself to spend a fair amount of time playing it, even going so far as to set it aside for months so i could come back to it later in the hopes that it would spark my interest the second time around. but i guess it just wasn’t meant to be, because time didn’t make this heart grow any fonder, and after playing a bit more i just couldn’t take it anymore and i had to kick this game to the curb.

and in a lot of ways it’s too bad b/c the game has a lot going for it. one of the best things about the game is the amount of style and polish there is. the graphics are great, the gameplay is smooth, the sounds fit perfectly, and the modes are varied. and the game itself isn’t bad as far as puzzle games go. but the big problem, at least for me, is that the game is never very interesting mainly b/c the combo system is so dull. this is in stark contrast to other games i’ve written about not too long ago, namely tetris attack (a.k.a. panel de pon) and kirby’s avalanche (a.k.a. puyo puyo). in both those games the combo system is almost constantly surprising (particularly with tetris attack) and the number of possibilities with chains seems endless. i suppose it’s all a matter of taste, but even all the variations in planets, items (most of which are little more than mildly annoying distractions), and unlockables didn’t add much interest. somehow i’m tempted to hold onto it just in case i change my mind later, but i really should just get rid of it b/c at this point i seriously doubt i’ll ever want to play it again. (harsh, i know, but it’s true.)

not much more to say, except that to recover from this disappointment i’ve set my sights on other puzzle games to play, particularly puyo puyo tsu, the second installment of the series available through the VC as an import game, and pac-attack, which i enjoyed playing in the GBA pac-man collection but didn’t delve into too deeply. in the meantime i’ve been teaching my better half how to play kirby’s avalanche. when we go head to head i try to be merciful, though. i try, honest.

some links to meteos fallen to earth (yawn):
– this single page guide is all you need for this relatively simplistic game
– a FAQ at IGN w/ details on planets and a FAQ w/ info on unlockables

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