I remember it being a pretty fun puzzle game with the menu from Smash Bros Melee.
After Tetris you would think that there were only so many tile matching style score-attack puzzle game systems that exist. Whilst it’s a subgenre that hasn’t had the hugest innovations over the years it is a well that has been repeatedly visited by games over and over again and one that I will quite happily take a sip from each time.
Back in 2005 it was Kirby’s dad Masahiro Sakurai’s turn and alongside was the dual screens of Nintendo’s handheld system of the time.
What he came up with was fairly innovative, some good fun but ultimately for me, not one I can see being in my rotation of puzzlers to go back to and relax with.
Meteos like many of its kind before have blocks drop from the top of the screen, you cannot turn them but with the stylus slide a single block up and down columns where you please.
One big difference here is matching does not instantly delete blocks (in most cases), match three vertically and the entire column fires up like a rocket, match horizontally and they become platform lifting all the blocks above them.
Ultimately you are sending the falling blocks, or meteors, back into space and potentially towards an enemy's planet - this being the main theme throughout the game.
Sakurai has stated that the game wasn’t initially targeted for DS but says, and I agree, that use of the stylus made the block sliding and matching feel much more fluid and faster than via a d-pad.
From my perspective I really appreciate sending the meteors off the top of the touchscreen and seeing the explosions and results at the top, but when the game picks up speed and difficulty I find myself not seeing any of it which is a shame.
Meteos interplanetary theme brings in a few other innovations and a surprising amount of variety in what is a well covered genre.
Each planet has different block rates, each has their own rules, be that being faster, slower, vertical or horizontal combinations being more powerful or other slight changes to the feel of play.
As you would expect each planet has its own background and even different block art but however much this fits the theme I found many of these quite ugly to look at, some being more difficult to match at speed than others and when that is your primary objective it isn’t ideal.
Overall I never fell in love with Meteos presentation but I could not call it bad, the menus have a very Smash Bros. feel which isn’t surprising and keeps even the menus feeling exciting yet simple to navigate.
Sending falling blocks directly back up rather than destroying them is definitely an interesting innovation. The feel of lining another horizontal row of blocks as your original struggles to reach the top, causing a small boost, is quite enjoyable but not as snappy and as satisfying late Puyo colour match or a T-spin.
If, like me, you enjoy falling blocks then this is definitely one you should try and the DS is a fantastic way to enjoy the genre. However you’ll probably find your way back to Puyo Puyo, Panel de Pon or the Daddy which is Tetris in no time.
Back in 2005 it was Kirby’s dad Masahiro Sakurai’s turn and alongside was the dual screens of Nintendo’s handheld system of the time.
What he came up with was fairly innovative, some good fun but ultimately for me, not one I can see being in my rotation of puzzlers to go back to and relax with.
Meteos like many of its kind before have blocks drop from the top of the screen, you cannot turn them but with the stylus slide a single block up and down columns where you please.
One big difference here is matching does not instantly delete blocks (in most cases), match three vertically and the entire column fires up like a rocket, match horizontally and they become platform lifting all the blocks above them.
Ultimately you are sending the falling blocks, or meteors, back into space and potentially towards an enemy's planet - this being the main theme throughout the game.
Sakurai has stated that the game wasn’t initially targeted for DS but says, and I agree, that use of the stylus made the block sliding and matching feel much more fluid and faster than via a d-pad.
From my perspective I really appreciate sending the meteors off the top of the touchscreen and seeing the explosions and results at the top, but when the game picks up speed and difficulty I find myself not seeing any of it which is a shame.
Meteos interplanetary theme brings in a few other innovations and a surprising amount of variety in what is a well covered genre.
Each planet has different block rates, each has their own rules, be that being faster, slower, vertical or horizontal combinations being more powerful or other slight changes to the feel of play.
As you would expect each planet has its own background and even different block art but however much this fits the theme I found many of these quite ugly to look at, some being more difficult to match at speed than others and when that is your primary objective it isn’t ideal.
Overall I never fell in love with Meteos presentation but I could not call it bad, the menus have a very Smash Bros. feel which isn’t surprising and keeps even the menus feeling exciting yet simple to navigate.
Sending falling blocks directly back up rather than destroying them is definitely an interesting innovation. The feel of lining another horizontal row of blocks as your original struggles to reach the top, causing a small boost, is quite enjoyable but not as snappy and as satisfying late Puyo colour match or a T-spin.
If, like me, you enjoy falling blocks then this is definitely one you should try and the DS is a fantastic way to enjoy the genre. However you’ll probably find your way back to Puyo Puyo, Panel de Pon or the Daddy which is Tetris in no time.
My favorite puzzle game. Gameplay is incredibly satisfying and I love the design of the aliens and planets.
Music is simple but is a good barometer of how well you are doing in game.
Music is simple but is a good barometer of how well you are doing in game.
I have a weird history with this game. I got it around launch for the DS based on hype and I didn’t really get it. I sold the game and ended up getting it again around 2-3 years ago based on recommendations. Playing it again I understood the hook and I was planning on continuing. But I got busy with other games and kind of forgotten about it. I continued with the save yesterday and I understand why it just won’t work out between us :P
The interesting thing about this puzzle game is that you’re not allowed to change the blocks horizontally but only vertically. It definitely shakes up the formula. The game also has different planets with different rules like the speed of the blocks launching and how quick the blocks drop. The main mode is having you carry out missions and select the route you want to take. You earn lots of different currencies that you can use to create new things like new items, music and even planets if I remember things correctly.
Here’s where things start to get problematic. You can’t save and continue with your progress in the main mode. You have to finish it in one go or put the DS on standby. There is an option to play a separate mode with only one planet but it’s barebones and not the main course. The game also crams lots of info in the lower screen and it expects you to select the blocks with perfect accuracy while the blocks are super tiny. I’ve had many times where I just can’t pick the block I want with the touch screen. Then there are the mechanics, the game seems to have way too many things to keep in mind that it kind of gets in the way of a pure puzzle game. It feels like being complex for complexity’s sake. And lastly, it looks like the game is going to be very grindy if you want to unlock everything. You’re going to need a lot of different currencies.
It feels like this game had the potential to be one of the best puzzle games with strong gameplay. Its appeal is limited to a small niche for being too ambitious and trying to do too much with the small screens. It doesn’t quite reach the perfect balance of lots of depth while easy to pick up and play. But that small niche will absolutely love it.
The interesting thing about this puzzle game is that you’re not allowed to change the blocks horizontally but only vertically. It definitely shakes up the formula. The game also has different planets with different rules like the speed of the blocks launching and how quick the blocks drop. The main mode is having you carry out missions and select the route you want to take. You earn lots of different currencies that you can use to create new things like new items, music and even planets if I remember things correctly.
Here’s where things start to get problematic. You can’t save and continue with your progress in the main mode. You have to finish it in one go or put the DS on standby. There is an option to play a separate mode with only one planet but it’s barebones and not the main course. The game also crams lots of info in the lower screen and it expects you to select the blocks with perfect accuracy while the blocks are super tiny. I’ve had many times where I just can’t pick the block I want with the touch screen. Then there are the mechanics, the game seems to have way too many things to keep in mind that it kind of gets in the way of a pure puzzle game. It feels like being complex for complexity’s sake. And lastly, it looks like the game is going to be very grindy if you want to unlock everything. You’re going to need a lot of different currencies.
It feels like this game had the potential to be one of the best puzzle games with strong gameplay. Its appeal is limited to a small niche for being too ambitious and trying to do too much with the small screens. It doesn’t quite reach the perfect balance of lots of depth while easy to pick up and play. But that small niche will absolutely love it.
I played about 20 hours and it was a good time. It’s a unique block falling puzzle game where matching blocks rockets them off screen. Each level is a new “planet” with different ideas, gimmicks, and even gravities so it’s always throwing new things at you to keep it exciting.
While I enjoyed the game I kind of feel like neither control system is really perfect. Maybe I’m just bad and there is really high level play out there. However, it felt to me like the dpad was too slow to keep up with the chaos on screen and using the stylus was too inaccurate. shrugs
It doesn’t matter because the real joy of this game is vibes. Each level has unique art and music that blend together well with the game mechanics. You can feel Mizuguchi’s influence every time you clear blocks and the blast joins harmoniously with the music. And you can see Sakurai’s influence with the clean menus and fun sprites and animations. Just a fun game to play when you have some downtime because you can fit a few rounds in.
While I enjoyed the game I kind of feel like neither control system is really perfect. Maybe I’m just bad and there is really high level play out there. However, it felt to me like the dpad was too slow to keep up with the chaos on screen and using the stylus was too inaccurate. shrugs
It doesn’t matter because the real joy of this game is vibes. Each level has unique art and music that blend together well with the game mechanics. You can feel Mizuguchi’s influence every time you clear blocks and the blast joins harmoniously with the music. And you can see Sakurai’s influence with the clean menus and fun sprites and animations. Just a fun game to play when you have some downtime because you can fit a few rounds in.
this and a blunt ^-^
Super unexpectedly good and novel concept for a puzzle game. The use of the touch screen is great and adds a ton of tension that isn’t seen in a lot of the game’s contemporaries.
This is the definitive falling block puzzle game. The block rocketing mechanic is genius, as it dramatically changes the genre's game feel without affecting its essential push and pull; I'd even say it benefits it, with clever mechanics like pushing blocks when rocketing others from below or the inventive and varied planets and routes. Truly an underrated masterpiece.
Everything goes so hard.
hella good. a little easy after a bit
I’m not one for this sort of puzzle game, but Meteos is a really good one. Must-play if you like the genre.
A fun block puzzle game. The different planets were neat, and the versus was a cool feature, but the balance was whack.
Why yes, Sakurai did work on this game. How can you tell?
Anyways, Meteos is a pretty decent falling block puzzle game. The thing is... I am fucking DOGSHIT at falling block puzzle games. And this game is no exception.
It's like Panel de Pon on crack, and I'm already not good at Panel de Pon.
I also think it moves too fast for me. I'll start a game and have a good time... for like a minute. And then my screen is flooded with blocks and my eyes are darting all over the place. And with all of the over the top sound effects playing, it's fucking sensory overload and I can't really handle it.
If you do enjoy these types of games, then definitely give it a shot. I mainly just played it because it was made by Sakurai, and not because I'm a massive fan of this genre. It's fine but not my thing.
Anyways, Meteos is a pretty decent falling block puzzle game. The thing is... I am fucking DOGSHIT at falling block puzzle games. And this game is no exception.
It's like Panel de Pon on crack, and I'm already not good at Panel de Pon.
I also think it moves too fast for me. I'll start a game and have a good time... for like a minute. And then my screen is flooded with blocks and my eyes are darting all over the place. And with all of the over the top sound effects playing, it's fucking sensory overload and I can't really handle it.
If you do enjoy these types of games, then definitely give it a shot. I mainly just played it because it was made by Sakurai, and not because I'm a massive fan of this genre. It's fine but not my thing.
I never got the hype. I really tried. But I never got it. Even multiplayer. No fun there.
Fun but also way harder than I remember it being as a kid. Like Tetris except you launch meteo(r)s at people except not like Tetris at all.
HOLD THE FORT. You mean to tell me that Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Masahiro Sakurai collaborated on a falling block puzzle game in 2006 and I'm just now finding out about it??
In short, this game rules. Sakurai brings the Melee orchestral soundfont, quirky game menus, charming art direction and scenario, and simple twist on a beloved genre that completely reinvents its gameplay. Mizuguchi brings the snappy gamefeel, reactive sound design, and overall dopamine-inducing game design. Together, they've made an addicting little time waster that's perfect as a pre-bedtime ritual.
Notably, this game is designed in such a way that I can't imagine it working on anything but the DS due to the touchscreen. Maybe a modern smartphone or even Switch port is possible, but Meteos is one of those classic victims of innovation left in the dust by the modern games industry.
In short, this game rules. Sakurai brings the Melee orchestral soundfont, quirky game menus, charming art direction and scenario, and simple twist on a beloved genre that completely reinvents its gameplay. Mizuguchi brings the snappy gamefeel, reactive sound design, and overall dopamine-inducing game design. Together, they've made an addicting little time waster that's perfect as a pre-bedtime ritual.
Notably, this game is designed in such a way that I can't imagine it working on anything but the DS due to the touchscreen. Maybe a modern smartphone or even Switch port is possible, but Meteos is one of those classic victims of innovation left in the dust by the modern games industry.
Another quirky puzzle game on the Nintendo DS, but this one is by the creator of the Super Smash Bros. series, Masahiro Sakurai. The game requires you to defeat warring planets by shooting Meteos at this. This is done by matching a set of 3 Meteos on your screen to shoot it off to another planet.
This is not as simple as it may seem. Each planet you come across has its unique properties like how fast blocks fall or how many matches you need to send them into orbit. It is very in-depth for a puzzle game, and yet it is simple enough that anyone can pick it up and learn.
With that said, this is held back by its surprising lack of features, as it only offers a simple arcade mode, an endless mode, and variations of multiplayer/single-player score attack modes. It is also held back by its controls, as the size of the Meteos is quite small and can be hard to maneuver on such a small screen.
This is a very unique game that I have never really seen people play or talk about much, so I would love to see a sequel or some sort of successor to this game. Any puzzle enthusiast should take a look.
This is not as simple as it may seem. Each planet you come across has its unique properties like how fast blocks fall or how many matches you need to send them into orbit. It is very in-depth for a puzzle game, and yet it is simple enough that anyone can pick it up and learn.
With that said, this is held back by its surprising lack of features, as it only offers a simple arcade mode, an endless mode, and variations of multiplayer/single-player score attack modes. It is also held back by its controls, as the size of the Meteos is quite small and can be hard to maneuver on such a small screen.
This is a very unique game that I have never really seen people play or talk about much, so I would love to see a sequel or some sort of successor to this game. Any puzzle enthusiast should take a look.
It's a mechanically solid high score type puzzle game, but that isn't one of my favorite genres.
Went into it with a lot of expectation, but as an action puzzler it just doesn't do it for me. I'd much rather play tetris attack or even dr mario, it just felt pretty shallow.
Falling block/match 3 puzzle game, with a really unique twist to it. Rocketing the blocks instead of deleting them leads to a lot of new possibilities, that wouldnt be available in other games in the genre. The different planets keep an already really solid game fresh, with new factors to consider from just color block ratios, to entirely different gravity to adapt your playstyle to. Easy to get started, and a blast to master.
Meteos (2005): Una especie de Tetris/Columns con el añadido especial de que al ser un viaje planetario, en cada planeta hay una gravedad y condiciones diferentes, dando variedad a cada partida. No es la gran cosa, pero supongo que para ratos muertos puede estar apañaete (5,70)
One of the absolute best block puzzle games ever. It's really sad when you see games like this, Colums, Robotnik Bean Machine go basically dead for years and years and then show back up as some half-assed revival that isn't packaged for anyone new to get it so us same old heads play them again only.
i so badly wish i lived in the timeline where masahiro sakurai kept making mid-budget one-off games like this.
Aleeeeeeen
10/10 for the music alone
Probably the most infinitely replayable puzzle game I've invested my time into. Suck it, Tetris.
adds a refreshing dynamism to the falling block puzzle archetype. can get overwhelming at first but makes for a satisfying challenge. a remaster/sequel with online play would be great!
i don't belong here, why arent i on luna=luna
Nearly two decades later and it still slaps. It's a puzzle game with a robust singleplayer experience, a fun & refined aesthetic, and a lot of granular, hidden mechanical depth to explore - on the DS, no less! That's not even getting into the delightful aesthetics. Just really impressive and fun stuff.
Nearly two decades later and it still slaps. It's a puzzle game with a robust singleplayer experience, a fun & refined aesthetic, and a lot of granular, hidden mechanical depth to explore - on the DS, no less! That's not even getting into the delightful aesthetics. Just really impressive and fun stuff.
This is a really well done Tetris-like. A lot of quality features that make the game engaging to play. I have to admit, when things were getting dire, I could almost always get myself out of trouble frantically scribbling on rows until the blocks magically rocketed off the screen.
A great action puzzler with slightly obtuse mechanics and a penchant for scratching up your DS touch screen. Sadly you could do better by wildly swiping at the screen than in considered play.
https://blog.gingerbeardman.com/2010/10/08/meteos/
https://blog.gingerbeardman.com/2010/10/08/meteos/