Meteos: Disney Magic mini-review

Meteos was one of my favourite puzzle games of last year. Created by Masahiro Sakurai (Kirby, Super Smash Brothers) and developed by Q Entertainment (Lumines), the gameplay is the typical casual gaming laced with enough challenge. It was just as addictive as Astraware's classic Bejeweled.

The best way to play it would be with a stylus (unlike Tetris which works best with the d-pad). Meteos is one of those many puzzles where you have to line up three or more similar blocks, whether vertically or horizontally. Whenever one of these blocks is created, the row of blocks will shoot upwards (into space) carrying other blocks upwards, like a rocket. Because the initial 'ignition' is usually weak, the player should quickly create another row of blocks within those unused blocks that is heading towards space so as to create a secondary 'ignition', allowing a better boost.


Q Entertainment recently released a new version of the game called Meteos: Disney Magic. The new title is basically the same as Meteos, but with some slight changes. The first apparent change, being the most significant, is the requirement to hold the DS sideways (like Brain Training or Hotel Dusk) giving a more vertical perspective. The second is the ability to drag blocks horizontally (making things much easier, although the game is still ridiculously difficult). And the third is the game is now riddled with Disney IPs. It doesn't contribute much to the gameplay, but it is a nice touch. Sadly whatever Disney content the game has, they are surprisingly under-used. Arts and additional music can be unlocked through the story mode... and that's it really! Even the quasi-Disney soundtrack isn't as good as those found in the original Meteos.


One would hope that an update to a pretty good puzzle would actually aim to be better than its elder sibling but sadly with the exclusion of WiFi support (it does support single cart local LAN mutliplayer) and the poor use of Disney IPs, makes this, for all intent and purpose, practically a re-skinned Meteos. Unless you prefer the subtle (but still significant) changes to gameplay that Meteos: Disney Magic presents, it is probably best to get the original Meteos while you still can.

7/10

Buy this from Play-Asia or Amazon UK