Time will tell if all turns out OK

A little over a year ago, I purchased a game for my Nintendo DS called Meteos. It was a pretty simple-looking puzzle game that was getting very respectable press. Since I adore puzzle games, I was going to get it even before I heard how good it was. So I bought it. And by God, was I impressed.

I started playing Meteos again about a week ago, and it’s easily just as addictive and fun as it was a year ago. Of all the DS games I own, I think I’ll be coming back to this one the most over time. There’s nothing not to love about Meteos. It’s frantic, it’s engaging, and there’s a good level of strategy associated with it. You can pick up, learn, and have fun with Meteos just as easily as you can Tetris, but just like Tetris, you’ll have to pick up on a few tricks and techniques before you can earn mind-boggling scores. A year later, my skills haven’t slipped at all, and I’ve even finally been able to reach the elusive “The Ascent” ending.

One coolest things about Meteos is the music. It’s not like other games in that there’s just BGM playing while you do your thing. No. You essentially create the music as you go, with each successful Meteo match-up inciting a little tune, and different tunes being playe for bigger matches, higher combos, etc. I know the Wind Waker was a little bit like that in the way that attacking enemies would produce short melodies, but no other games that I’ve played really even attempt such a neat feature. The other thing I really love is that once you get into Meteos, Meteos gets into you. I know that on days that I’ve spent playing the game, that when I close my eyes at night, I see Meteos falling and then my mind just starts to play its own game. And not by choice either. It just happens, and I love it.

So why do I bring it up? Because I don’t think I’ve ever talked about Meteos before. That, and I really wish they would re-release it with WiFi capabilities. Just like nearly every muliplayer game, it’s so much more fun to play against other people. I’ve been trying to get my brother to buy it ever since I got it, but no such luck. Sure, there’s a single-card option, but we don’t play often enough for him to get good by that alone. I think my only real chance of getting some really good multiplayer Meteos going on is later this year, when Buena Vista Games releases Meteos: Disney Edition (which will hopefully include a WiFi option). I mean, I’m sure everyone that bought Meteos would adore WiFi play, and since they won’t be re-releasing the original, that’s probably the best we can hope for. The only downside to Wifi Meteos would be that my productivity would go from six to zero.