Handheld
(DS) Meteos: Disney Magic
By Jayson Napolitano
Mar 21, 2007, 7 :55 am

The original Meteos might not have been the Tetris of our generation, but it did introduce some interesting twists to the traditional puzzle game.  When Q Entertainment, the company responsible for the original Meteos and the equally successful Lumines on the PSP, announced that Meteos: Disney Magic was in development, everyone’s first thought was that Q Entertainment had lost some of their gumption, but let’s not forget that Disney did collaborate with a certain RPG developer in the past with very successful results!

Disney Magic plays pretty much just like the original Meteos in that players use the stylus to move blocks around in an attempt to blast them off the screen.  If three blocks of the same type are aligned either vertically or horizontally, they will be launched into the air along with the blocks that are on top of them.  The larger the number of blocks sitting on the aligned blocks, the less likely it is that they will be blasted off the screen; instead, they slowly make their way back down to the stage, making for a chaotic and frantically fun gaming experience.  The ease of blasting a given chunk of blocks off the screen varies with each level, so players will be constantly adapting their strategies.  Each stage also has a goal, such as launching a certain number of blocks or launching a certain number within a time limit, adding a bit more variety.

That leaves the core gameplay intact, but there are also a slew of tweaks and modifications that have been made for this version.  Most importantly, players now have the ability to move blocks both vertically and horizontally, the latter of which was restricted in the original Meteos.  While some will gripe that this ruins the game and makes it too easy, quite the contrary, the blocks fall so quickly that I found myself buried before I knew what hit me.  Other changes include the addition of special abilities that vary depending on the level, but include slow motion, nitro boost, and horizontal movement.  Slow motion is what you would expect, while nitro boost reduces the tendency for blasted blocks to come back down, making it easier to clear the stage.  The horizontal movement ability is used only in the expert mode to allow horizontal movement of blocks.   Lastly, the game is played with the DS turned on its side, allowing a longer view of the playing stage, which is definitely an advantage over the original Meteos.  The playing stage is displayed on the right screen while Disney animations and art are shown on the left screen.

The Disney theme may be great for attracting kids to the game, but the unique art style and zany story of the original Meteos was one of its strongest features.  The story is driven by Jiminy Cricket’s quest to guide Tinkerbelle (you) to correct altered classic Disney stories. With the quirky story elements of the original Meteos removed, the game does seem very “kiddie,” but fails at being a kid’s game due to its extreme difficulty.  While there is an easy mode, it sports only four levels.  The normal mode was moderately difficult for me, and the hard mode was almost impossible.  An expert mode can be unlocked that restricts block movements to vertical movements only, like the original Meteos, but I am nowhere near the skill level to play with that kind of restriction.  I do appreciate that Disney decided to show so much lovin’ to a wide variety of its library with themes from Lilo & Stitch, Winnie the Pooh, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story, Cinderella, and more.

While I whipped through the easy and normal pretty quickly, I didn’t see much incentive in going back to play them.  Each time a stage is completed, players are awarded additional content, such as movie art or music from the game; however, these are meager when you compare them to the unlockable content in the original Meteos.  It’s possible I’m being too harsh, as this is directed at younger gamers, but most of the unlockable content is simply the same artwork displayed on the top screen while playing the game.

On the topic of music, I found myself playing the game and thinking the music wasn’t all that memorable.  However, the next day I found myself humming the title theme to myself on the way home and decided I’d concede that it was just a little bit catchy.  While there aren’t really any remixes of old Disney themes (which I would have liked), there are some upbeat and catchy pieces that play throughout the game.  The sound effects are all in order and make sense in the context of the game.  I doubt people sitting around me when I was playing cared for them much, as the boings and boinks really need to be experienced in-game for full enjoyment.

The multiplayer mode is definitely a much-appreciated and fun feature, and the fact that it is playable with a single cartridge makes it even better.  This mode is a “blast,” and if you’re without friends, you can always face off against CPU opponents.  This would have been a great game for kids to play over Nintendo’s wi-fi network, but I guess we’ll have to wait for a new tie-in for that feature.

Overall:  7/10

Disney Magic manages to retain a lot of the fun of the original Meteos, but it is lacking the quirky story and graphics that made the original so appealing.  If this game was truly made to cater to kids, beware: this game is difficult!  The Disney themes, visuals, music, and sound effects are all fun in their own right, and the few gameplay changes, including special abilities and playing with the DS on its side, are definitely improvements.  I personally prefer the original Meteos, but if you’re a parent wanting to taunt your kids with an insanely difficult puzzle game, you have found your title.