N-Philes

Meteos: Disney Magic

Posted April 11th 2007 by Adrian DeHerrera.

At this point I would be shocked if there were anything Disney couldn't slap a character on and sell at a profit. I mean, just take a look around and you'll see diapers, sweatshirts, fondue sets, televisions, cruise ships, Final Fantasies - all emblazoned with the smiling faces of Walt Disney's adorable creations. Are Peter Pan colostomy bags and Lion King home cat spaying devices far behind? Hell, do they exist now?

In this case, Q Entertainment and Disney have mated and birthed a version of Meteos that definitely differs in tone from the original. The original game revolved around an alien theme where various homeworlds battled against total planetary annihilation that rained down from the sky. In this new incarnation, many of the books in the Disney vault (which looks a lot like a bomb shelter) have had their stories changed around and it's up to you to put things right again. So, the first is an epic fight against interstellar extermination and the other is essentially the adventurous task of cleaning up a very messy library.

The only way you can help of course is through Meteos-style block propulsion. And magic! Now, you may be wondering how shooting blocks into orbit has anything to do with Winnie the Pooh and Pirates of the Caribbean, but you should really be wondering why the hell the game co-stars a voiceless Tinkerbell considering she doesn't do anything except stare blankly at you during the introductory cutscenes while Jiminy Cricket does all the dirty work. Thanks for nothing, Tink!

What might be surprising is that Meteos: Disney Magic is really not a bad game, even if the storyline is as intriguing as watching Disney-brand oatmeal cool. What matters here is the insanely addictive fun that Meteos fans will recognize from the original game. The premise is simple: different-colored blocks fall downward from the top of the screen to the bottom, and the goal is to use the stylus to pull single blocks to a place where three or more of the same type touch. Rather than the blocks disappearing, like in Tetris, they rocket upward, blasting whatever is stacked above them toward orbit – but depending on how "heavy" the load is, you may have to connect more blocks to re-blast the stack out of the screen so you can focus on another section.

Not only was there a change in theme, but in the Disney version, you can move blocks vertically and horizontally, which has irked Meteos purists. Personally I found there to be good points and bad points about this change. On one hand, I didn't find the gameplay to be that much easier than the original. You still have challenging levels with varying difficulties, such as changing gravitational pulls and helpful weaponry. Because the DS is held on its side, the vertical screen narrows the playing field a bit (left-handers are left out in the cold), but for the most part, the basic frenzied Meteos gameplay stays intact. On the other hand, I found that because you can move blocks left, right, up and down so quickly, the chances of accidentally igniting a stack of blocks increases. In addition, the opportunity to cheat by randomly selecting blocks and haphazardly shifting them around the screen (victory through mindless shuffling) is wide open. I like the original's top/bottom view more than the left-right aspect, if not because I prefer the less narrowed playing field, but because the original's top (orbit) screen is more interesting to watch than the sequel's left (lifeless Disney character) screen.

And here is where the inability to take advantage of the left screen really proved to be disappointing. The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Nightmare Before Christmas, Winnie the Pooh, Toy Story – the list goes on in terms of what classic characters were squandered by not utilizing them in any interesting way. Sure, puzzle games are all about the core gameplay, but certainly there is more that could have been done in terms of utilizing these personalities. The best Q Entertainment could do was showcase Winnie the Pooh sleeping or Simba growling (without sound, so I assume he was growling or burping). Sometimes the hand-drawn picture changes as you get closer to failing or succeeding, but for the most part, there's nothing spectacular to notice. No amazing sound effects, no dynamic animation – nothing. Most of your attention will be on playing the game itself, but I was disappointed with what could have been done.

What is any movie from the House of Mouse without a grand soundtrack? Well, it's Tarzan. But what is any Disney-based videogame without an amazing score? Well... it's most of ‘em, but it's also Meteos: Disney Magic! The tunes in the game don't inspire in the way the original game's did; they're plain, they're forgettable, they add nothing to the experience. The same overall goes for the graphics, but for a puzzle game like this, I don't think a better animated non-speaking Tinkerbell could have done much to inspire me to pick the game back up after playing through.

As for the online experience – well, there is none. Like the original, it is offline, although there are multiplayer functions that allow up to four players in the same vicinity to duke it out. But considering how badly this game should be online, I'm wondering why it isn't. Disney Interactive should have realized that the fastest way to get previous Meteos buyers to double-dip is by putting this sucker on the Wi-Fi Connection for global competition. As it stands, the only real reason previous buyers might pick this game up is if they just can't get enough of Lilo & Stitch hilarity.

Slight Pulse - Less magical than advertised.

Perhaps the low expectations I had for a Disney licensed game helped to boost the title's lasting appeal for me. The control was excellent and the moves you make with the stylus are reflected precisely on the screen. Sure the game isn't a graphics monster, but at the same time, it really doesn't have to be. Strangely, the game doesn't offer an online experience that could have truly boosted its appeal, but there is a multiplayer function you can use with four friends in the same vicinity. So, in the end, if I had to choose between the original DS game and its sequel, I'd go with the first. But just imagine what could have been if Q Entertainment had gone the extra mile?

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