Nintendo DS

Meteos: Disney Magic

That's a good thing, too, because Meteos is highly addictive. Launching blocks, finding patterns, and forming the seeds of chains before lighting off a high-scoring, screen-clearing combo is incredibly satisfying, especially when the tempo just keeps getting faster and the blocks won't stop raining from the sky. The addition of the Disney characters hasn't hurt anything, and the variety and nature of the challenges has only increased despite the cartoony look. Meteos: Disney Magic is even deeper and more fun than the first, and an excellent example of what a sequel should be.

Though I'd rather have the aliens back, I do like the Disney-skinned Meteos. The new vertical orientation works really well, even if it takes a bit of adjusting to get your thumb in the right spot on the D-pad to speed things up. And even though the ability to shift things horizontally may make things a little easier, it feels less restrictive this way. And since the game locks the slider in one direction, it discourages "scribbling." If Disney put this version online I would have scored it higher, but I'm keeping an open mind here: Meteos: Disney Magic does a really good job moving the design forward.

"Meteos: Disney Magic" não traz tantas novidades à série, mas oferece muita diversão para quem já a conhece ou não. No mais, faz um bom proveito das franquias da Disney. Esta, por sua vez, se beneficia da competência da Q Entertainment, mostrando uma parceria sólida. Visto que o nome Disney nunca foi um grande exemplo de qualidade no quesito videogame, "Meteos: Disney Magic" é, sem dúvida, um jogo importante para a nova fase da empresa, tal como a franquia "Kingdom Hearts".

Still, there's plenty to like here. The core Meteos gameplay and level of challenge remain intact, even with the special abilities and horizontal block movement. It's ironic given the game's title that it's missing some of the delight of its predecessor, but Meteos: Disney Magic is still a worthwhile investment for puzzle-game fans. It's hard, it's fun, and playing it is its own reward.

On ne s'y attendait pas forcément, mais l'intérêt porté par Disney au concept diabolique de Meteos nous donne l'occasion de revenir sur l'un des meilleurs puzzle-games de tous les temps. Voici une version simplifiée d'un titre que tout le monde n'a sans doute pas encore eu la chance de découvrir, et cette édition spéciale mérite largement le coup d'oeil car, même si elle n'égale pas la formule initiale, elle la renouvelle de façon très intéressante. L'enfer pour ceux qui avaient enfin réussi à décrocher !

Meteos: Disney Magic is a decent game and I guess what I expected when I heard that a Disney themed version of Meteos was coming out for Nintendo DS. I also own Meteos and I think if you like that game and are looking for a new challenge you will enjoy Meteos: Disney Magic. The story in the game was not the greatest and it is the same plot no matter which level of difficulty you play on, so once you beat Easy mode you will know what happens in the very simple story. I think they could’ve made the story more involved and entertaining, but I guess this game is more about the puzzle solving than the story. If you like Disney movies and are looking for a new puzzle game for Nintendo DS then you should enjoy Meteos: Disney Magic, but know going in that the game is more about the puzzle game action than anything else. The Disney characters are just there to liven up the action and appeal to those Disney fans out there that can't get enough of the House of Mouse.

With wi-fi multiplayer to back-up the generally intense single-player modes, it’s still a good purchase for action puzzle fans. Or more specifically, the kids of those action puzzle fans.

The idea of Meteos wrapped in a Disney theme could have come off as a washed up experiment to try and cash in on the popular Disney characters, but that is far from the truth. Even with the cute and loveable Disney themes incorporated into Meteos there is no slack given on the challenge of the game, or the gameplay. If anything Meteos: Disney Magic is an improvement on the original game. It’s easy to recommend Disney Magic for puzzle gaming fans, although I have to attach a warning on the end of this review. Meteos: Disney Magic is a tough game that might be too difficult for younglings who are attracted to the cute images of their Disney heroes. If you’re picking this up as a gift, make sure the person that will be receiving the game has some patience and a willingness to learn. Besides, the gentle warning, Meteos: Disney Magic stands tall next to the esteemed original.

What Disney has done is taken an already fantastic, proven title and shoved some memorable faces into it -- and that's perfectly OK. They didn't mess with the formula (and, in the case of the DS alignment, improved upon it) and man-aged to make it enjoyable for Meteos veterans, newbies, and, most importantly, the kids. It also contains one of the best single-cart multiplayer games around for up to four players, much like the original. It may be surprisingly short on fan ser-vice, but it sure beats playing The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.