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jp's Meteos (DS)
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| [May 8, 2006 03:08:31 PM]
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Ok, I've decided to move on. The pile of other games waiting to be played is too high. I would like to try out the multiplayer...
So, I wasn't able to finish the main "campaign" mode and I didn't bother creating the planet Meteos... no big deal.
Here are some basic stats:
I first powered the game on April 19, 2006 at 18:04 and powered the game on 32 times since then. (that seems kind of low, doesn't it?)
The game has been turned on for 13 hours and 36 minutes, but only 10 hours and 11 minutes were spent actually playing. Again, I'm surprised by the amount of time I've spent with the game on, yet not in actual gameplay...
I played 31 simple games and 27 star trip (campaign) games. That seems abour right...each star trip game is actually a series of individual games.
I saw 10 different endings.
I launched 58,561 meteos and incinerated only 28,467.
There are also a bunch of other stats, but these seemed the most interesting. Isn't it cool when games keep track of this information?
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| [May 5, 2006 09:08:56 AM]
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For some inexplicable reason I've gone into "completist" mode. I've decided to unlock planet Meteos, which basically means I need to unlock everything else along the way. I think.
So far I've unlocked 14 planets. According to the amount of space left in the interface for more planet icons, I'm less than halfway done!
I've noticed something else I thought was interesting. When you are playing the game you are ocassionally "rewarded" with objects that drop down and have different effects. Some might explode and erase a row or a column. Others spew smoke or even clear the whole screen.
When I first started playing I was very relieved to see an object because it meant I would get some sort of reprieve. It would help me clear some part of the screen and give me some more breathing space. However, now I find them to be quite a nuisance! Since I've gotten better at the game, the items can actually be quite disruptive because they can mess up a set of blocks I may be organizing and getting ready for a super-fusion. (which is when they blast off).
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| [May 2, 2006 12:13:38 PM]
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When I first looked at the manual to figure out what all the interface elements were about, I scoffed at the inclusion of a button to "speed up time". (the current "speed" is indicated by a revolving icon, the faster the speed the faster it spins).
Why would I ever want to use that? From the Tetris point of view, it's not something that makes much sense. Well, actually that's not true, you can make blocks fall faster, which is pretty much the same idea.
Anyways, it goes to show how subtle this game can be that I've now realized the utility (not always) of having this little extra bit of control. Most of the time I'm scrambling madly just trying to keep up with the deluge of dropping blocks. However, now and then I really do make use of the faster-deluge in order to try to nail a victory.
Would I care as much if the levels didn't (often) have a time limit? Maybe not....but then, why does Tetris let you do it?
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| [April 26, 2006 03:36:40 PM]
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This is the kind of game I "play" in my head when I close my eyes at night and try to go to sleep. This usually only happens to me when I play a game for a LONG time straight...prior to going to bed. But this game, why? (I play maybe an hour a day...30 mins in the morning and 30 in the afternoon..nowhere near bedtime!) I guess it must be because it requires a high amount of intense concentration?
Anyways, I recently discovered a new element of gameplay in this game! I felt SO clever when it happened, and I've noticed that it can be really important (especially in some levels). Basically, in addition to lining up blocks to make combos you can also "flick" single blocks upwards! If there is a group of blocks currently in the air above the "flicked" block, it will join up and might, in some levels, give the whole structure a little boost. This can REALLY make a difference...
As a gameplay element, it makes the game more interesting (and/or easier) because:
1) You can have a little more control over blocks that are in the air.
2) You can flick blocks into floating structure, and then use these new blocks to create new combos!
3) You now have an additional reason to pay attention to those blocks currently in the air...is there something you could flick into it that would make a difference?
Cool stuff. Really cool.
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| [April 23, 2006 11:36:11 AM]
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I first tried this game on a Demo pod in some game store someplace. I wasn't terribly impressed. While the gameplay was easy enough to pick up and understand, I was able to quickly and easily win a few games by playing "randomly". In other words, moving the stylus across the screen in random strokes was good enough.
After playing some more, I have to confess that the above strategy is a last-ditch effort that is probably really useful in a few worlds only. The gameworld rules for each level are simply to varied for it to always be effective. Sometimes, there is too much gravity, othertimes you need to make vertical groups, and so and so forth. Each level you play requires that you quickly realize (or remember) how best to win. Your strategy must adapt...otherwise you WILL lose quickly.
Another funny thing that happened is that for a really long time I had no idea WHY I was winning. (when I won). I was playing for survival when suddenly...VICTORY!. It was only later that I noticed that I was effectively playing AGAINST an opponent and that we he lost, I won! That explained why sometimes I was able to win so quickly, despite no great plays from my side. I actually had to read the manual to understand what all the parts of the interface are for... Hahaha!
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jp's Meteos (DS)
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Current Status: Stopped playing - Something better came along
GameLog started on: Thursday 20 April, 2006
GameLog closed on: Monday 8 May, 2006 |
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