12.10.08
Demolitionist: Meteos Wars (XBLA) and PowerUp Forever (XBLA)
When I reviewed the original Meteos way, WAY back in 2005, I said that it was quite possibly the DS’s first killer app. It was a clever and inventive puzzle game that used the stylus controls to great effect. It still is a good game, but in transitioning to the big screen and a traditional controller, Meteos Wars loses a great deal of its charm. The core game itself is unchanged: match three blocks vertically or horizontally to launch them skyward and assault your opponents. In concessions to the drawbacks of the controls change, the action is a tad slower and a bit more lopsided (in that stacking blocks to the ceiling can sneak up on you and trigger a loss before you can react to it at all). Overall I think it’s a good try at the game, but unfortunately it’s just not suited for traditional controls. If you don’t have a DS you might be able to enjoy it, but try the demo first for an hour or so. If you do have a DS, hunt down a copy of the original (or if you absolutely can’t find that, the Disney edition works in a pinch too)– it’s worth the extra outlay of cash.
I honestly have nothing terribly good to say about PowerUp Forever. It’s a good try at being a frantic shooter along the lines of Super Stardust or Geometry Wars, but the rules for the special weapons are unclear and unintuitive, and it’s just painfully generic otherwise. Shooter fans should give this a look at least to see if they can figure out what differentiates it from the aforementioned games, but I think I can safely skip this one, too.