Easily one of the best puzzle games on the DS, Meteos has now received a pseudo-sequel of sorts in Meteos: Disney Magic. The formula is simple - take away the original levels and replace them with Disney themed backgrounds. Q Entertainment is counting on DS owners to pick up their second dosage of Meteos, sadly though, a few of the hardcore fans will become alienated with this ‘kid-friendly’ version of Meteos.

Let me start off with listing the licensed levels that are being introduced in Meteos: Disney Magic.

1. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

2. Lilo and Stitch

3. Toy Story

4. Cinderella

5. Winnie the Pooh

6. Pirates of the Caribbean

7. Mickey’s Magical Kingdom

8. The Lion King

9. The Little Mermaid

While each stage has its own “property” of sorts, it remains to be seen how it affects the game besides just having the blocks fall at different speeds. Each stage will have a different reaction for the rocketed blocks. The blocks may leave the screen when launched, but will then return shortly later with all the blocks still intact. Beyond that, each level does have its own special ability to provide players a better chance at beating the level. One power that happened to turn out to be my favorite was the ability to slow down the blocks. Not only did slowing down the blocks aid me in sending the blocks off the screen, but it allowed me to view the entire screen and make a gameplan based on what I wanted to do with combos. Essentially though, the powers are there to make the game more accessible to the crowd who are first-time players to Meteos.

The core gameplay still draws inspiration from the original – multi-colored blocks fall down from the top, but only this time the blocks have Disney themes applied to them. The object of the game is to match three or more blocks together using the stylus. This link, of three or more blocks, will initiate a “launch” sequence that will send the formation flying off the screen. Not only will the blocks that have been lined up be launched, but the blocks attached to them will also be sent packing. Performing mid-air combos are the best way to send the blocks propelling off the screen. The mid-air combos are needed at higher difficulty levels due to that the stages will have effects where the blocks barely lift off when launched.

To make things easier, the ability to horizontally drag blocks has been added to the series. Before, players were only allowed to move the tiles up and down vertically within the game. Now, moving them horizontally aids the player in launching the blocks, but I also believe it has created a few problems. First off, there is one dramatic change that will affect how the game is played. Instead of playing the game while holding the Nintendo DS the horizontal way, Meteos: Disney Magic asks players to flip it to the side and hold the DS vertically. This provides more room to work vertically and less horizontally. This, in effect, creates difficulty with recognizing what block you are trying to move horizontally with only a small space provided. Personally, I prefer the old style of gameplay – holding the DS vertically made the screen too small for me to use the stylus to drag the block to the column I wanted it to situate in.

The new horizontal gameplay does a great job creating a user-friendly environment for new players to enjoy Meteos. With the Disney license attached to the title, there are bound to be new players picking up Meteos for the first time with no clue how to play. With being able to move the tiles horizontally, it delivers new ways to send the blocks rocketing off the screen. If hardcore players want to enjoy the original’s ‘vertical-only’ gameplay, the only way possible of experiencing this is with unlocking the Expert difficulty mode.  Players shouldn’t have trouble breezing through the game given how easy the other difficulty levels are.

On the negative side of the spectrum, Q Entertainment has wasted the opportunity to put the second screen of the DS to any real use. The second screen is now used to display artwork of the level you trying to complete. In one instance, playing the Winnie the Pooh level will present Pooh bear himself in the second screen sleeping while you launch off blocks. Pooh, who is having nightmares, needs for the nightmares to disappear and the only way to do that is to rocket them off in the first screen. The second screen will change over time as you become closer to completing the level. With nothing groundbreaking or useful for the gameplay, the player will never have to look at the second screen while finishing the levels.

If the players want to view all the artwork, it can be viewed as it is unlocked in the Extra’s menu. Sadly though, the unlockables aren’t as attractive as they were with the original. Before, I could unlock levels and items to use in multi-play, but now it merely has been reduced to artwork. There isn’t much incentive to keep on playing beyond unlocking the Expert Mode.

What is attracting is the multiplayer mode. Up to four players can play at once and, of course, you don’t need four copies of the game to play.  The Download Play option is included and it helps out the replay value tremendously. I still find this option as one of the best features the Nintendo DS offers over the competition. Instead of going out to buy a copy for myself, downloading the game from a friend for a particular time is a nice addition. Surprisingly, the ability to play Wi-Fi is not available – this is unfortunate since I was expecting it to after Tetris DS included it.

Is Meteos: Disney Magic a necessary purchase for Meteos fans? Nope, not even close. Is this a nice introductory to the series to newcomers? Definitely, my girlfriend finally picked up the Nintendo DS to play after a hiatus from it for the longest time – all because of Meteos: Disney Magic. Hardcore fans of the Meteos franchise may be hard pressed to find reasons to play this pseudo-sequel, but there is enough here to warrant a download from your friend to play multiplayer at least.

Gameplay: 8.0
There have been some changes that need to be noted. The first is the ability to move tiles horizontally. The second is requiring the player to play it vertically. Both changes come with their positives and negatives, but they haven’t ruined the simple formula of matching three blocks in a row to send them launching off the screen.

Graphics: 7.9
The artwork is brilliant, but it doesn’t come into effect at all with the gameplay. It is only viewed on the second screen and often times I missed it since I was concentrated on watching the first screen where the game is occurring.

Sound: 6.5
With no inclusion of licensed tracks, it undeniably doesn’t help the audio of Meteos: Disney Magic. Where are my favorite Lion King tunes or the chance to sing along with “Under the Sea?”

Difficulty: Easy
It pales in comparison to the original Meteos. Hardcore fanatics will be turned off with the easy difficulty and the changes to the gameplay. On the other hand, newcomers will be able to find their niche and become addicted to the fast puzzle-solving.

Concept: 6.0
Nothing new here in terms of licensing and adding the Disney name to an already existing title. Meteos and the gameplay are still quite fresh in comparison to other puzzle games on the market.

Multiplayer: 8.0
The Download Play option is a great feature, but with no WiFi available, it isn’t as well rounded as it could be. Be sure to share with your friends and spread the joy of Meteos.

Overall: 7.6
Be wary when purchasing Meteos: Disney Magic. It isn’t a full out sequel by any means. I recommend this version of Meteos first – especially since the original is leagues above it in difficulty.