Meteos Astro Blocks
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| Meteos Astro Blocks

There was, once upon a time, some bright spark who thought: "Yes, the horse pulling that cart along could be replaced by an internal combustion engine… Now, about inventing an internal combustion engine…"

150 years or so later and we're all driving places in cars. It goes to show that dreams are, sometimes, achievable, and don't have to end in a platoon of soldiers from the future being shredded by a horde of giant robots.

Someone else's dream was to combine two of the most iconic games of the Twentieth Century, Tetris and Space Invaders. The result was Meteos, a tricksy DS puzzler, and now Meteos Astro Blocks, the mobile version. A result, we're pleased to report, that's most definitely of the warm and cuddly persuasion.

Meteos Astro Blocks is set far in the future, though not too far from home, with most of the action taking place within our own solar system. Under attack from a malevolent planet that's bent on stealing our solar system's power crystrals, it's up to you to defend each of the planets by solving block-based puzzles while, at the same time, firing them into space.

It's a convoluted concept (almost as much as the storyline, to be honest) and one that, to begin with, feels like a restless night after a heavy meal.

The broader idea is to make rows or columns of three or more blocks that are the same colour. Form such a row or column and the blocks involved, as well as those immediately above it, are blasted into space to bombard the thieving planet.

You move blocks by selecting individuals with the cursor and then swapping it with one of its four neighbours. Making things harder is that you're only allowed to swap blocks when the result is a row or column, or when it's just dropping into space.

It's not all one-way traffic, either, with more coloured blocks arriving from the top of the screen. Avoid the age old trap of letting the blocks reach the top of the screen and you're free to fight on.

These complications are all a bit much to get your head around at first, especially when, on the first planet you visit to defend in the Star Quest mission mode, you're presented with three different objectives. The first finds you clearing a set number of blocks; the second requires you to do the same against the clock; the third challenges you to clear the screen within a certain number of moves.

But by the second planet, it all starts to make sense and you settle into a rhythm. You might not know what's on the horizon, but you do know how to deal with it. It's a steady progression from dazed confusion to confident Saviour of Worlds (TM) and one you'll enjoy, particularly when you come up against your first boss.

The boss levels are few and far between, but provide the biggest challenge. Not only do you have to keep an eye on the dropping blocks, you also need to hit the alien with the rows and columns you match, reducing its health.

It's a nifty idea and, combined with the other objectives you'll face, it really helps keep Meteos' pace up. It never gets dull: even when you've had enough of saving the various lumps of rock spinning around the sun, you can tackle the survival or puzzle modes that add variation.

All in all, then, it's a successful if unlikely combination, much like eating cheese just before going to bed. But, like a fine Stilton, it's smooth and satisfying enough for you to not care; it's just so darned enjoyable. Just don't get any crumbs on the sheets.

Meteos Astro Blocks

Great concept, great game. Meteos Astro Blocks will restore any lagging faith in mobile puzzle games
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