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Lumines changes hands, returning on iOS and Android
Mobcast acquired the Lumines and Meteos properties from Q Entertainment, the Japanese smartphone game developer announced this week, as translated by Gematsu. Additionally, a new Lumines game is on the way for iOS and Android, and will be a collaboration with the colorful puzzle series' creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Mizuguchi will work on the latest Lumines at his new California-based studio, Enhance Games. The Rez and Space Channel 5 creator co-founded Q Entertainment in 2003 following his departure from Sega. Mizuguchi left the developer in March. The last Lumines game to launch was 2012's Lumines: Electronic Symphony (seen above). [Image: Q Entertainment]
Meteos Wars and PowerUp Forever rain down on XBLA
Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday is upon us, and that means it's time for some new games. This week, we're treated to the Q? Entertainment puzzler Meteos Wars and multi-directional shooter PowerUp Forever from Namco Bandai. The former has made a long journey all the way from the Nintendo DS and the latter ... has power-ups. Should you desire, you can pick them both up for 800 Microsoft Points. These are the only new releases on the Xbox 360 this week, so if you just have to have a new game, they're your only choice.Download Meteos Wars trial game from Xbox Live MarketplaceDownload PowerUp Forever trial game from Xbox Live Marketplace Gallery: Meteos (XBLA)
Meteos Wars and PowerUp Forever on XBLA this Wednesday
Looks like the rumor was true, as both Meteos Wars and PowerUp Forever are officially heading to Xbox Live Arcade this week. Meteos Wars is an XBLA version of the Q Entertainment puzzler title with expanded multiplayer (including Xbox Live play), while PowerUp Forever is a shooter from Blitz (the folks behind SpongeBob Squarepants Underpants Slam) and published by Namco Bandai. PowerUp Forever features procedurally generated environments, a unique "growth mechanic" (whatever that is) and, get this, power-ups.Both PowerUp Forever and Meteos Wars will be available this Wednesday for 800 points each. Gallery: Meteos (XBLA) Source -- Meteos Wars page on Xbox.comSource -- PowerUp Forever page on Namco Bandai Games
Professor Layton heads for the silver screen
Not many DS games could be adapted into watchable films. Can you imagine Spielberg Presents Meteos, a sentimental tale of three little colored rocks who dream only about visiting space one day? Or Nintendogs: The Movie, a three-hour epic of going for walks, finding a new collar, going for walks, chucking a frisbee, and going for walks? See what we mean? Rubbish.Then again, the Professor Layton series has the potential to be a very fine movie. Level 5 thinks so, anyway, because it plans to release Professor Layton The First Movie. For now, only a Japanese version is planned, with January 2010 being mooted as a possible release window. This makes perfect sense, obviously, because the games themselves are already full of beautifully-animated, Studio Ghibli-esque cut-scenes. And who is currently working with Level 5 on a forthcoming DS game? Exactly.Plus, this might be the ideal time to get rid of the stomach-churning pipsqueak that is Luke, preferably through very violent means. Maybe he's not even in the movie, and they've axed the little git once and for -- ah, dammit.%Gallery-33407%
TGS 08: New XBLA titles screenshot roundup
Freshly picked from Microsoft's massive library of Tokyo Game Show press kits comes brand new screenshots from a handful of the recently announced Xbox Live Arcade titles. You can view all the new screens in the galleries after the break for XBLA games including Arkanoid Live, Meteos, Space Invaders Extreme, Shadow Assault and R-Type Dimensions. There's a lot of screenshots to be viewed and you know your mission, so you best be getting to it!
Meteos Wars to shower XBLA [update]
Q Entertainment is bringing an utterly unstylistic version of its two-times-released (well, maybe we shouldn't count the Disnied version) DS puzzler, Meteos, to Xbox Live Arcade. Dubbed, Meteos Wars, the console port will include a new multiplayer experience. The game will feature a two-player versus mode where each player has a gauge that fills as sets of blocks are launched and enemy attacks are thwarted. Filling the gauge unlocks a special attack that predictably spells disaster for the opposing player.Meteos Wars will also include a few added extras, like customizable characters. It's due in Japan this October, but has yet to be confirmed for release elsewhere. Wouldn't this be the perfect tie-on for that rumored motion controller...? (We're just sayin'.)Update: Q Entertainment just shot us word confirming Meteos Wars for US release in October, priced at 800 ($10). Check out first screenshots of the game in our gallery below.%Gallery-30632%
Meteos heads to Japanese Live Arcade this October
According to 1UP the DS puzzle game Meteos is headed to Xbox Live Arcade in under two months. Developed by Q Entertainment -- the same folks that brought us Lumines Live, Every Extend Extra Extreme and Rez HD -- Meteos is a puzzle game that challenges players to match blocks and blast them off towards an opponents "planet." Like most puzzle games, it's more fun than it sounds. There's just one thing: according to 1UP, Meteos is only heading to the Japanese Xbox Live Arcade as "no US release has been announced yet." Given the track record of Q Entertainment, we're willing to bet that Meteos will release in the US as well. Let's just hope that the Lumines pricing fiasco doesn't come back to haunt us when it does.
Gaming to Go: Planet Puzzle League
Remember Meteos? The vertical block sliding? The fast, frantic action, and the maddening tick-tock of the clock at the top of your screen? The sweeping, dramatic story of taking your alien ship into the heart of madness and bombarding it with pretty squares and blocks? The others don't understand. They couldn't possibly comprehend the bloody tears you shed for every planet lost along the way -- every warrior that stood 'til the end and mumbled something heroic in whatever freaky alien language they knew.It's pretty intense, man. But let's talk about this game called Planet Puzzle League, shall we? It's pretty similar to Meteos, minus the ecstatic hyperbole I threw it out above. But don't let the dearth of heart-pounding plot deter you! Planet Puzzle League may forgo the charm of its extraterrestrial brother, but the title more than makes it for its lack of emotional impact with a wealth of gameplay options. It also has the distinction of being pretty much perfect for a gamer on the go, a fact which should make my job a hell of a lot easier and your wallet just a little bit lighter. Grab your penny bank, ladies and gents, and come along with this week's edition of Gaming to Go. The Puzzle League awaits.%Gallery-3456%
Gaming to Go: Meteos
The end comes quickly. White fire screams out of the night, raining destruction down from the heavens. The populace is thrown into chaos, helpless to stop the assault. Five minutes pass. When the dust settles, the world is quiet. The only sound comes from a distance: a single anguished scream as one angry word flashes across the sky.Annihilation. This is Meteos.That white fire? Call it Meteos, colorful symbols constantly plummeting towards the planet. The populace? Over thirty different alien races, each with its own unique world. And those five minutes? That, uh, isn't really a storyline element. No, it's a reflection of my skill, which typically dooms a planet to utter annihilation in the time it takes those poor aliens to start freaking out and hiding under tables.Welcome to Gaming to Go, a shiny new feature devoted to the games best suited for our increasingly busy lifestyles. Only have a few minutes to spare on your daily commute? Bored with thinking deep thoughts whenever you're on the toilet? Read on to hear why one of the DS's oldest titles is still one of the best to spend your precious scant time with.%Gallery-26728%
Normal DS game + slightly different sticker = amazing collectible
eBay seller putermcgee's batch of DS games really isn't that different from other used DS games up for sale. The current bids are commensurate with other auctions for the same games, even. But these launch-era DS games are somewhat rarer (and more awesome) because they're all promo copies. How much would you pay for a copy of Pac-Pix or Meteos that was once used as a store demo? Because right now they're at $7.50 and $3.25 respectively. Kirby Canvas Curse and Nintendogs (with special Bark Mode gifts!) are at similar prices, as is a European version of WarioWare: Touched! These are the best kind of collectibles: cheap and not ridiculously impractical.[Via GameSniped]
Download play is enjoyable
Gamers like download play. Hardly a shocking statement. But it seems that of all of the DS' amenities, the ability to share your games with nearby friends gets less attention than, maybe, it should.Aeropause's George Walker discovered this while in line for the Transformers movie (the new one, not the good one), when he broke out his DS to ameliorate his 2+ hour wait and found himself accosted by kids begging for some downloadable games. He suggested some Meteos, they agreed, and an impromptu fun-having event occurred.What can we learn from this event? First off, that Meteos is pretty great. We can also take away the notion that people like it when you can give them free games-- so much so, that they may even elect to play those free games with you. Try it next time you're in line for hours! Which we hope isn't soon. That sounds tortuous, even with a DS.
System envy: 7 DS games I wish were on PSP
I may write about PSP gaming news, but I own and play every system (including the new and next-gen consoles). So while I do get to play most any game I want, I can't help but wish in a feverish state, that certain system exclusives went to other consoles. In this case, if I wanted to list 7 DS games I'd love to see show up on PSP (however unrealistic that may be). So here it is: New Super Mario Bros (My favorite DS game, but I would like better power ups and more variety. It would also be great to see what the creators could do in 2D with the power of PSP) SNK vs Capcom Cardfighters (Addictive and strategic gameplay that makes me giddy. Only if it comes to PSP, add back in free-roaming and take out the game killing bug) Ace Attorney (Great characters, funny cases and it makes you think. That sorta game would work on any system) Kirby (He may be cute, but the gameplay is classic) Advance Wars (Because Field Commander is good, but not THIS good) WarioWare(Because there aren't enough mini-game titles on PSP) Meteos (Because every Q? Entertainment game should be on PSP) What about you reader? Are there any DS games you'd like to see on PSP, or do you refuse to even entertain the thought?
Critic's choice: The top five DS games
All week, we've been sharing our favorite games with you, as well as snippets of our personalities outside the fanboy sphere. Now you know that some of us weren't really huge handheld fans before the DS, that at least one of us is terribly silly, and most of us seem to dig cats, in some way or another. But forget the trivial details -- how do our favorite games stack up against the critical darlings? We offer this side-by-side comparison to wrap up Fanboy Favorites week, and we hope you've enjoyed this closer look at not only the DS Fanboy staff, but some of the best that the DS has to offer.
DS Fanboy Favorites: Dave's top five
All this week, the DS Fanboy staff is letting you in on a few of their favorite titles. Each day, a different member of the staff will present their personal top five DS games along with a snapshot of their gaming paraphernalia and habits, in an effort to provide our readers with a little more information on the tastes and personalities of our writers.I own a total of 19 DS games. Yes, just 19 games. I've never been too crazy about handheld systems, mostly because I'm the type of gamer that enjoys the escape of playing something more immersive, like console games. That's not to say the DS isn't capable of presenting games that allow me to escape, even some of which are in my collection, but gaming lends itself a bit more to pick-up-and-play, quicker gaming sessions on a handheld when compared with a console.With that in mind, let me show you my top five DS games.
Upcoming releases for Europe
If you are the kind of person who might have a few euros in your pocket, then you might want to break out a calendar and that special red pen, because the latest list of upcoming DS releases is full of stars. Even better? The next two months are pretty packed. Makes up for a few of those lackluster weeks, eh? Hit the jump if you wish to grok the list in fullness, and remember, this is by no means complete. Do we need to mention also that it's subject to change? In fact, since it's a European list, we're pretty sure it will change, and probably often.
Meteos Disney Magic outsourced
If you were concerned about having to love the new Disney version of Meteos because you're a huge Q Entertainment/Tetsuya Mizuguchi fanboy, well, now you can take a second, more critical look at it. As it turns out, Q outsourced their game to two companies: Platinum Egg, who did a Harvest Moon puzzle game, and Aspect Digital Entertainment, who are professional game ghostwriters, like Tose. This fact may be obvious from the title screen, but we hadn't seen any investigation about it until today.This is news only because it's about Q-- this kind of thing happens all the time, but we thought that Mizuguchi's studio was kind of a "boutique" operation that only worked on games they wanted to. Why, then, would they take on a project that interested them little enough to outsource it? Oh, right.
WRUP: solve a puzzle edition
For U.S. gamers, nothing new released for our favorite handheld this week, leaving us all in a state of despair and wanting. For those of you outside the U.S., you guys get a couple of different games to choose from. And, what with it being Friday and all, we've got to ask: what are you playing? How will you be spending your weekend, what games will you be playing?Our DS Lite sits at the ready, as we plan on venturing out into the real world (keeping our eye out for bears, of course) to acquire our puzzle fix. If we can't find it at retail (supposedly it's kind of scarce), we'll undoubtedly have to order the title online and will spend our weekend cuddled up with our Wii. We supposed, either way, we win ...Previous posts: What were you playing?
Metareview - Meteos: Disney Magic
We're puzzle junkies. Yes, we love the genre and are always keeping our eyes out for new and interesting puzzle games. Tetris, Puzzle Fighter and Lumines are some of our most favorite games of all time. That's how even with the Disney theme stamped all over this title, we're still interested in Meteos: Disney Magic. Sure, we kept a realistic head about us and kept thinking of how it wouldn't be better than its predecessor. But then they changed how the game would be played and we became interested again. Then we forgot about it for a bit, but Mizuguchi's interview came and our interest was renewed yet again. Now, the game has released and although many of the reviewing outlets haven't made their determination on the game's worth, we wanted to start this topic in the hopes that anyone who has gotten their hands on the game would speak up and let us know how it compares to the original. So, without further delay: IGN (80/100) says the game improves on the original: "Meteos: Disney Magic does a really good job moving the design forward. Now let's bring back the alien worlds and take this sucker online." Nintendo Power (75/100) sees the experience as being improved also: "Meteos: Disney Magic does more than provide a Mouseketeer-friendly facelift to one of the DS's best puzzle games; thanks to the ability to move blocks horizontally, the sequel has a thoroughly different dynamic than the original block launcher." [Apr 2007, p.85]
Mizuguchi talks Meteos Disney Magic
This brisk Gamevideos interview with Rez, Space Channel 5, Lumines, and now Meteos: Disney Magic creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi is perfect for you if: You're a huge Miz fanboy, and want to bask in his calm awesomeness You don't know how Meteos works, or You want to see some really great close-up videos of the new version in action Mizuguchi discusses basic Meteos gameplay, the Brain Age/"hot dog" style orientation used in the Disney edition, and his own Disney love with an interviewer who doesn't seem to have ever heard of him and may not actually be that interested. At least she keeps her composure, which we would not be able to do, at all. Seriously, we love love love Mizuguchi and his work at Sega, UGA, and Q? Entertainment.The video is after the post break.[Via GoNintendo]
DS releases for the week of February 19th
A lot of gaming goodness is about to be unleashed this week -- if we had to name this week for releases, we'd go with something clever, like Simbacube: Legend of the Unemployed-OMG Sim City DS in Japan!How's that for a name? Bit of a mouthful, but it's accurate. While we're struggling to decide where to spend cash this week, we'll surely have new Sim City DS info to tide us over, and that always makes for a good time. DS releases in the US F-24 Stealth Fighter Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja Meteos: Disney Magic Micro Machines V4 Trioncube
