Meteos [Game Concepts] 

That PowerPoint presentation is very well constructed, no wonder it was approved.

I'm so happy Sakurai made a video on one of the most underrated DS games of all time

its cool to actually see this game get talked about for more than 1 minute

Really cool to see Sakurai talk about a game rarely known he's worked on

He thinks other games of this type are overwhelming with all the colors and proceeds to create an even more confusing looking one. I love this man.

Sakurai always takes a genre and ignores previously stated "rules" Really gives a fresh and new feeling and identity to his games

Sakurai manages to put personality in absolutely everything All of his games feel extremely unique regardless of their genre, the industry(especially the western one) need more people like you

These are my favorite type of videos. Learning the game essence of different games, seeing how Sakurai reinterprets it and the pitch. The pitch stands out because we’ve seen how concise Sakurai is as a person. Seeing him execute to a profesional level is such a rare glimpse on how to present yourself professionally.

I played Meteos so much in middle school that I started seeing potential 3-in-a-row everywhere. When I caught myself wishing people's noses could line up with their eyes and blast off, I knew I had to stop playing.

I’d never heard of it, but this makes me want to play Meteos… It’s really cool to see how much consideration Mr. Sakurai put into all of his work.

I distinctly recall Meteos on DS and Lumines on PSP sparking a brief bit of discourse about the possibility of block-based puzzle games being "back", as they both came out around the same time and were both *very* good. So, Mizuguchi clearly knew what he was doing.

I'm happy meteos got 8 minutes of talking, is such an interesting concept, it sort of felt like an overview trailer I'm also excited to see the japanese exclusive game

Meteos was such a fun game to play back in the day! Me and my friend had a blast playing through it! All of Sakurai's games are such classics

Meteos is, to this day, my favourite puzzle game. The unique styles for each planet were one thing, but the sound design especially made the game very striking for me. The music too made the adventure feel so grand. It's the only puzzle game I've played that's made such a splash in my life, and I love the whole thing dearly. Thanks for being part of this project! Oh, and my favourite planet is Wiral, it's such a blast~ It's followed up closely by Gravitas

It's such a shame this never got a sequel after Wars. There are few games I have as many fond memories of as I do this game

The “PowerPoint presentation” Sakurai constructed for this makes exceptional use of motion and audio to illustrate how the game works. Everything about the game’s core mechanics are clearly explained. There’s a clear “unique selling point” which illustrates how it will stand out among other games within the genre, and even a hint about the game’s story.

Sakurai really brought forward some interesting ideas and this is another cool example. Hearing how he wanted to make a game different from traditional fighting games in smash was interesting, and even taking a a simple genre like this and making it look so compelling is impressive

Sakurai I love puzzles but I shamefully missed this game. I really hope you consider a sequel. Addicting gameplay is key to success

Count me in as a fan hoping this series gets its well-deserved revival! One thing people don't talk about a lot is the soundtrack, which I loved quite a bit. Every single track nailed it.

Meteos (and meteos wars) have been two of my favorite games since I was a kid. Nice to see they’re not fully forgotten.

This game is my favorite game of all time. I really hope it gets a remaster like Lumines did.

One of my favorite DS games. At the time I didn't know right away Sakurai was involved with this game.

I'm glad the first minute of the video finally answers my question as to how/why his name showed up in the Special Thanks section of Def Jam: Fight for NY.

Ah, Windows 2000/XP Powerpoint, complete with its own sound stock. Now, there's an aesthetic that takes me back.

I remember a Gamestop employee giving me a weird look and asking if I wanted something like Madden or COD when I went in to pick up Meteos. Glad I didn't change my mind, because playing through it and facing off with my friends on the school bus is one of my most treasured gaming memories. Aside from the gameplay, the UI, music, and unlockables set-up were just right for keeping me hooked. And the DS was the perfect platform; it would have been quite frustrating without touch controls, but with them, it really was a whole new experience. Come to think of it, Mr. Sakurai was responsible for 2/3 of the games that really defined my high school communal gaming experience (SSBM, Meteos, and DDR).

For a game that dropped in 2005 (my year of birth), Meteos is SUCH a well made game for the gaming generation it was made in. My personal favorite planet is Gravitas.

I'm so happy you decided to work outside your comfort zone on a falling block game. You provided a really unique perspective on the genre, and there's nothing else quite like Meteos. When I played it as a kid, I thought, "this will change the genre!" But features like collectibles unlocked by matching certain colors or altering the physics based on the characters/stages involved never caught on. Heck, I still think the genre has a lot of catching up to do, formatting itself for console instead of arcade, and it's been 40+ years! Shows there's always more to explore. 🚀🌌

This is the coolest PowerPoint presentation I've ever seen.

I already have a lot of respect for game devs, but it behave even more for people who design puzzle games. They gotta make the rules, all the combos and chain reactions and know all the solutions and work backwards to jumble them up. That would scramble my brain like an egg

I never thought I can able to watch the entire pitch deck by Sakurai, thank you for share learning resources kindly!

It's really cool how you described applying your game design philosophy to genre's you don't normally work with. I liked seeing your original PowerPoint presentation. You put a lot of heart into all the games you work on.

It's absolutely criminal how Meteos was forgotten by history. I recently started playing the game again after seeing this video, I still had my old DS copy Aside from a few framerate issues when things get hectic, the game still holds up incredibly well. Also, considering the surprising amount of content the original had. This game could work as a freemium title on smartphones. Constantly releasing new planets with different themes to keep things interesting.

This is a very, VERY rare opportunity to see all these Meteos fans in one place. This game is so underrated and so rare that I don't ever get the chance to talk about it, but now, we kind of do. ...so, fellow Meteos fans, what's your favorite planet to play on? How about Forte?

I was seriously addicted to this game when it came out. I still love it.

Sakurai, this was an awesome video on Meteos! I loved that game as a kid. It was hard, but still really fun! For Mushiking, there actually is a chance overseas players might have played it. The Ryu ga Gotoku/Yakuza games have a minigame in them called Mesuking, and it's directly based on the original Mushiking arcade/card game. Ryu ga Gotoku has gotten very popular overseas!

I thought Meteos was an abstract puzzle game. I didn't realize it was a cool meteor-based intergalactic warfare game lol

I'm bad at falling block puzzle games too, but Meteos was a huge part of my childhood

Its a honor to see Meteos is still remembered.

Unfortunately I missed out on this game due to the fact that I skipped the Nintendo DS entirely as far as my Nintendo handheld collection goes, but I still respect Mr. Sakurai immensely for working so seriously on a game from a genre he wasn't that much into and still finding some success from taking that challenge.

This was such a fascinating watch as a fan of Meteos! Thank you so much for helping create it, it's a complete hidden gem of a puzzle game.

The quality of that powerpoint animation is so high, talk about doing a great job selling the concept.

Meteos is my favorite falling-block puzzle game ever, I've always wanted to see the series making a comeback ;w;

Meteos has a special place in my heart as the game that revived my DS's dead pixel with its intro video

On a RacketBoy poll, "Meteos" ended up the 17th best puzzle game/series ever, sitting between "Picross" and "Twinkle Star Sprites".

I would kill for a mobile version! Nothing quite beat moving the meteors around with the stylus, and having a mobile version would be the closest thing to that experience. (and phones/tablets with stylusses exist too if you want to get even closer to the DS' input method!)

Meteos is one of my favorite DS games of all time. I would LOVE to see a smartphone version with online multiplayer! It would work on Switch too, if you played it in handheld mode. I especially loved the many unlockables and the fact that the Meteos you launched were used as a currency to buy those unlockables. That way I felt like I was making some kind of progress every time I played, even if it was just another failed attempt to beat my high score in single player, etc. (At least until I unlocked everything!) If a Meteos game were released on smartphones and had online play and constant updates (And not *too* many greedy micro transactions), it would quickly become my #1 mobile game played.

That was the most advanced Powerpoint presentation I have ever seen

i recall Meteos and Lumines appearing around the same time and thought "these are both equally different looking puzzles games compared to whats come before". the difference is that Lumines got a modern port for some reason? i'd like to see Meteos get a rerelease/remaster, it deserves it. than again a lot of Sakurai's work does.

This game gave me great joy and helped me connect with lots of great friends. Even if it never gets another sequel, I can't thank Sakurai enough to making this game!

I'm honestly more surprised that Sakurai supervised Kirby's Avalanche of all things; this is the one Kirby game that was never released in Japan and features a heavily out-of-character Kirby, and yet the creator of the series still supervised it... that's certainly a revelation! Now, I haven't played Meteos myself so I can't speak on its quality, but it looks like quite a fun puzzle game, so maybe I'll cross it off of my backlog one day...

Ah, Meteos. The planet-hopping puzzler for Nintendo DS. Planet Meteo's design likely inspired Darz/Dharkon's design in Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

Yesss, I've been waiting for this more than any other! Meteos is a truly underrated gem and I hope more people get a chance to check it out. I had TONS of fun putting hours into this when I was younger, and it was one of the few games I actively sought out to buy again after losing my original cart. It's full of that awesome, creative Sakurai flair!

I have been enjoying Meteos since late 2020, it was very addictive I first know Meteos through Gameloft's Meteos Astro Blocks back in the early 2010's

Meteos is my favorite puzzle game. The gameplay was easy, but the soundtrack was catchy, and of course I'm a sucker for space-themed stuff in general. A shame what happened with the other versions Sakurai wasn't involved in though. Also, shout out to everyone who experienced "Meteos withdrawal syndrome". If you know, you know.

That presentation is the pinnacle of Sakurai being the GOAT as always:

I love it that despite what you said about Puyo Puyo you still respected the staples of puzzle-fighting games like the counter mechanics. I think it would be great to have it ported to modern consoles too on a big TV screen.

Meteos is such an amazing game. The soundtrack had a lot of variety and the gameplay become my favourite puzzle game. It is so interesting to see that it was not specifically made for the DS,the touch screen was incredibly useful. I wish there was the original meteos for the smart phone,I think it would be a success

I remember getting addicted to Meteos in the DS. To this day it is quite unique in the puzzle genre.

The best puzzle game ever made to this day. Meteos deserved more, the concept was brilliant and I still hope for a comeback.

I hardly ever play puzzle games, but Meteos got me incredibly hooked back then. Even when closing my eyes in bed I was still seeing it play in my mind. Absolute masterpiece and now I want to replay it. We need remasters of Meteos and Kid Icarus Uprising.

I had no idea what this game was going into it. But hearing how Sakurai literally tried to "change the genre" with his idea, and how he honestly accomplished that was really fun.

Blasting the blocks into space is such a great example of innovation to create something fresh! The fact that the worlds are all different in gameplay and sound really helps to create a fun and engaging experience any time you play! Loved this deeper dive into a specific game, hope there are more videos like this in the future too!

The things that inspired the Mites in Brawl

Of all the games I played on the DS, this is one of the few that really sticks out to me all these years later for some reason

this game was a blast as a kid! it was a unique and engaging take on the genre and i do genuinely wish there was more releases for this, i love how much detail was put into every planet for how simple this game was,

This is how it's done. So often in America, we also get projects handed to people who have no familiarity with what they're working on, so they try to get it out there, without any thought, as fast as possible... or even go out of their way to antagonize those who like it and make the project subvert and undermine whatever material it's attached to. Sakurai-San put in the work to make a game work in a genre he didn't feel he connected with, and it WORKED! This is what we should strive to be.

Oh man, when I saw those little blue guys on my twitter feed I did a real life double-take! I had no idea Sakurai worked on Meteos. That sure explains why I was so addicted to it as a kid. It was such a weird little game, but I think the thing that pushed me forward to keep playing was the constant feeling that there was a higher skill ceiling for this gameplay that I just wasn't able to hit. I'm still impressed at how engaging and complex it felt for a block-matching game.

I wonder how it feels to research your own creation in the sense of "I don't know if they did something else with the game I directed before since they do not notify me at all".

Meteos is one of my childhood games , now proud to still have it and knows its made from a legend :0

I have such fond memories of playing meteos at school with my friends during lunch breaks. It was so much fun. What a treat it is to see Sakurai discuss it and even show us how the proposal worked! I'm really grateful for this.

so you're telling me that sakurai supervised indie game devs and didn't put his name on it so they would get more recognition ? that's insane

So glad that he is showing one of the most underrated DS Puzzle games EVER!!! Meteos was an absolute blast to play and a real gem!

I’m gonna be completely honest, while Meteos is really creative, it looks INCREDIBLY stressful😭 Still, I love the the process that went into the concept behind it-breaking down the genre to its fundamental game essence, and asking “do we really need [component], or can we change it?“ I’m gonna give that a shot!

I'm so bad at Puyo Puyo as well, but I loved Meteos!! I think it really helped that this was Sakurai's experience too, hahah 😆

To this day, the soundtrack still kicks more ass than you'd ever expect it to

Meteos was an absolutely fantastic puzzle game, second in the genre only to Tetris. The game was packed with variety, the music, menus, and sound effects were all fantastic. I remembered the game having difficult moments, but it wasn't crazy. The only thing that held it back was the small, low resolution screens on the DS, it made sliding the blocks a real challenge with the stylus, especially on the stages with tons of tiny blocks (the later game, actually the credits was the craziest, I think there were 30 columns of blocks squished in that little 4:3 screen, they must have been 4x4 pixels big!)

This video got me to buy a used copy of the game (thankfully the 3DS can play DS Cartridges) and wow, I never had this much fun in a Block Puzzle game before! Mr. Sakurai managed to basically turn Tetris into an Action-Strategy game. Phenomenal presentation and music, too.

I never heard of that game, but the idea of launching blocks up into space with a row/column of matching ones is genius. And it is still so simple!

Meteos is awesome, and im glad we got to hear the story of how it came to be. I really like tetsuya mizuguchis other games and meteos being both sakurai and mizuguchi’s game is really cool to me. I just hope it gets a sequel or port or something in the future.

One of the best match-3 games of all time. A new version would be soooo cool but we can only dream I guess

And here we are, with what's essentially the most ignore of all the games that Sakurai worked. And this vídeo dedicating a section for puzzle games, beautiful. Never owned a DS so I didn't played. Is it good?

Meteos is the most addicting puzzle game since Tetris; I would love to see another incarnation of this game on Switch. ^_^

I played the disney version as a kid! Out of all the puzzle games I played, I still find myself coming back to it. Maybe if we're lucky enough, we'll get a switch port of the original meteos...

That PowerPoint presentation looked like a youtube gameplay trailer. Well done!

I went back and found a copy of this game on eBay. Playing it again feels so good.

Meteos was one of my favorite games on the DS along with other puzzle games like tetris ds and ghost trick. Glad to finally get a video that goes into depth about its creation

I enjoyed Meteos so much! I still hope that we will see another Meteos game someday.

I learnt that this game existed because of a "leak" suggesting that the Geolyte would be a character in Smash Ultimate. It didn't happen, but it was interesting to learn that Sakurai made a game between Air Ride and Brawl that I had never heard of (and now I'm learning there were multiple!)

On the one hand, I now want to know which games Sakurai were involved with in order to build a clearer inage of his body of work... but on the other hand I feel like maybe I'm going against his intentions by wishing that- that putting the focus on what HE contributed is against his wish to put the focus on the team working on those games. So maybe it'll be better if I simply let it be a myatery for the ages...

Very interesting to note that Sakurai isn’t the best at Puzzle Games, and I don’t blame him they can be really difficult as you progress further into a campaign or arcade mode.

This is cool. I’m also kind of happy he referenced the ball game from 51 clubhouse games. It’s sadly, the only main spiritual followup to the great “Battle Balls” arcade. A fantastic game that kind of disappeared into obscurity with maybe one single rare port of it, anywhere. But alas, without Battle Balls, there’s at least Clubhouse. Still, the concept of interplanetary war in Meteos is something I never thought about, playing it. Talk about a bleak situation.

Very cool to see how much diferent you can make a game of a more or less simple genre

Never once knew that Sakurai was involved in Meteos at all. Though I guess that’s to be expected considering how Smash Ultimate’s World of Light has had some visual Easter eggs to that game before. 7:34 - Also WHAT?! When the heck did THAT come out on Xbox Live Arcade?!

YES! The Beetle game will get its own video! Also, thank God the Disney version was mentioned.

Love Meteos, especially when he played on Cloud 9

Kirby Air Ride makes some sort of cameo in most of Mr. Sakurai's videos and I love that

I love how even Sakurai’s PowerPoints carry his high energy idiosyncratic visual style.

Very interesting to learn that the game speed increased late in development and made the game harder than Sakurai originally intended. I always thought Meteos was pretty tough, even on the lower difficulty settings.

it was such a unique game! cool to finally hear about how it came about.

Meteos is easily one of my favorite DS games. I have a lot of fun seeing all the different planets.