Price:	£14.95		Reviewed by:	Shaun McGill
Supplied:	Mobile Stream		Review date:	17-10-2004
Pros:	Superb graphics Good value for money Longevity		Cons:	Lots of Breakout Clones available

Mobile Stream contacted me regarding writing a review for their new game, Meteor. Surprisingly I had not really heard much about it an the surprise increased when I first saw it. It's one of a handful of Palm OS games that take PDA graphics and animation above the norm. My first reservation came with the fact that I own a Clie TH55 which is not the most compatible of PDAs when it comes to gaming but it's good to see that Mobile Stream have covered all of the compatibility issues by allowing game play pursely with the stylus- the debate rumbles on regarding if it's best to play a Breakout game with buttons or a stylus but personally I prefer the 'stick' approach.

The gameplay itself is very good and the attention to animated and graphical detail is some of the best I have seen to date. There's now a flicker on the screen as the ball clatters into the bricks and the power ups fall down. The number of power ups and bonuses available is extensive- you get magnets, plasma power, supermissiles, protection ((2 types) alongside the now standard extra life, slow/fast speeds, magnets and multiple balls at any one time. There are 9 types of brick to hit which makes for some varied gaming and some which are very original namely the connected bricks and brics that can only be destroyed if you hit them on a partciular side. I would talk about the robots but you will have to play the game to see what they do:) Interestingly the levels are grouped into 10's which is difficult as it means that if you lose all of your balls in for example level 6 you have to start again- who was the git that thought of that one?! Saying that it adds pressure to the experience which all good games need.

The digital sounds included work VERY well and add a lot to the experience. They are quite hefty at over 1MB but can be stored on an expansion card to save RAM as can the main program. You are getting a big game here for $14.95 and the fact that virtually no RAM is used is a bonus. All major resolutions are supported including hi-res+ and landscape which will be the preffered method of play for most people- having that nice wide screen to stroke your paddle along is yet another positive for the Meteor experience.

Despite the fact that this game has loads of great characteristics and game play (90 levels!) it's actually difficult to write about because everything about it is as it should be. Great graphics, smooth animation, lots and lots of longevity and bomb proof stability make for a wonderful game with no downsides and that makes it really, really annoying to review. I sat down this morning and expected to write one of my longest reviews yet and I'm already done...

There are lots of Breakout clones out there for Palm OS but in my opinion THIS IS THE BEST YET AND SUPERB VALUE FOR MONEY AT LESS THAN $15. DEFINATELY ONE OF THE BEST PALM OS GAMES YET!

Download it, install it and thank Palm247 for introducing you to Meteor:) It's also available for the Pocket PC platform and a quick play of the demo showed that all of the attributes I liked had been kept in place so which ever PDA you own you will be happy.