Super Meat Boy
Delicious raw meat for your frustrating enjoyment!
Posted October 20, 2010
Originally released as a flash game called Meat Boy on Newgrounds, Team Meat (the developer) has adapted their sadistically tough platformer for the Xbox Live Arcade and it will also be rolling out to the Wii and PCs later this year. The narrative is about a small hunk of living meat called Meat Boy, sharing a slight resemblance to Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Meat Boy’s girlfriend, Bandage Girl, has been kidnapped by the obviously diabolical Dr. Fetus (who is literally a fetus operating a human shell). Similar to Mario, the princess isn’t really saved on each level and requires the persistence of Meat Boy to traverse the 350 perilous levels to get the girl.
To say that Super Meat Boy has a high level of difficulty is the gaming understatement of the year. Insane would be a better description. Death is not something you can avoid, more so the only way to learn the pitfalls of the environment. Traversing levels is based on timing jumps and understanding the speed / range of movement of Meat Boy. Once you have it down, then it’s just a case of escaping the heat seeking missiles and the giant rotating circular saw blades. Death is instant as well. There’s no health meter on the screen. When Meat Boy gets sliced by a blade or blown up, he’s done for and the level restarts.
In many cases, success or failure can come down to landing on a section of platform, between spinning blades, that’s the same size of Meat Boy. This is really a game of trial and error until you understand the exact motions to get through the level. If you are patient and persistent, you will be rewarded with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment on achieving the near impossible. Keep in mind, Super Meat Boy probably shouldn't be attempted by just anyone due to the frustrating level design. You also need to have some serious skills on the controller to succeed, Wii-mote / Move / Kinect only users need not apply.
Thankfully, Team Meat will entertain you as much as they frustrate you. While he’s probably made of some seriously spoiled meat and spreading e.coli everywhere, Meat Boy is really a cute character that leaves his meaty residue on walls and splotches of blood nearly everywhere. There are also plenty of movie / game references throughout the story and hilarious throwbacks to old school gaming designs from handhelds like the Game Boy. You will notice references to Ninja Gaiden, Donkey Kong, Mega Man 2, and Castlevania just to name a few.
There are also unlockable characters in the game that can be acquired by collecting the many bandages or completing the warp levels. Characters include Tim from Braid (with the ability to turn back time), Captain Video from Bit.Trip Runner (with the ability to float), Ogmo from Jumper (who can double jump), Gish from Gish (who can stick to walls), Alien Hominid from Alien Hominid (who can slow his rate of descent by shooting) and Spelunky form Spelunky (who can explode upwards or downwards). Playing as a different character changes the dynamic of the gameplay dramatically and advantages can be found is choosing carefully.
There’s no multiplayer mode in Super Meat Boy, but the Dark version of Super Meat Boy’s world opens up after beating each level. In fact, it’s noticeably tougher than the main game (if that’s even possible). There’s also 12 achievements to earn ranging from the easy (Find and Unlock a Warp Zone, Collect 10 Bandages) to the insanely tough (Complete the Dark World, 100% of the game, Complete 10 consecutive levels without dying). It’s a balanced achievement set for both casual and hardcore gamers, even if the actual game is only for the most skilled players. Also, at 20 bandages, you unlock the ability to download DLC for the game. There are currently 20 more levels to consume already up for download.
I haven’t seen this type of unbridled, psychopathic difficulty in a game for years and that’s actually a good thing. I have a feeling that Super Meat Boy is going to appeal to a much older generation of gamers, those who grew up with the challenging arcade classics. I also believe the youngest of the Halo generation is going to crumble under the difficulty, throw the controller at the TV and go back to Modern Warfare 2. Super Meat Boy will probably be most enjoyed by patient, skilled gamers that can handle dying a couple thousand times before finishing the final level. The clever level design, vast depth of the game and references to gaming history past are enough to charm your way into your gaming heart; just be wary of the profanity-laden tirades that await your lips every time Super Meat Boy is ground into little super meaty bits.
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To say that Super Meat Boy has a high level of difficulty is the gaming understatement of the year. Insane would be a better description. Death is not something you can avoid, more so the only way to learn the pitfalls of the environment. Traversing levels is based on timing jumps and understanding the speed / range of movement of Meat Boy. Once you have it down, then it’s just a case of escaping the heat seeking missiles and the giant rotating circular saw blades. Death is instant as well. There’s no health meter on the screen. When Meat Boy gets sliced by a blade or blown up, he’s done for and the level restarts.
In many cases, success or failure can come down to landing on a section of platform, between spinning blades, that’s the same size of Meat Boy. This is really a game of trial and error until you understand the exact motions to get through the level. If you are patient and persistent, you will be rewarded with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment on achieving the near impossible. Keep in mind, Super Meat Boy probably shouldn't be attempted by just anyone due to the frustrating level design. You also need to have some serious skills on the controller to succeed, Wii-mote / Move / Kinect only users need not apply.
Thankfully, Team Meat will entertain you as much as they frustrate you. While he’s probably made of some seriously spoiled meat and spreading e.coli everywhere, Meat Boy is really a cute character that leaves his meaty residue on walls and splotches of blood nearly everywhere. There are also plenty of movie / game references throughout the story and hilarious throwbacks to old school gaming designs from handhelds like the Game Boy. You will notice references to Ninja Gaiden, Donkey Kong, Mega Man 2, and Castlevania just to name a few.
There are also unlockable characters in the game that can be acquired by collecting the many bandages or completing the warp levels. Characters include Tim from Braid (with the ability to turn back time), Captain Video from Bit.Trip Runner (with the ability to float), Ogmo from Jumper (who can double jump), Gish from Gish (who can stick to walls), Alien Hominid from Alien Hominid (who can slow his rate of descent by shooting) and Spelunky form Spelunky (who can explode upwards or downwards). Playing as a different character changes the dynamic of the gameplay dramatically and advantages can be found is choosing carefully.
There’s no multiplayer mode in Super Meat Boy, but the Dark version of Super Meat Boy’s world opens up after beating each level. In fact, it’s noticeably tougher than the main game (if that’s even possible). There’s also 12 achievements to earn ranging from the easy (Find and Unlock a Warp Zone, Collect 10 Bandages) to the insanely tough (Complete the Dark World, 100% of the game, Complete 10 consecutive levels without dying). It’s a balanced achievement set for both casual and hardcore gamers, even if the actual game is only for the most skilled players. Also, at 20 bandages, you unlock the ability to download DLC for the game. There are currently 20 more levels to consume already up for download.
Graphics
- The game’s visual engine is incredibly simple and often pays homage to different styles of video games depending on the level. The pixelated look in high definition doesn't compare to more recent titles, but that doesn’t hamper the gameplay at all. The cutscenes are really quite cute and well animated in a very cool hand drawn style. There’s a bit of depth in the cutscenes as well, specifically the backgrounds. The cutscenes are a bit more in-your-face with color choices as well. The levels use more of a muted color palette most of the time.
Audio
- The soundtrack to Super Meat Boy rocks, easily on of the best arcade soundtracks of the year next to Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. It’s extremely retro and deep rooted in the indie gaming scene. The sound effects are equally as funny and often are used to bring emotion to the character animation.
Conclusion
I haven’t seen this type of unbridled, psychopathic difficulty in a game for years and that’s actually a good thing. I have a feeling that Super Meat Boy is going to appeal to a much older generation of gamers, those who grew up with the challenging arcade classics. I also believe the youngest of the Halo generation is going to crumble under the difficulty, throw the controller at the TV and go back to Modern Warfare 2. Super Meat Boy will probably be most enjoyed by patient, skilled gamers that can handle dying a couple thousand times before finishing the final level. The clever level design, vast depth of the game and references to gaming history past are enough to charm your way into your gaming heart; just be wary of the profanity-laden tirades that await your lips every time Super Meat Boy is ground into little super meaty bits.
Discuss This Game on Our Official VGT Forum