Super Meat Boy

I recently downloaded this for the X Box 360 as it was the free X Box Live Gold Arcade Game of the Month. It looked like an light, gentle arcade-style platformer so I decided to give it a go. Little did I know, the level of courage, dedication and tenacity I would shortly have to muster in order to complete the gargantuan task at hand.

Super Meat Boy is indeed a platformer, but to simply label it as a 'platformer' would be doing it nowhere near the justice it deserves. What initially seemed like a simple enough game quickly evolved into a game so frustrating that it must have been spawned from the depths of Hell itself (which ironically is one of the settings for some of the levels).

Levels become increasingly hard to the point where it is unwise for any person playing this game to be surrounded by fragile objects, as they will more than likely be hurled at the nearest solid surface. Yet, with each passing level, something happened. The unbreakable will to keep playing, keep improving and keep pushing forward to victory - No matter the amount of times tried on a level, I would complete it! I had to - There was simply no alternative. Something I didn't even no I had came alive - The sheer determination to keep playing and find a way to complete the mind- warping levels - No matter the odds or attempts required - And for that, it is no normal platform game, but something far more.

The plot is simple enough - A 'Mario going castle-to-castle searching for the princess' style with simple, yet effective (and humorous) cut-scenes as Super Meat boy searches for his girlfriend, who has been kidnapped by the sinister Dr Fetus. (or at least I HOPE she is his girlfriend, for his sake with the amount of effort he goes into rescuing her).

The gameplay has numerous 'old-school' arcade style references with the ability to play as other characters than Super Meat Boy himself. While this gameplay appears to be graphically simple, it is completely appropriate for the game and does it unbelievable justice. The amount of content also does the game justice with hours of gameplay to be had including many secret levels.

The soundtrack is again quite 'old-school' and does a grand job of setting the scene, with elements of a more modern arcade style also present.

To sum the game up, it is both remarkable and unique and for that, I have rated it 10/10. If you haven't played this game and feel the need to try it, be warned. This game is not for the feint of heart. It will attack you mercilessly - both physically and mentally. To put things in perspective - One of the final levels took me several hundred attempts with hours of perfecting the right jumps and motions. For this, it is understandable that this may be more appealing to a more 'hardcore' gamer, but the feeling of completion and success is unmatched by the majority of other games.

Probably one of the best arcade-platform games out there.

Alex Brown

This game is brutally hard, it's the Dar Souls of platformers, this will challenge even the best of platforming pro's, however if your patient and persistent you will eventually emerge triumphant. This game was clearly made for an audience who grew up in the 90's, a time where games pretty much taught you how to swim by throwing you into a shark-infested river, and it shows with an art-style and chock full of references to games of past.

The music is good nothing wrong with the control the gameplay is good the game is legendary just try it.

The tutorial is good but the game doesn't need a tutorial its just like every platforming game in this world the graphics is so god for a platforming game the story is simple like most of the platforming games the gameplay is the most important thing.

All of the reviews you see here are probably bad ones - because they're bad at the game. One says that the controls are bad, but actually the controls are really easy to navigate and remember. Play this game now, you won't regret it.

Trash graphics, trash story, trash controls, and overall just annoying game. The tutorial is incompetent and unwelcoming to new players to the game,

The sound design and the soundtrack also lack any good content or symphony.

2/10