Game Reviews

There are hundreds and hundreds of variations on the idea of a platform game across every gaming medium that has ever existed. With a fire first ignited by Super Mario Bros., which many would claim is the perfect platformer, people have been trying to bring back that feeling of total control and gameplay perfection ever since. Here we are twenty-five years later where a little game called Super Meat Boy is about to hit Xbox Live Arcade that will no doubt be called one of the best games of its time...if not all time. Super Meat Boy exhibits a perfection in control and level design that both challenges, rewards and tests the might of any player willing to step up to its meaty plate.

Super Meat Boy is the creation of two designers: artist Edmund McMillen and programmer Tommy Refenes. It's a true beacon of indie gaming and it's something you need to be aware of. Meat Boy was initially a flash game found on the website Newgrounds (you can play it right here, though Super Meat Boy is infinitely better) before evolving into what it is today. Run, jump and avoid death - that's the basic premise of Super Meat Boy. You play as the titular character who is literally a tiny square of meat that leaves a bloody trail on every surface he touches (especially the hundreds of saw blades that will no doubt kill your character time and time again). You have the added ability of sticking to walls - and if you are running, you have the ability to slide slightly up any wall you land against which is critical for navigating certain segments of the game. Your drive for subjecting yourself through such torturous levels is the love of your meaty life: Bandage Girl. She's a pink cube of bandages with a daisy in her hair that has been captured by the evil Dr. Fetus. Each level is a series of jumps that will lead you to the Bandage Girl in distress, and when you reach her she's captured by Dr. Fetus all over again. Each level follows this pattern though they're peppered with a variety of elements that aim to slice and dive the meaty protagonist. Without dialogue, the humorous cut scenes throughout the game are hilarious.