The video game icon that started with a flash game on Newgrounds is back. Not in the pixelated form we associate with him, but in glorious 3D.
Golden Oldie
The original Super Meat Boy was released for consoles and PC in 2010 and quickly became a platforming icon. It sold over one million copies by the end of 2011, at a time when indie games were few and far between. The hard and short platforming levels that were a staple of this game were frustrating in such a way that gamers quickly became hooked on the twitchy form of precision platforming, and even people who weren’t into this genre found enjoyment in watching their favourite Let’s Player, like Markiplier or Jackscepticeye, rage in front of the camera. That’s how I first came across the game, before playing it on my PlayStation 4 in the late 2010s. But, besides the massive success, there wasn’t much buzz around Meat Boy afterwards, aside from a mostly negative review of the race mode for the original game and an auto-runner that received a mixed reception. However, Super Meat Boy gets another chance to reclaim the spotlight this year with Super Meat Boy 3D. The development of this game was a joint effort between Sluggerfly and Team Meat. Or is it just a test to see if modern gamers can still keep their sanity while playing hard platforming levels?
In terms of gameplay, Super Meat Boy 3D retains the core mechanics that players have come to know and love. Once again, Meat Boy’s love interest Bandage Girl is kidnapped by the most vile criminal never to be born: Dr. Fetus. You must platform through short levels as Meat Boy to save her at the end. The catch is that every level is a death-trap maze of buzzsaws and sharp objects, and you are extremely fragile. Simply touching a hazard is enough to kill you. The levels are grouped into sets of 15, forming a world. Each world culminates in a boss fight to test your skills and unlock the next world. If you get good enough at the game and complete a level quickly enough, you unlock a harder ‘dark world’ version of it to cater to your most twisted platforming needs. So prepare to die… A lot… For those who love collecting hidden objects in games, there are also special levels to be discovered via portals. These are often a fun nod to other games in the genre and reward you with a fun unlock at the end. For example, the one I found was a Meat Boy-style recreation of the first Mario 64 level.
Meat on the bone
Some people might think I’m insane if I say that I enjoyed my time with Super Meat Boy 3D, and they might be right. It took me a while to get used to the concept again. With an average level length of thirty seconds, and often much less than that, it certainly felt like the definition of insanity. I kept bashing my head against a wall over and over again. However, after completing the first world, I found my rhythm and got to experience the game’s true quality. Meat Boy is difficult (as intended, of course), but also fair. I never died in a level due to anything other than my own mistakes. This is undoubtedly thanks to the great level design. Each level is short but brings something new to the table that adds to the overall experience and challenge. This can range from breakable walls to disappearing trash blocks.
Meat Boy himself is easy to control. He now has a dash that he can use in mid-air to cover distance, and it has saved me more than once. The ability to slide along walls is also new, but I find this a bit disappointing. While it can be useful in certain situations, it becomes more challenging when walls change trajectory or are placed diagonally. In a game about perfection and time challenges, this makes part of the experience more difficult than intended. However, this could also be attributed to my gaming skills. Take everything I’ve said as you will, but all in all, the game is still Super Meat Boy at its core, just with an extra dimension added.
The third dimension
In the end, I would say that the transition to 3D has been executed well in this new Super Meat Boy game. The worlds are vibrant and fun to look at, even with all the death traps scattered around. Sometimes, however, the sheer number of moving components made it difficult to look at. But with this type of game, you begin to develop a visual filter while playing. I mostly took in the scenery during the recap scene after each level. I watched Meat Boy after Meat Boy get mashed, grounded or sliced in a dash for Bandage Girl. Combined with the cutscenes in between, it’s a spectacle that keeps you glued to the screen, eager to see how you’ll be obliterated next.
The only weak point for me is the soundtrack. It’s not the quality, but the quantity of the tracks that’s lacking. Many levels in the same world use the same background music, and it would have been nice to have more variety. This makes levels blend into one another, even if they are visually distinct.
Conclusion
Super Meat Boy 3D is a return to form for the cube of meat brought to life. The levels are exactly what you’d expect: challenging platforming sequences that demand your maximum effort as a gamer. The gameplay is smooth, and Meat Boy himself is a joy to control, with the addition of a dash being particularly notable, while the wall run feels somewhat underwhelming. The transition to 3D works well, supported by a vibrant visual style and strong level design, despite a lack of musical variety. If you enjoy demanding platformers, Super Meat Boy 3D might be the perfect torture device.
