Players take control of a square piece of red raw meat - say hello to our protagonist. His quest, much like Braid, is to find the girl. This particular damsel is made out of pink bandages and her captor is a baby in a jar. This isn't your typical video game cast, but they deliver where it matters most - originality. The premise of Super Meat Boy's story is hackneyed, but it is filled to the brim with a sick and twisted sense of humour. Characters are peculiar, the world is varied, and the main goal is something that every man is familiar with. However, this is where the niceties come to a screeching halt. Super Meat Boy is brutal, bloody and bold. He might come with big smile, but this meat if for adults only. Tell your children to cover their eyes.
Splat!
On paper, Super Meat Boy is categorised as a standard platformer. In practice, it's one of the most difficult games ever made. As you slowly make progress, it becomes apparent that the game has been designed for you to fail miserably at. No matter what level or world you're in, there's always going to be a conveniently placed obstacle that will rip you to shreds. Although each level is undeniably short and your woman is often in sight, the lack of checkpoints mean that you could potentially be playing through the same scenario up to fifty times. The controls give you the impression that success can be easily obtained, requiring nothing more than direction, jumping and sprinting. However, timing is so crucial that holding the jump button for a millisecond too long will end in death. You'll encounter rotating buzz saws, lasers, flying enemies and unpredictable boss battles. Swears will be sworn and blasphemy will echo around the room. Super Meat Boy will take a piece of your sanity and crush it against a brick wall.
While it may seem unfair and downright ridiculous at the best of times, Super Meat Boy will keep you entertained because of its nostalgic appeal. At its core, the game pays homage to how video games were developed long before politicians cared about them. The graphics are plain and simple, yet crisp and smooth without ever dropping in quality. By employing a simple comic visual aesthetic, the game really fits the downloadable format. Your search for true nostalgia will take you slightly deeper. Stumbling across an aptly titled 'Warp Zone' will turn Super Meat Boy into an 8-bit retro bonanza. It really is difficult to fault the style and presentation because it suits the context so well. Even the soundtrack is a joy to hear, blending contemporary modern sounds with the blips and beeps of twenty years ago. The gameplay is fast and unforgiving, but the overall feel is glorious to behold.
Again!?!?!? Oh for fu-
With over three hundred levels, competitive leaderboards, collectibles and unlockable characters from other indie titles - it's plain to see how Super Meat Boy can keep you hooked. As far as Xbox Live Arcade games are concerned, this is one of the most comprehensive. With an option of entering the 'Dark World', a space where the difficulty gets cranked up a notch or ten, you definitely won't be finishing the game any time soon. Technically speaking, there is little to complain about. Although the biggest appeal of the game is also its greatest weakness - the difficulty. Granted, the satisfaction gained from finally completing a level is second to none, but there are certain sections that are too strenuous. Super Meat Boy has the ability to end your marriage and induce rage in a way so unimaginable that it could almost be deemed criminal. Every step is punishing and that's concerning because it will be too much of an issue for the majority of gamers out there. Had the developers made the learning curve marginally better balanced, then the experience would be more welcoming. The majority of the game is brilliantly executed, but it's impossible to recommend for everyone.
Super Meat Boy was designed with a very explicit target audience in mind. It answers the call of players looking for a difficult platformer full of style and humour. The level design is outstanding and the gameplay, although infuriating, is extremely addictive and rewarding. Independent games have proved themselves be a valuable outing in recent years, and Super Meat Boy is another polished treasure that has redefined the meaning of 'challenge'. It comes at a big cost and you will feel like an incompetent moron, but that won't prevent you from coming back time and time again.
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