Super Meat Boy

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1016 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 775 out of 1016
  2. Mixed: 169 out of 1016
  3. Negative: 72 out of 1016

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  1. SuppliesAttack
    Feb 22, 2011
    7
    As an avid platforming fan, I decided that Super Meat Boy would be a good investment of 15$ - loads of quality content for a cheap price. Needless to say, I was disappointed after playing it after 90 minutes, but even that said and done, this is a very well-made game.

    Production values are excellent. The art style and sound design come together quite nicely. Music is, as expected from a    As an avid platforming fan, I decided that Super Meat Boy would be a good investment of 15$ - loads of quality content for a cheap price. Needless to say, I was disappointed after playing it after 90 minutes, but even that said and done, this is a very well-made game.

    Production values are excellent. The art style and sound design come together quite nicely. Music is, as expected from a gameplay-oriented platformer, acceptable. This game packs a whallop of a punch dollar-wise: What was it, 250+ levels? 20 or so characters? Specifics, I don't remember them. All I can attest to is that there was a LOT of content for 15$.

    Level design is as excellent as advertised. I found myself constantly marveling at strategic locations of sawblades, and after adjusting to dodge that particular sawblade, be killed by an equally deviously placed obstacle. The character-specific levels are also well-made to teach you the attributes of your new character.

    Unfortunately, I found the controls wonky. Space to Jump and Shift to run? It only works in FPS. In a game that emphasizes twitch-response actions and complete control over your character, it's disappointing to have such an unusual control scheme. It's even WORSE that you can't customize it: I can't create my preferred setup. That, plus unchangeable wall-jump mechanics, made this game much less fun to enjoy.

    It also kept reminding me to buy an Xbox controller. If I wanted to use an Xbox controller, I'd get it on Xbox Live, thank you. Maybe I wouldn't NEED to buy one if you let me change controls, eh?

    Overall, it's a solid game. If you can put up with the Shift-to-run-space-to-jump movement scheme, this is a definite must-buy.    … Expand
  2. radscorpion9
    Mar 24, 2011
    6
    This game was fun at the beginning. As it gradually became more difficult, I challenged myself to do the best I could to become a platforming master. I loved the idea of being able to jump at precisely the right times and do godly runs through courses filled with obstacles waiting to splatter poor meat boy. But as the time I spent on the game increased, and my frustration mounted, IThis game was fun at the beginning. As it gradually became more difficult, I challenged myself to do the best I could to become a platforming master. I loved the idea of being able to jump at precisely the right times and do godly runs through courses filled with obstacles waiting to splatter poor meat boy. But as the time I spent on the game increased, and my frustration mounted, I started to wonder whether it was worth it. Am I really enjoying myself by trying to create the perfect muscle memory to make it through a stage, only to be challenged by a more difficult stage that will require hundreds of deaths to pass through?

    It might have to do with the type of controller. I use a keyboard, and the game does tell you in the introduction screen that you should switch to using a gamepad as it is much easier and was designed for the game.

    But even if I did go out of my way to buy a gamepad specifically for this game (which should only detract from the score), I suspect that it wouldn't really quell my concerns in general. Platformers can be fun. But this platformer, as someone else put it, is for masochistic personalities.

    There are some courses where you literally require pixel perfect jumps, and with the inability to save during each course, that means you have to keep up that level of perfection throughout the course in several areas, making things tremendously difficult. Why subject myself to this? Is it really worth the hours, days of stress accumulated in trying to play like a computer? It depends on the player. If you're good at these sorts of games, perhaps you'll relish the challenge. For the vast majority of us, I suspect the answer is no.

    The story is fairly simple; while it will keep you interested just to see whether you can save your fair maiden, the sheer difficulty of the game will likely prevent one from every reaching the end, let alone the completion of the bonus levels.

    In the end I awarded this game a 6 just because it does provide some short-term entertainment for a few "worlds" (series of courses with themes). But in retrospect, I don't think its all that worth it unless you're really good at these sorts of games. Because most people will just end up being discouraged and stressed out, and I'm pretty sure games were designed to be enjoyable.

    Also I bought this during a special sale on steam, when it was available for 2 dollars. So I may be biased in giving this game a higher score than it deserves, but all in all I think 6 is a decent score for this title.    … Expand
  3. Fermentation
    Dec 30, 2012
    6
    This is a speed twitch game where you can spend 20 minutes trying to get a clean 15 second run. You play meatboy that can jump about to avoid pointy things. I was excited to give this a try after watching the Indie Game movie, but found it to be fun but somewhat overrated. It held my attention exceptionally well for a few days but now that the novelty has worn off, I see it sitting onThis is a speed twitch game where you can spend 20 minutes trying to get a clean 15 second run. You play meatboy that can jump about to avoid pointy things. I was excited to give this a try after watching the Indie Game movie, but found it to be fun but somewhat overrated. It held my attention exceptionally well for a few days but now that the novelty has worn off, I see it sitting on the shelf. If you buy this game, be sure to run the "campaign" to learn how to better control meat boy before hitting the user-submitted levels.… Expand
  4. Jinx
    Mar 30, 2011
    6
    I tried, but I couldn't get into SMB. I want exploration in a platformer, not a series of tiny, sadistic obstacle courses. Don't be fooled - SMB is nothing like Metroid or Super Mario. It's more like brutally difficult arcade game, with "levels" that are one-screen in size. I mean, it's charming and I can see why other people like it. But it really wasn't my thing, and I'm usually allI tried, but I couldn't get into SMB. I want exploration in a platformer, not a series of tiny, sadistic obstacle courses. Don't be fooled - SMB is nothing like Metroid or Super Mario. It's more like brutally difficult arcade game, with "levels" that are one-screen in size. I mean, it's charming and I can see why other people like it. But it really wasn't my thing, and I'm usually all about 2D platforming action. It just isn't fun dying 150 times trying to get past the same boring little level.… Expand
  5. auptyk
    Mar 4, 2011
    7
    So the game is enjoyable... however... It is not really designed for the PC. I found the controls hard to get used to. I have some old USB controller laying around and I might give that a try. Really this is the only thing I found that was holding the game back from it becoming one of my top time wasters.
  6. DarkRose
    Apr 2, 2011
    5
    I've played platform games 'back in the day'... I thought I'd buy this for the hell of it because it was supposed to be hard. Within the 1st 30-40 minutes, beat 2 'worlds'. Which is, I don't know, I've seen people struggle on just 1 world stage for 40 minutes. I don't know, I don't find it that difficult as it is annoying. This is on the PC mind you. People say the control on PC is bad, II've played platform games 'back in the day'... I thought I'd buy this for the hell of it because it was supposed to be hard. Within the 1st 30-40 minutes, beat 2 'worlds'. Which is, I don't know, I've seen people struggle on just 1 world stage for 40 minutes. I don't know, I don't find it that difficult as it is annoying. This is on the PC mind you. People say the control on PC is bad, I can't say much about it. Some parts of it are just incredibly annoying, mainly cause the controls are glitched up sometimes. Do you wish to jump off this wall? No you don't! So I slide off and die. This isn't just a once a life time occurrence, it happens quite often. I've jumped off that wall a lot of times, and sometimes it won't let you, sometimes it will, not sure why, but it is really annoying, and it has nothing to do with 'precise' control, its just annoying.

    The controls, it won't let you change the controls, so you're stuck with space and shift, which are quite awkward for some reason. Well, I have a habit of playing with the buttons 'Shift' 'Z' 'X' and 'C'.

    Graphics... well, they're retarded, but its an indie game and it fits the goal of the game so its fine.
    Sound, I personally don't like computer generated sounds, and there are quite a bit of em, but some of them aren't, but it fits the general bill of what the game is.
    Overall I just find the game decent, albeit annoying because of the random 'I won't listen to the player' moments. Difficulty, its supposed to get harder, but I don't see it getting harder as it is just make platforms smaller and more obstacles. It does get to become more of the same.    … Expand
  7. dionissos
    Dec 31, 2011
    5
    I didn't see anything good in this game. Is very difficult and you must have much patient to keep playing this old school arcade game. I prefer something more fresh from an indie game
  8. virgilivs
    Jun 23, 2012
    6
    Old school game, hardcore and arcade. If you're not into frenzied record rushes and endless series of tries, it will amuse you for one hour, maybe two, but not more.
  9. tech-noir
    Feb 28, 2012
    7
    Do you like repeating very small levels 50 times? 100 or more times? If so, you are in luck, as that is all Super Meat Boy is about. It is not about clever mechanics, interesting game world/story, or well designed platforming and good controls. It is the exact opposite of that. The developers decided to display a large disclaimer every single time you start the game, trying to get playersDo you like repeating very small levels 50 times? 100 or more times? If so, you are in luck, as that is all Super Meat Boy is about. It is not about clever mechanics, interesting game world/story, or well designed platforming and good controls. It is the exact opposite of that. The developers decided to display a large disclaimer every single time you start the game, trying to get players to specifically use an Xbox 360 controller. Furthermore, this same disclaimer often states that playing with a keyboard should not be done. This is completely unacceptable. I bought this game for PC, and I expect to be able to play it as such. Every level is a repetition of the last, with only the boss levels actually feeling different. The general level design and artwork are mediocre and bland, creating very little excitement and entertainment. There is a vast amount of campaign levels, and the option to download levels from the in-game bulletin board, but there is little reason to go through them. The repetitiveness of it all, in conjunction with how terrible the game mechanics and controls are make Super Meat Boy not very fun at all. It simply keeps on recycling the small amount of game play it has over and over. There is no variation, very little amusement, and not much to look at or listen to. The level design and difficulty are so badly unreasonable, that the patience required to play this game is unnatural. This is not a platform game. It is an attempt at forced trick jumping with lackluster controls. It appears that Edmund McMillen went back to his awful roots with Gish, and created something almost as appalling and flawed.… Expand
  10. potatoes351
    Jun 22, 2012
    7
    Super Meat Boy is a extremely fun platformer puzzle game. You play Meat Boy who is trying to save his one true love Bandage girl from the evil clutches of Dr. Foetus, you must traverse several insane levels designed to make you work for your accomplishment. The only downside to this is if you have a short attention span you will quickly become frustrated with the difficulty of some of theSuper Meat Boy is a extremely fun platformer puzzle game. You play Meat Boy who is trying to save his one true love Bandage girl from the evil clutches of Dr. Foetus, you must traverse several insane levels designed to make you work for your accomplishment. The only downside to this is if you have a short attention span you will quickly become frustrated with the difficulty of some of the tasks at hand.… Expand
  11. Izoeros
    Apr 27, 2022
    7
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  12. AWG
    Jun 21, 2013
    5
    Why is a console controller HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for a PC game? Is it because a keyboard is not indie enough? If you can't properly port a game, just don't do it. But I suppose that not having your game on the PC market is not indie enough...
    Super Meat Boy is a frustrating game you can only beat by repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating the same    Why is a console controller HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for a PC game? Is it because a keyboard is not indie enough? If you can't properly port a game, just don't do it. But I suppose that not having your game on the PC market is not indie enough...
    Super Meat Boy is a frustrating game you can only beat by repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating and repeating the same action again and again and again.
    Well, I guess suffering from OCD is indie enough at least.    … Expand
  13. Inzen
    Jul 20, 2013
    7
    It's a good game and a nice tribute to old hardcore platform games. There are some great qualities to the game, but there are equally negative traits that make the game more frustrating than hard.

    1) I actually didn't find this game as difficult as people claim it to be. I think I burned through the game in a matter of 2 or 3 days very quickly. The puzzles will be very difficult to a    It's a good game and a nice tribute to old hardcore platform games. There are some great qualities to the game, but there are equally negative traits that make the game more frustrating than hard.

    1) I actually didn't find this game as difficult as people claim it to be. I think I burned through the game in a matter of 2 or 3 days very quickly. The puzzles will be very difficult to a casual platform gamer, but to people who can handle games like Megaman X6, this will only feel above average in difficulty.

    2) I don't know if it's just me, but I find the controls unresponsive on the PC version. Sometimes it won't jump when I know for a fact I pressed jumped. I've even tested this while standing still and I know I'm not crazy. Sometimes the jump will not register and for twitch sensitive moments in the game, this is bad. You could have amazing reflexes and still die simply because a jump didn't register when it should have. I've also had issues where if you switch between left and right too quickly, it locks the control in the last direction pressed. I've died many times when I pressed left, but my character kept going right. In anycase, the unresponsive controls got me killed more times than the difficulty of the levels has. That's not cool.

    3) The level design puzzles are amazing providing some really entertaining jumping puzzles, but the level design visuals are not. I don't mean that in the "this is crappy graphics" kind of way. It's the fact that it's extremely difficult sometimes to tell what is capable of killing you and what isn't. Other platform games make your enemies obvious. I've spent quite a bit of time "testing" what killed me and what didn't. A player should never have to do that.

    4) I really enjoy the music and it adds a nice bit of energy, but not much. I think the game could do with some catchier rhythms to make the adrenaline rush much smoother.

    Overall, it's a great game with great level designs and puzzles, but in terms of quality, I feel like this game carries design and technical flaws that forces me to rate it lower than platform games I've enjoyed in the 90s. Gameplay mechanics like forcing me to learn timing, memorization, etc are fine. Forcing me to squint at the screen to try and discern what objects are what is not.    … Expand
  14. AAKN
    Oct 13, 2013
    7
    Game Play 8 ]
    controls 10 ]
    contactable easter Eggs 7 ]
    Innovation 6 ]
    graphics 0 ]
    sounds 6 ]
    replay Value 10 ]
    gaming Satisfaction 8 ]
    price playtime 6 ]
    technical Issues 5 ]
    ------------------------------------
    Over All 6.6
  15. SrPepe
    Oct 30, 2017
    7
    Es un buen juego para pasar el rato, divertirte, ponerte loco y orgulloso cuando pasas un nivel. Recomendable si eres de esas personas que no saben que hacer a las 3 AM.
  16. JustSomeGamer
    Apr 7, 2017
    5
    It's a good platformer, but it is hard to the point of being unfair a little too often. Unlike most hard games, super meat boy is not rewarding but frustrating. I fail to see how people find this game enjoyable.
  17. Shimmeywill
    Feb 26, 2020
    6
    While there is great character design and art style, there isn't much incentive to power through other than the feeling of satisfaction of beating levels. The gameplay was somewhat entertaining but ultimately pretty forgettable.
  18. PanMrkvicka
    Feb 12, 2020
    7
    I dont know why but I didnt like it that much. Its great and the platforming is amazing but I just didnt feel like I had the same enjoyment when i finished it like with other platformers.
  19. bar0yka
    Jan 7, 2023
    5
    benlik değil input lag var hikaye komik tam bir gavatızamina .
  20. Gontrand00
    Jan 21, 2021
    7
    I played this game when it came out then bought it on Switch this year. It didn't age well, though.

    Even if the level design and a lot of ideas are interesting and funny, the sometime unfairness of the game really drain you quickly. I don't see what's the point of making a game where you HAVE to die to understand of how things works, especially in the last worlds. Unfair levels, clunky    I played this game when it came out then bought it on Switch this year. It didn't age well, though.

    Even if the level design and a lot of ideas are interesting and funny, the sometime unfairness of the game really drain you quickly. I don't see what's the point of making a game where you HAVE to die to understand of how things works, especially in the last worlds. Unfair levels, clunky controls and extreme precision needed to succeed is not what I call a challenge. It's not well balanced and you clearly don't get the point of completing it fully when you see how much time you need to invest in it.

    Games are supposed to be fun and challenging. This one has a lot of challenge (half of the time unfair) and some fun (half of the time also).

    So it's clearly not a bad game, especially done by two people. In 2010 it was a success but playing it today is not the best you could do, except for nostalgia, because since the first release, a lot of better and more balanced games were made.    … Expand
  21. GreenPufferFish
    Jan 12, 2021
    5
    just btec mario really not that enjoyable for me imobut still give it a try if you see it for £1 like me
  22. Tromble
    Jun 28, 2021
    6
    Super Meat Boy is good at what it does but what it does isn't super interesting.

    Aesthetically Super Meat Boy could have been pushed a lot further.

    I wouldn't really recommend Super Meat Boy.
  23. zeldainohio
    Aug 4, 2023
    7
    A good platformer game but level designs are very simple and boring. Most of the places in the game that are made to be funny are not funny. But cartoon graphics in this game very well.

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PC Game of 2010
18
#18 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
25
#25 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Metro GameCentral
    Sep 1, 2011
    80
    Indie gaming at its retro-loving best, with some of the most cunningly-designed and purposefully infuriating 2D gameplay of the year.
    Read full review
  2. GamingXP
    Jun 1, 2011
    89
    Blood, action, romance. Super Meat Boy Ultra Edition has got it all.
    Read full review
  3. Gamers.at
    May 3, 2011
    90
    Oldschool-Jump and Run at its finest!
    Read full review
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