• Super Meat Boy Review (PC)

    Super Meat Boy Review (PC)

    Nachiket Mhatre, Jan 08, 2011 1000 hrs IST

    Confucius say: It is natural to die

    Simple yet precise controls, lightning fast gameplay, clever level design, great gameplay depth, consummate design brilliance, 300+ levels

    Not meant for n00bs

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Like any hardcore gamer, I absolutely detest the idea of inclusive gaming - the scourge taking over the industry, where developers dumb down games to target the women, children, old people and complete n00bs, who wouldn't otherwise pick up a game unless it came with training wheels. That may make gaming mainstream, but at what cost? It's not just about simple controls. This brand of inclusive gaming hurts the most - simplistic gameplay that doesn't humor gamer skill at all.

A long time ago, when gaming wasn't really mainstream, games used to be simple but incredibly difficult. Their difficulty, mind you, didn't arise from the poor controls that mar 9 out of 10 games released these days. Instead, it was achieved through clever level design and a solid gameplay that's clearly the fruit of extensive beta testing and fastidious fine tuning. There was no eye candy in the sidescroller era of yore, so developers could only count on creative gameplay mechanics to draw in the crowds.

Super Meat Boy dr fetus



They drew you in with their deep and engaging gameplay, and forced you to push your limits and grow with the ever demanding level of difficulty. These games and hence gaming overall was stereotypically perceived as the domain of the socially awkward gaming badasses. So there was no real need for the developers to dumb anything down for the masses. However, the logic worked the other way round. These games wouldn't pamper you with any leniency; they made you a badass with their steep learning curve and punishing level of difficulty.

Super Meat Boy harks back to the same golden era of sidescrollers that favoured twitch and design brilliance over eye candy. The plot, or the excuse that goes for it, is quite bizarre. You play the role of Meat Boy, a square hunk of meat on his quest to rescue Bandage Girl from the evil clutches of Dr. Fetus - an aborted foetus floating around in a glass jar replete with a suit. The antagonist, in a clever allegorical twist, is hated by everyone. Overcome with hate, he kidnaps Bandage Girl to share his pain with the lovers. The story may not be much, but the game makes up for it in spades with its sublime gameplay and quirky cutscenes that involve a nuclear war and talking poop.

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Discussion Board
(34) Comments
Ashfaq Lakha
,Lucknow, on Jan 09, 2011 12:42 AM
One downvote. Looks like Banatwalla has read the review.
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Javed
,Byculla, on Jan 10, 2011 01:26 PM
Yeah, he is a sorry case of sour grapes, if you know what I mean :P
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 10, 2011 02:01 PM
Haha. Not Quite. Banatwalla just read the review. But Banatwalla has two jobs, a smokin' hot girlfriend, and hence, not as much free time as he once did to sit and wage wars with people online. Banatwalla also wishes he had time to play Super Meat Boy, because he has seen other reviews of it and it looks awesome. Also, that's a clear case of over-presumptuousness, if you know what I mean.
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 10, 2011 03:00 PM
Also, Javed, you use "If you know what I mean" when you're using a pun or a metaphor. You know, for future reference. Sour grapes has a singular meaning, rendering your "If you know what I mean" redundant. <br> There, that's my good deed for the day. If you know what I mean. (See, that works) <br> Enjoy, if you know what I mean (That doesn't)
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Javed
,Byculla, on Jan 10, 2011 03:37 PM
It's amusing to see someone talk about redundancy with redundant HTML tags in the same reply. You, sir, have self pwned.
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Javed
,Byculla, on Jan 10, 2011 03:42 PM
Wait, why do you insist on advertising your hot imaginary girlfriend? Methinks, you're only overcompensating. You know, for something like the fact that you enjoy gargling mayo; if you know what I mean. I hope I got it right this time ;)
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 11, 2011 02:06 AM
Touche. The tags are a multi-tasking fail. I apologize. ...and you did get one part right, mon ami, but just one. The use of language. You are a quick learner. Or I am a good teacher. Essential point being made is that my life is currently too awesomely occupying for me to bother picking prolonged fights with people. Maybe you'll get there someday too, and stop "overcompensating" by attributing your own allegories to others. So there :)
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Salim Langda
,Mumbhai, on Jan 11, 2011 09:41 PM
Banat is a psycho-narscissist looser, hahahaha
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Salim Langda
,Mumbhai, on Jan 11, 2011 09:43 PM
hehehehe, pardon my English, dear Banat, I am too busy multitasking with your smoking hot girlfriend
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 11, 2011 11:26 PM
Sticks and Stones, little boys, Sticks and Stones. *sips on chilled coffee*
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Albert Pinto
, Goa, on Jan 12, 2011 01:44 AM
While the Banat is busy sipping on chilled coffee, I'll multitask along with Salim on his smoking hot girlfriend. Her front and rear USB ports will host our pen drives, if you know what I mean. And when we are done with her, we will save some cream for Banatwalla's chilled coffee. If you know what I mean ;)
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 12, 2011 12:17 PM
Really, now? *slurp*
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Rohan
, Kadam, on Jan 12, 2011 02:59 PM
Slurp? I'm confused now. Are you sipping coffee or $ucking d!ck here?
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 12, 2011 03:12 PM
Sipping coffee. Coooold Coffee. You should try it sometime. I'm told it's a lot better than "$ucking d!ck". But hey, to each his own. I'm not one to judge :) *slurp*
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Albert Pinto
, Mumbai, on Jan 12, 2011 03:57 PM
Let me guess, your m0m told you that.
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 12, 2011 08:48 PM
Ah, yes. Bring the mother in. The melee attack of the flaming world, that is. You know, when you have no ammo left? So, well done! ....and incidentally, she didn't. It would be most inappropriate if she had, don't you think? *looks at glass o' coffee* Ahh, plenty left. *resumes sipping*
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 12, 2011 08:54 PM
You can keep going all year, really. I'll keep checking back during my coffee breaks and answering your little queries. It is rather entertaining. Except on weekends. Because, well...Things to do. And you know what I mean ;) *sip*
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pankaj
,punjab, on Jan 12, 2011 09:10 PM
these comments have been hilarious, but if we go by your last reply, i believe you have been drinking a lot of coffee lately. is coffee some kind of a coping mechanism for you? be careful or these people may cause you to poison yourself with caffeine.
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 12, 2011 10:43 PM
Hehe, it may be their only recourse. Of course, cold coffee is as much a metaphor as a beverage :)
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Aftab
,Mumbai, on Jan 12, 2011 11:48 PM
Let me guess; your super hot girlfriend is also a metaphor for your right hand.
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 13, 2011 03:00 AM
Tch tch. Poor guesswork, Aftab. Try again tomorrow? I'm most patient.
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Chintan Dedhia
,Gujarat, on Jan 13, 2011 08:26 AM
I have been reading this howlarious exchange, but despite all its lulz, your bullsh!t has started to pi$s me off now. So you say that you are most patient and reply only when taking a coffee break. Who are you sh!ting man?! Most of your replies are at 2 AM and 3 AM. This is the first time I have heard anyone interrupt sleep with a coffee break. Your lame excuse is as fake as a prostitute's smile.
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 13, 2011 08:57 PM
Ahh, yes. Perhaps you missed the part where I said I work two jobs. One as a full-time journalist by day, and the other as tech-blogger by night. To stay awake and get my work done, I need coffee. Hence coffee breaks. Hence the posts. As I said, I'm more than happy to clear up your doubts :) Koi shak? (What's up?)
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 13, 2011 08:59 PM
Also, I see my pleas are falling on deaf ears. Cold Coffee! Try it!
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Munna
, Mumbai, on Jan 16, 2011 12:48 PM
Mommy, mommy... why does unkil Banatwalla brag about his girlfriends and two jobs all the time?
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Mommy
, Mumbai, on Jan 16, 2011 12:53 PM
Munna, that is because your unkil Banatwalla has a very small pen!s. That is why he overcompensates with his bragging. But the truth, son, is that unkil Banatwalla has been drinking salty coffee all the while.
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Munna
, Mumbai, on Jan 16, 2011 01:07 PM
Mommy, what is salty coffee?
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Mommy
, Mumbai, on Jan 16, 2011 01:18 PM
Munna, you know how unkil Banatwalla posts at 3 AM and claims to sip coffee like he's some kind of workaholic. Well, he isn't working. He is just lonely, dejected and generally pissed at his life. He doesn't want to sleep because his dreams remind him of his failure. That's why he injects body with caffeine to ward off sleep. But staying awake doesn't mean the same suicidal thoughts of failure leave him when he's awake. No, they don't. As Banatwalla replies to these threads, spewing his hate and frustrations on this author, at 3 AM, drops of his own salty tears mix with his coffee. That is salty coffee. His sorrow manifests itself though his coffee.
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The Banat
,aka Mr. Anthrope, on Jan 17, 2011 12:35 PM
True to my word, I had things to do over the weekend, but I see this now. Haha, Wait. I'll do this your way. Munna - Mummy, Mummy, why do I need to make 4 posts on a comments section in a question-answer format? Have I no life? Mummy - Stop irritating me, Munna. No, you don't have a life. I wish I hadn't done that weird experimenting in college and ended up with you in the first place. (Oh, snap?) So much for Munna's street-cred, eh?
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Ajay
,Bangalore, on Jan 08, 2011 09:54 AM
I had to google to find out which platform this game is meant for... Damn! A tech Blog that still forces us to use google....
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Pankaj
,Punjab, on Jan 08, 2011 09:53 PM
wow, did u even care to read that headline said (PC) Damn! an idiot tech blog reader
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vikas
,delhi, on Jan 08, 2011 01:22 PM
is it free? ;)
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Nachiket
, TechTree, on Jan 08, 2011 01:45 PM
Heh, I know what you mean, but it would be much fairer to wait for a discount instead. The devs deserve this much for a stellar effort. It's $15 on Steam, but it had dropped down to $4 during the holiday sale.
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Vicky
,Hyderabad, on Jan 08, 2011 01:18 PM
That was a really good article.
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