Masochist's delight.
Cons: Absolutely brutal difficulty can be a turn off at times; Occasionally elements of the level are hard to see
7,024.
I died in Super Meat Boy 7,024 times. And yet I'm surprised it wasn't more.
This is without a doubt one of the hardest games I've played in a while, and yet it is also one of the most addicting. With nothing but run and jump, Super Meat Boy is extremely simple. And yet its level design is varied, brilliant, and devious all the same. Gimmicks such as orbs that repel you in all directions and conveyor belts, while not necessarily new, are employed excellently here. Mostly to your demise.
Super Meat Boy gives you over 300 of these challenges if you have the patience for the game (which is possible thanks to fast restarts and a lack of lives on most levels). Each level has a dark version, there are bandages hidden in many levels, characters can be unlocked (and have their own unique abilities), and warp zones provide an even stiffer challenge. Suffice to say, if you intend to experience everything in this game, you will not be bored for a while.
Though you might be pulling your hair out. Super Meat Boy ranges from hard to absolute brutality. The game already one of the hardest around with the light world challenges, but the dark world gets even harder. Secret final world? Even harder. Getting the bandages also multiplies the difficulty. And the warp zones? With only 3 lives, fuggheddaboutit.
The game is a throwback to the challenges of retro games, just with saving and without those pesky lives (save for the warp zones). Story is equally simple: you, Super Meat Boy, must save your girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr. Fetus. Likewise, the art style is also joyously simple/retro. The core style is like that of an extremely polished flash game with some truly demented (but cute) characters on display. But once you get to the warp zones the game really flexes its graphic muscle. The warp zones are all done in retro styles ranging from 8-bit to Game Boy and even to the bright colors of Commodore. Cutscenes between the level exhibit a similar charm, although you have to have a really twisted sense of humor (like this reviewer) to truly enjoy them.
Music is also really excellent. Much like the old games that inspired it, Super Meat Boy's track is simply catchy even if it's not too moody (though don't underestimate some epic final world music). The retro chiptune versions of the songs also shine really well. It's a good thing too, because after a good hour of being stuck on a stage, the last thing you want is to be sick of the music.
Super Meat Boy really is the whole package. Team Meat clearly had a strong vision (brutal platformer with a sadistic sense of humor) and went with it. The result is a package with a clear identity and a lot to offer. All it asks is that you gleefully suffer the pain required to beat it.