DIYgamer

GDC 2010: Super Meat Boy Preview

Since it’s original announcement, Super Meat Boy has found its way through both the mainstream and independent press. It’s existence is no secret and its original version can be player for free, right now. But the new version, the one worthy of the Super tag, is still a few months from release.

I tried my hand at the game on the IGF show floor and daresay it’s exactly what I expected, which is a good thing. For those unaware, it’s a punishing platform game in which you control a small blob of meat as he runs around different worlds trying (and failing) not to die. His objective in each level, ranging from the simple jump up a few walls to the escape from countless giant saw blades trying to kill you, is to save Bandage Girl, his muse to put up with this punishment. But at each rescue, the evil Dr. Fetus (a fetus in a jar atop a body, with a monocle on the jar) snatches away Meat Boy’s prize into a new, and more insane level of grueling action.

I only played through a few of the early levels, not much standing in my way outside of a few misplaced jumps slicing me into pieces. But later on I watched as Derek Yu battled through some of the most difficult levels in the game, to the point where Edmund asked him to stop so as not to let the crowd think the game was impossible. The variety of levels are huge. From silhouetted stylish maps, to mountains of deadly salt, Meat Boy has a lot to overcome in his journey.

While the game is polished and solid in its current state, there is still a lot of work to be done. Edmund said that they have a ton of content yet to put into the game and multiplayer to implement for XBLA. The multiplayer will entail four to eight players racing ghosts of each other through a series of levels voted on by the competing group. I hadn’t imagined multiplayer in the game, as it’s generally just a battle between player and the player deciding the jump out their window in a dramatic fashion. But the idea of a race seems like it could prove solid and create some insane speed runs that will inevitably wind up on the internet for less skilled players to gawk at.

While XBLA is getting an earlier release, Edmund said that the window between platform releases will be in the same month. Good news for those still aiming to get the Wii version. The game is still scheduled for a release this summer.