Platformers don’t usually fall within our remit, but with Edmund McMillen recently dominating headlines following the launch of Mewgenics, I couldn’t help but wonder how Super Meat Boy 3D is shaping up without him at the helm.
That curiosity hits a little closer to home than usual. The original Super Meat Boy was one of the first indie games I played on Xbox Live Arcade back when I was an awkward teenager. 16 years later I’ve reunited with my old, bandaged friend to see whether his jump to 3D can stick the landing or splatters on impact.
What is Super Meat Boy 3D?
Put simply, Super Meat Boy 3D reimagines the classic tough-as-nails platformer in full 3D. You play as Meat Boy, a sentient slab of meat, navigating stages filled with buzzsaws, explosives, and other deadly obstacles in a bid to rescue your girlfriend from the evil Dr. Fetus.
Levels are frantic and fast, and there’s a real addictive quality to chasing your best time and watching replays of your past failures. Just like the original, you can find bandages by venturing off the beaten path and returning them to the exit unscathed. These start simple and then become a real challenge to locate and retrieve.
Collect enough, and you’ll unlock a roster of kooky new characters who don’t just look different, but move through the world in entirely unique ways. Meatball Boy, for example, constantly bounces and Cheese Boy is able to stick to walls. There are even some fun crossovers with other games, but I won’t spoil them for you here.
A new dimension of pain
You might assume, given the time that’s passed, that this is a simple remake, but you’d be very wrong. The game features entirely new levels built specifically with the third dimension in mind, and they feel just as expertly crafted as those in the original. The bosses, however, didn’t land as well for me. They tend to feel a bit too trial-and-error, requiring you to memorize their move patterns just to survive long, punishing gauntlets.
Meat Boy’s leap to 3D feels impressively precise. Actions like wall running, dashing, and wall hopping flow together seamlessly, and deaths almost always feel like the result of a misstep rather than the camera or controls. The more open, expansive levels encourage exploration, and I was constantly curious to see what deadly surprise awaited around the next corner.
I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve become a more seasoned player, but I actually found the first world to be quite accessible. I don’t remember feeling nearly as frustrated as I did in the original game, instead, it comes across as a more relaxed entry point that lets you build up your skills. That said, I’m not suggesting the game lacks challenge. The alternate Dark World versions of levels can be absolutely brutal, and I’m certain the difficulty will ramp up significantly later down the road.
My main complaint in my relatively short time with the game is with regards to its performance. I played on the Switch 2 and I noticed that the frame rate would chug when watching a replay of multiple deaths (something which happened often). I’m unsure how this differs on other platforms, but it certainly took me out of the moment a little bit.
The Verdict
After a lengthy hiatus, Super Meat Boy 3D is a solid return for the series, showing that its gameplay remains as timeless as ever.
The platforming feels just as precise and brutal in 3D, and I love how much more expansive and detailed the levels feel. Its bosses can be a bit of a slog, and I did encounter some technical issues on Switch 2, but these aren’t enough to stop me from coming back for more.
Let’s just hope Team Meat doesn’t make us wait another 16 years for what will inevitably be Super Meat Boy 4D.
Super Meat Boy 3D is out now on PC (Win), PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox and I played on Switch 2 via access kindly provided by Headup.
