Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Last night at GDC, Team Meat took the stage to let out some of the frustrations that accompanied releasing Super Meat Boy. And those frustrations were Microsoft. Seemingly screwed over on a number of occasions, the independent dev team did not receive the promotion they were promised in return for the month-long XBLA exclusivity. Eurogamer have all the details about this screwery here. But there’s another aspect to this story. During the talk they also revealed that the game had the majority of its sales on the PC, despite the 360′s month-long head start.

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RPS reader (not making this up) Fuggles the Lightfuggly One sends word that PETA, aka People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has published a parody of Super Meat Boy. You can play Super Tofu Boy here. Is it still a parody if it’s just kind of… Super Meat Boy, again? There’s not much ridicule going on here, except for Bandage Girl two-timing Meat Boy. But you know, I always suspected she was bad news.

Which brings us to an interesting point. While Super Tofu Boy is a hundred miles away from the 24 carat running and jumping of SMB, it does use the same running and walljumping mechanics. For a quick & dirty look at the mechanics of Super Meat Boy, Super Tofu Boy can provide.

EDIT: Brave RPS commenter Terry points out that you could just play the Flash version of Meat Boy. So, I suppose this doesn’t need to exist after all.

EDIT: The following is based on extensive time spent with the 360 version of SMB, and we’re hearing reports that the PC version currently has memory leak and gamepad support issues. We’ll be posting a full review of the PC version very soon.

EDIT 3: Pow! Team Meat slurp into action.

Super Meat Boy is OUT, you know. You could be buying it over at Steam right the hell now with £11.99 of your (let’s face it) ill-gotten money. The only problem is, there’s no demo. This is me letting out a sigh like a shot from an air rifle.

Super Meat Boy is a steaming steak of brilliance, served with a rich, leathery wine with a label that reads Chateau Just One More Go. A demo will unquestionably result in Team Meat selling more copies, and the sooner it arrives the better. Until then, I suppose I’ll have to sell you this game with my trademark hyperbole. You got a minute? If so, let’s do this. You need Super Meat Boy in your life because…
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We have a date! Super Meat Boy will be squelching onto the PC in exactly two weeks, boasting six (SIX!) exclusive characters. We already knew two of them- MineCraft guy and Captain Viridian from VVVVVV – and two more have been announced this morning. Ooh, and Team Meat has also mentioned that from November 23rd, anyone pre-ordering the game on Steam will get SMB for the price of $10, as opposed to the game’s full price of $15. Now, those characters.
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It’s been sad, watching consoleland getting so excited/frustrated about Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refene’s breakout indie hit Super Meat Boy these past few weeks. It should be ouuuuuuuurs. [Stamps feet petulantly]. Fortunately, the PC version is still planned for sometime this month (the target is the last week of Nov) – complete with some bonus famous faces. Well, they’re more or less faces, if you squint a bit.

Two of the PC version’s six exclusive playable characters will be Mr Minecraft, as publicly arranged on Twitter with Notch (as shown above), and VVVVVV’s Captain Viridian (as shown below). There are four more mystery chaps yet to come. Perhaps you’d like to take a guess.
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I remember in the late 90s thinking to myself, “I wonder how people will spoof/retro this decade?” It was a ten year spread that seemed to be of such variation, and mostly made up of retroing various previous decades, that it seemed like it wouldn’t have a distinct flavour of its own. Of course, time passes and that all changes, as the splendid new pseudo-commercial for Super Meat Boy demonstrates. It’s an excellent production designed to capture the style of early 90s gaming advertising, as recorded on VHS. Despite the ad’s failure to mention the PC release, it’s coming out on the machine that made McMillen’s name a month later, on the 20th November.

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Super Meat Boy is due to reach the PC on the 20th November. (A month after the XBLA release, sadly.) Team Meat have gathered together (that’s Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes) (and not even together, it’s by robo-Skype) to present what must be the least professional commentary of the first twenty minutes of a game I’ve ever enjoyed. Not being able to see the same screen makes it especially fun. It’s below.

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The below three minutes of mingled in-game action, animation and blippy-bloppy music show off Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes’ upcoming Super Meat Boy perfectly. It looks clever, funny, twisted and packed with juicy giblets of visual invention. It also looks like I’ll almost certainly be unable to play it past the first few levels.
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He’s a boy! He’s made of meat! He’s super! He’s Super Meat Boy! He’s up for the Audio and Grand Prize at this year’s IGF! He’s made by Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes (aka Team Meat)! We’re talking to them! Like, right now! MEAT! MEAT!
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Edmund McMillen is a very special person. RPS has been following his forays into gaming disturbia for the last year, so it’s with positive expectations that we great the gradual release of information about Super Meat Boy. The sequel to last year’s Meat Boy is planned for release on PC and Wiiware at the end of 2009, and today the first teaser has appeared. And it’s… it’s of the McMillan oeuvre. No game footage yet, but certainly something worth a watch. It’s below.

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