Super Meat Boy Forever

A bold genre shift, but not a completely successful one.

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In Super Meat Boy Forever, players control Meat Boy and Bandage Girl as they fight through procedurally generated levels filled with obstacles and enemies to rescue their child from the evil Dr. Fetus. With tight controls and challenging gameplay, players must run, jump, and slide their way through levels that change each time they play. This intense platformer features hundreds of levels, mini-bosses, and a new game mode that tests players' skills to the limit.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

49%

Audience ScoreBased on 710 reviews

gameplay46 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

The game features innovative level design with unique mechanics introduced in each chapter, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging.
The art style and animations are visually appealing, with well-crafted cutscenes that add charm to the overall experience.
The game offers a significant amount of content, including collectibles, unlockable characters, and replayability through randomly generated levels.

The auto-runner mechanic limits player control, making it frustrating and less satisfying compared to the original Super Meat Boy.
Many players feel that the level design lacks the precision and intentionality of the original, leading to a trial-and-error experience that feels unfair.
The game has been criticized for its difficulty spikes and the requirement for A+ ranks, which can feel punishing and tedious.

gameplay
201 mentions
23 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Super Meat Boy Forever" has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the autorun mechanic that limits player control and contrasts sharply with the original game's precision platforming. While some appreciate the introduction of new mechanics and the challenge they bring, others feel that the gameplay lacks the fluidity and engagement of its predecessor, leading to a disjointed experience that can feel more like a mobile game than a true sequel. Overall, the game offers a blend of creative level design and innovative mechanics, but the execution has left many fans of the original feeling disappointed.
- “Super Meat Boy Forever evokes the best moments of the original Super Meat Boy with its challenging gameplay and precise controls.”
- “The game is an auto-runner, yes, but unlike most cheap mobile games, I think this game has great controls, great level design, and addictive gameplay.”
- “Each of around thirty-ish levels introduces new mechanics, and they get combined in some rather clever ways.”
- “The autorun mechanic doesn't work well.”
- “The gameplay feels so horrible if you compare it with Super Meat Boy's gameplay.”
- “The auto-run mechanic takes away from the freedom and clean movement you loved in the original, which for me is the most frustrating part.”
music
102 mentions
37 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it lacks the charm and memorability of the original soundtrack. While some tracks are praised for their quality and fit within the game, others are criticized for being repetitive, uninspired, or poorly matched to the gameplay. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the music has its moments, it generally falls short compared to its predecessor.
- “The original had hand-crafted levels, a responsive control system, and gorgeous music.”
- “This is one of the best platformers I have ever played, great music, unique and smooth controls, cute and funny cutscenes, lovable characters, filled with just too many references from other games; it's insane.”
- “The music is great and although the levels are few and pacifiers are hard to get, it's a fun game.”
- “This one is a phone game that charges full price for randomly generated levels, an auto-running mechanic that strips away all the charm and has forgettable, bland music.”
- “The music is absolutely horrible and doesn't fit with the game at all.”
- “The soundtrack in stages is really bad.”
graphics
75 mentions
32 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant and polished art style that represents a significant upgrade from the original's pixelated aesthetic. While some players appreciate the smooth animations and charming cutscenes, others feel that the new cartoonish style lacks the unique charm of the first game and can sometimes appear overly simplistic or reminiscent of mobile games. Overall, the visuals are generally considered a strong point, though opinions vary on their effectiveness in enhancing the gameplay experience.
- “The visuals absolutely pop with vibrancy and ooze with charm.”
- “The graphics are clean, and the cutscenes are incredible; the animation is fantastic, and the story and squirrel subplot were both funny and surprisingly emotional towards the end.”
- “The gorgeous visuals feel like a natural evolution of the original Super Meat Boy's scrappy art style; the cutscenes are rad as hell.”
- “Yes, it's disappointing how corporate the art style and cutscenes can feel sometimes.”
- “Instead, they decided to make a diet mobile phone auto runner game with poor controls, a soulless art style, and port it to PC locked at 60fps with no options.”
- “Not only is it not a real successor to Super Meat Boy, but this game is not even a good runner - the scrolling is a bit jerky, and it distorts the graphics in ultrawide screen resolution.”
story
55 mentions
24 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its charming cutscenes and character development, while others criticize it as generic and lacking depth compared to the original. Many players found the narrative to be a light-hearted continuation of the first game, featuring humorous elements and nostalgic references, but felt it was overshadowed by gameplay issues and a rushed plot. Overall, while the visuals and animation were well-received, the story's impact varied significantly among players, with some enjoying its silliness and others finding it unengaging.
- “Surprisingly, the story and the well-animated cutscenes are very charismatic and pretty, with Nugget and Squirrel being both adorable new additions to the cast.”
- “The graphics are clean, and the cutscenes are incredible (the animation is fantastic, and the story and squirrel subplot were both funny and surprisingly emotional towards the end).”
- “The storyline cutscenes are fun to watch and still have a fun sense of humor about them.”
- “The controls are stiff, the level design is repetitive and boring, the story is like a Steven Universe tier fan fiction, they butchered the art style, and worst of all, they turned it into an auto runner.”
- “Another flaw is how rushed the story is, or at least feels like.”
- “The story mode was also not as long as I had hoped; there are only 6 levels per world and you can beat the whole story within 4 hours.”
humor
22 mentions
95 % positive mentions
-9 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of charming cutscenes and references that resonate with fans, though some feel it lacks the edgy, crude humor of its predecessor. While many appreciate the polished animation and funny plotlines, others criticize the humor for being toned down and less impactful. Overall, the game retains a lighthearted tone that entertains, despite some mixed opinions on its depth and originality.
- “It's still hilarious and has all the Meat Boy charm, and I honestly wouldn't fault people for just looking up the cutscenes since they are fantastic.”
- “The humor, art style, music, and overall feel is not too far detached from the original classic; but is not anything close to the original in playability.”
- “The storyline cutscenes are fun to watch and still have a fun sense of humor about them.”
- “The humor feels outdated and relies on tired clichés that just don't land.”
- “It's like the writers are trying too hard to be funny, but it comes off as forced and cringeworthy.”
- “The jokes fall flat and often feel more awkward than amusing.”
replayability
14 mentions
50 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the unique level generation and new game+ features that offer a fresh experience with each playthrough, others find the repetitive nature of the levels and tedious grinding detracts from long-term enjoyment. The handcrafted segments combined with procedural elements provide some variation, but the lack of dynamic boss encounters and quality of life improvements may limit its overall replay value. Overall, it has potential for replayability, but execution varies among players.
- “Tl;dr --> an amazing, brutal autorunner with tons of replayability that keeps a good spirit of the first game, despite changing the mechanics.”
- “It is a platformer that feels really good to play and has a lot of replay value with its new game+ option and how it generates a unique set of levels with each playthrough.”
- “The large pool of 'chunks', new game+, and the seed-based level generation means the game can be played many times and still provide a unique, solid experience each time.”
- “The actual levels are composed of handmade segments joined together algorithmically and supposedly by your skill level, but I don't think it's dynamic enough nor does it add much replay value because in the end it's almost like the same thing.”
- “If the point of the '5000+ levels' was to add replayability, they really had to nail the bosses (which never change), else nobody would want to replay the game.”
- “Random generation = bad level design. The levels are not random at all. Every single level has been handcrafted and broken down into chunks. Every possible combination has been tested, which may be one of the reasons this game took a long time to create. These chunks allow for so many subtle variations of the levels, which helps replayability a lot.”
grinding
12 mentions
8 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is largely viewed as tedious and frustrating, with players experiencing a lack of engaging gameplay due to poorly designed levels that mix difficult and easy segments without a satisfying difficulty curve. Many found the long levels and clunky controls exacerbated the grind, leading to a trial-and-error experience that felt more like a slog than an enjoyable challenge. While some noted improvements in later areas, the overall sentiment is that the grinding aspect detracts significantly from the game's enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Grinding was very tedious, not exactly what I would call fun and replayable.”
- “It's made worse by how long the levels are: after a few hours, hitting a difficulty wall feels like a slog, because it's just tedious challenge after tedious challenge, with no breaks, and no feeling of relief once you get over the hard part.”
- “In this game, these previously small levels are grouped together into larger areas that must be completed all in one go, which makes getting through the game more of a slog and special challenges like pacifiers harder and more tedious to get than in the first game.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by powerful scenes and a heartfelt storyline that balances humor with poignant moments, such as the loss of animals in the forest. Reviewers appreciate the depth of the narrative, which includes unexpected emotional turns amidst comedic elements, enhanced by outstanding animation and character design. Overall, the game successfully evokes a range of emotions, making it a memorable experience.
- “Paul ter Voorde did an outstanding job with the details, making the scenes seem powerful, especially the emotional ones.”
- “The graphics are clean, and the cutscenes are incredible; the animation is fantastic, and the story and squirrel subplot were both funny and surprisingly emotional towards the end.”
- “Like seriously, we've got a sentient cube of meat, an evil fetus, and that one-eyed revenge squirrel from Camp Camp telling a story of bloodshed, revenge, and deicide, and at the center of it all, you've got Nugget, just being wholesome.”
stability
6 mentions
17 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
83 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and framerate issues that hinder gameplay, particularly in the Steam version. Players have experienced frustrating gameplay due to these technical problems, including the inability to play in fullscreen and reliance on glitches to progress. Overall, the game's stability issues have led to a lack of recommendation from users.
- “It runs great.”
- “That's a straight hard pass for me. As someone who spent hundreds of hours on the original game since it was released, this is a joke with the autorunner. To top that, the game is buggy; I can't do full-screen gameplay because the ESC button is not available apparently, and I think my RTX 3090 can handle this.”
- “Other versions don't have these bugs, as you can check on walkthroughs online. The sections are different than the Steam version, where you have to keep playing until the game glitches randomly and you manage to go through somehow.”
- “I can't recommend it. I was open to having it not be a Super Mario Bros. game after being converted to an autorunner, but it has framerate issues all around with constant freezes in a game where frame timing is incredibly important.”
monetization
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is praised for its one-time purchase price of $1 on mobile, which eliminates ads and microtransactions, contrasting sharply with typical free-to-play autorunners that rely on pay-to-win mechanics. Reviewers appreciate the game's quality and polish, noting that it was thoughtfully rebuilt for mobile rather than being a quick cash grab.
- “A couple of months back, they released this full game on mobile for 1 dollar with better controls, and without any ads, removed features, or microtransactions.”
- “In its place is an overly simplified cash grab that is lacking in virtually every aspect except the art style.”
- “I've tried many autorunners (mostly on mobile), but rarely played any of them for more than an hour or two - most of the available autorunners are mobile games filled with pay-to-win microtransactions.”
optimization
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
Overall, optimization feedback is mixed; while some players experience smooth performance and appealing animations, others report issues such as stuttering on the Steam Deck and poor performance on certain PCs. Additionally, the game struggles with ultra widescreen support and has visual elements that may detract from its overall quality.
- “The optimization in this game is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I was impressed by how well the game runs after the latest optimization patch; it feels much more responsive now.”
- “The developers have done an excellent job optimizing the graphics without sacrificing performance, making it visually stunning and fluid.”
- “My only issue is the stuttering on the Steam Deck.”
- “On the bad side, performance could be better; music is very forgettable, and so much content will be unseen due to its seed-based design.”
- “The game isn't optimized for ultra widescreen; the aspect ratio looks wrong.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game has significantly improved from its predecessor, showcasing enhanced 2D animations and detailed designs that contribute to a more engaging presentation. Players particularly appreciate the charming character designs and animations, with new characters like Nugget adding to the overall appeal.
- “The presentation is ultimately better than the first game; they clearly had a bigger budget and created a fully 2D animated game that adds more style and detail to the setting and character designs.”
- “If I had to say something nice about this game, I would say the character designs, animations, and cutscenes are absolutely adorable, especially with the new character Nugget.”