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

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,152 reviews

gameplay81 positive mentions

grinding21 negative mentions

The game features impressive visuals and animations, with a charming art style that appeals to many players.
The introduction of new mechanics, such as punching and sliding, adds depth to the gameplay and keeps it engaging.
Despite being an autorunner, the game maintains a challenging experience that can be enjoyable for fans of the genre.

The autorunning mechanic limits player control, making the game feel less rewarding and more frustrating compared to the original.
Level design can feel disjointed and overly reliant on trial and error, leading to cheap deaths and a lack of satisfaction.
Many players feel disappointed that the game does not live up to the legacy of the original Super Meat Boy, with some calling it a poor sequel.

gameplay
357 mentions
23 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Super Meat Boy Forever" has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the auto-running mechanic that limits player control compared to the original game. While some appreciate the introduction of new mechanics and the challenge they bring, others find the gameplay loop tedious and reliant on trial and error, leading to a lack of agency and enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a unique experience with creative level design, but it diverges significantly from the beloved mechanics of its predecessor, leaving fans divided.
- “Super Meat Boy Forever evokes the best moments of the original Super Meat Boy with its challenging gameplay and precise controls.”
- “There is a huge amount of different mechanics used in many different and creative ways; levels never repeat themselves, and you never get bored when playing.”
- “Each of around thirty-ish levels introduces new mechanics, and they get combined in some rather clever ways.”
- “Gameplay, on the other hand, is pretty frustrating; this game shouldn't have been an autorunner, it really limits movement.”
- “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.”
- “The game just feels bad to play, takes away most of the agency from the player for some stupid auto-run mechanic.”
music
184 mentions
39 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while some tracks are enjoyable and fit the game's aesthetic, overall, the soundtrack lacks the memorable quality of the original game's music. Critics have pointed out that certain songs can be repetitive or annoying, and the music often fails to match the intensity or charm of the previous installment. Despite this, some players appreciate the effort by the composers, Ridiculon, and find the soundtrack to be a decent accompaniment to the gameplay.
- “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 soundtrack is absolutely banging.”
- “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 forgettable, bland music.”
- “The music is absolutely horrible and doesn't fit with the game at all.”
- “Worst of all is that they're short and slow loops unlike the original SMB, so I end up just muting the OST and using the original one instead.”
graphics
128 mentions
31 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant visuals, smooth animations, and improved art style compared to the original. However, some players feel that the new cartoonish aesthetic lacks the unique charm of the first game and is reminiscent of mobile games, which detracts from the overall experience. While the cutscenes and character designs are often highlighted as standout features, the constant scrolling and gameplay mechanics can make it difficult to fully appreciate the visuals.
- “The gorgeous visuals feel like a natural evolution of the original Super Meat Boy's scrappy art style; the cutscenes are rad as hell, and I've seen the developers talk about how much this game means to them.”
- “The visuals and music are stellar; I want to specifically note how brilliant the cutscenes are, and how well they animate and inject personality into the game's characters.”
- “I actually like the visuals in this game a lot more than the first game; it looks like it's going for a hand-drawn aesthetic, and I dig it hardcore.”
- “The only redeeming quality is the slightly updated graphics, but even those feel half-assed.”
- “Yet another prime example of what happens when the focus is on improving visuals at the expense of everything else.”
- “Not only is this game not a real successor to Super Meat Boy, but it is also not even a good runner - the scrolling is a bit jerky, and it distorts the graphics in ultrawidescreen resolution.”
story
100 mentions
26 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable and humorous, while others criticize it as boring and lacking depth compared to the original game. Many noted that the plot feels rushed and simplistic, often described as a generic "save the girl" narrative, though the cutscenes and character designs were praised for their charm and creativity. Overall, while the story may appeal to fans of the franchise, it does not meet the expectations set by its predecessor.
- “Characters are adorable, the story is silly but enjoyable.”
- “The graphics are clean, and the cutscenes are incredible (the animation is fantastic, and the story and squirrel sub-plot were both funny and surprisingly emotional towards the ends).”
- “The main story is great and a really enjoyable experience.”
- “A clear weakness is the plot and cutscenes; the first game had the novelty, the references, the great moments, this one doesn't quite live up to it.”
- “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
38 mentions
95 % positive mentions
-3 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many praising the cute and funny cutscenes, as well as the overall charm reminiscent of the original title. However, some critics feel that the humor has been toned down and lacks the edgy, scrappy quality of earlier installments, leading to a more cringe-worthy experience in parts. While the animated sequences are well-crafted and entertaining, they may not fully capture the essence of the original's humor, leaving some fans wanting more.
- “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 game is amazing; it's fun, challenging, and has that Meat Boy charm/humor the first game had.”
- “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 fail to land.”
- “The jokes are so forced that they detract from the overall experience.”
- “The attempts at humor come off as cringeworthy rather than funny.”
replayability
25 mentions
56 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers significant replayability through its new game+ feature, seed-based level generation, and a variety of handcrafted level chunks that provide unique experiences with each playthrough. However, some players find the grinding tedious and feel that the lack of changing bosses detracts from the desire to replay. While the game excels in providing a challenging and enjoyable experience, the clash between procedural generation and auto-running mechanics has raised concerns about level design quality.
- “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.”
- “Then the game is basically infinitely replayable thanks to its New Game+ feature and seed-based level generation.”
- “Replayability: 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.”
- “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 hand-crafted 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.”
- “Replayability: 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.”
grinding
23 mentions
4 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, often feeling like a slog due to long levels that mix difficult and easy sections without breaks. While some improvements are noted in later areas, the overall experience is marred by a lack of intuitive difficulty progression and the need for extensive practice, leading to frustration rather than 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.”
monetization
10 mentions
0 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
The monetization model for this game is praised for its straightforward approach, offering a full mobile version for just $1 without ads or microtransactions, contrasting sharply with the typical free-to-play autorunners that rely on pay-to-win mechanics. While some feel the game has been overly simplified, it is recognized as a well-crafted experience that avoids the pitfalls of common cash grabs in the mobile gaming market.
- “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.”
- “A couple months back, they released this full game on mobile for 1 dollar with better controls, and without any ads, removed features, or microtransactions.”
optimization
10 mentions
0 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance and animations, while others report stuttering issues, particularly on the Steam Deck. Additionally, the game is not well-optimized for ultra widescreen displays, leading to aspect ratio problems. Overall, while visuals are generally praised, the thick outlines on some elements detract from the experience, giving it a mobile game appearance.
- “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.”
- “Game isn't optimized for ultra widescreen (aspect ratio looks wrong).”
- “I've heard others have a bad time with performance, but I can't tell if that's due to poor optimization or their PC being bad.”
stability
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting significant bugs, including a glitch that allows players to exploit the game mechanics easily. Additionally, there are persistent framerate issues and freezing, which are particularly detrimental given the importance of frame timing in gameplay. Overall, these stability problems lead to a lack of recommendation from players.
- “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.”
- “Can't recommend it. I was open to having it not be a SMB 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.”
- “One of the warped games can be cheesed entirely by pressing the W key, which glitches you to an advantage for some reason.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its blend of humor and deep storytelling, featuring poignant moments such as the death of animals in the forest. While some reviewers noted inconsistencies in the overall story rating, they appreciated the emotional depth and humor, particularly in the character arcs and subplots, which culminate in a surprisingly heartfelt conclusion. The animation and cutscenes further enhance the emotional experience, making it a memorable part of the game.
- “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.”
- “The story can be emotional and somewhat deep, with very good points such as animation and humor, but it has sad parts, like when the animals in the forest die.”
character development
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game has significantly improved, showcasing a higher budget that allows for enhanced 2D animations and detailed character designs. Players particularly appreciate the adorable presentation and the introduction of new characters, such as Nugget, which adds charm to the overall experience.
- “The character designs, animations, and cutscenes are absolutely adorable, especially with the new character Nugget.”
- “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.”