Metascore
90 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 51 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 51
  3. Negative: 0 out of 51
  1. Oct 22, 2010
    90
    Super Meat Boy taps into the exact kind of things I want from a video game - it's bold, challenging and, above all, rewarding. I can certainly understand how people might not be attracted to a game that takes a sadistic delight in coming up with inventive ways to frustrate players, but you'd be missing out if you let Super Meat Boy pass you by.
  2. Oct 21, 2010
    90
    With Super Meat Boy's cornucopia of offerings and irresistible charm, you'd be hard-pressed not to get your money's worth out of this title.
  3. Oct 20, 2010
    90
    So after this glowing review why isn't it a 10? Mainly because Super Meat Boy may turn off some players who aren't looking to be tested, even if I believe that the quality of the SMB earns it the right to be that difficult.
  4. Oct 20, 2010
    90
    Super Meat Boy starts out as just another indie game that revels in driving you crazy, but you end up crazy in love.
  5. Oct 20, 2010
    90
    Super Meat Boy is one of the best modern platformers.
  6. Oct 20, 2010
    90
    Super Meat Boy is a fantastic addition to the XBLA library and one of the most addictive games I have played all year.
  7. Oct 20, 2010
    90
    Super Meat Boy comes down to personal skill, which might be the only reason I didn't fling the controller through the window. In other words, if you fail, it's your fault. If the levels weren't well-designed, or if the controls were off even by the slightest bit, Super Meat Boy would be an entirely different experience. As it stands, it's one of the best platformers I've ever played.
  8. Oct 26, 2010
    89
    If you can appreciate all the other elements that make up a great game like music, style, gameplay, etc. then there is no reason not to insist that you grab some points to pick up Super Meat Boy immediately.
  9. Jan 11, 2011
    88
    An essential but highly addicting platformer, made for super hard-core gamers who want to push their abilities to the maximum.
  10. Dec 16, 2010
    86
    You just need to have an open mind about what's fun, and odds are Super Meat Boy will have you liking it provided you have enough patience to let its design philosophy sink in.
  11. Oct 21, 2010
    85
    If you can handle the difficulty and don't mind an exercise in frustration, this is one of the best platformers out there and an honorable ode to the glorious days of old-school. If you prefer a more easy going experience, you may want to pass on SMB and save yourself the rise in blood pressure.
  12. Oct 20, 2010
    85
    It brings back fond memories of a genre that is going through a renaissance on the Xbox Live Arcade and indie scene with darlings such as Braid, 'Splosion Man, A Boy and His Blob, Limbo, LittleBigPlanet and many others. With that said, Super Meat Boy is among the best in the genre in recent memory.
  13. Oct 20, 2010
    85
    While it may feel painful, grueling, and even outright sadistic at times, there's no denying the skill and craftsmanship that went into Super Meat Boy.
  14. Oct 20, 2010
    84
    There's a lot of value packed in this little package. It will take you hours upon hours just to beat the light world, and likely dozens more to master the dark world.
  15. Oct 20, 2010
    83
    At the end of the day, Super Meat boy does a fabulous job at what it's intended to do: pay homage to the classic NES platformers.
  16. Dec 16, 2010
    80
    Addictive and annoying in equal spades, Super Meat Boy is one of the most vexing games of the year.
  17. Dec 16, 2010
    80
    The majority of SMB is a finely executed tightrope act of death and rebirth, as funny as it is fun and as precise as it is inventive. [Christmas 2010, p.103]
  18. Oct 22, 2010
    80
    Quotation forthcoming.
  19. Oct 22, 2010
    80
    Indie gaming at its retro-loving best, with some of the most cunningly-designed and purposefully infuriating 2D gameplay of the year.
  20. Oct 20, 2010
    80
    Super Meat Boy is a thank-you card addressed to great game design. It recognizes and embraces everything we've come to love about the indie scene, even going so far as to include it – Braid's Tim and Gish's Gish, for instance, show up as playable characters.
  21. Oct 24, 2010
    75
    Even though Super Meat Boy will make most casual players shy away from it due to its extreme, raw (pun intended) level of difficulty, there's plenty of content to dig through and it's all well worth the effort.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 186 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 63
  2. Negative: 9 out of 63
  1. This game is amazing. Takes me back to playing old school games, how fun and simple those were, but this game has an awesome twist with a super cool story line. It's fun, and so addicting. I've played it for HOURS at a time. This game has personality, which so many others lack. Best. Platformer. Ever. Character development and story writing is astonishing. This game is EPIC. Full Review »
  2. This game is incredibly over-hyped. While there is some charm to be found in the simple mechanics and presentation, the controls can be very loose and fickle. The levels, while short, have almost no margin for error, therein leading to frustration and poor level design masquerading as "challenge". The only reason this is forgivable by so many reviewers is that the very short levels allow for endless instant restarts until, often by luck, you get it just right. I support the indie scene, and the "game-play over graphics" mentality, but in this case, the emperor really has no clothes; the game just isn't all that good. Full Review »
  3. 10
    Impossibly good. This game should not be compared directly to the retro games of yore. Their clunky controls are reason enough to take a hard look at what was, and know that it belongs in the past. This is the future of platform gaming. The story, while simple, is hilarious, and the cut scenes are actually worth watching for a change. The art is simply enough to make it easy to follow the game, but carries loads of personality. The music is amazing, and despite reports to the contrary, are not all chip-tune tracks. Orchestral, synth and the occasional chippy track in the warp zone levels round out the game nicely. The sound effects are perfectly disgusting, the sound of sloshing, swishing meat drove my wife from the room, so PROPS for that Super Meat Boy.

    Best of all, this game is HARD. It separates the men from the boys (and the women from the boys too), and it is not hard because the levels were poorly built. It is hard because you suck at games. All in all Super Meat Boy is the best game to come along on XBLA in ages.
    Full Review »