Taking place after the events of Super Meat Boy Forever, Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine has adopted Team Meat’s gory platforming mechanics into a puzzler that mimics Puyo Puyo while making a pun on Sega’s Dr. Robonik’s Mean Bean Machine. Simply put, it is a single player match-4 puzzle game with buzzsaws.
Surprisingly, not only is there a plot but it merges directly into the gameplay. You see, Dr. Fetus is trying to clone Meat Boy (because reasons) but his DNA sample isn’t exactly the highest quality. So instead of creating perfect clones, weird mutants are created and must be destroyed by placing four of the same colored pieces within close proximity.
Just like Puyo Puyo, pieces fall from the top of the well and can be rotated in specific ways to build combos. Combos reward the player with temporary invincibility from the hazards placed on the board. This is a Meat Boy game after all, so it is pretty much mandatory that spinning saw blades become a major component of the gameplay. Be warned, hitting a hazard results in insta-death and the entire level must be restarted, which can be annoying when you accidentally nick the tip of a spinning saw when about to place the last piece or that projectile flies through the screen without warning. These hazards are often positioned in locations that prevent the player from placing pieces, which is why combos are required as they let you pass through; the bigger the combo, the more invulnerable time is rewarded. It is an interesting mechanic added to classic puzzle gameplay.
There are over 100 levels to clear with a few bosses to best, a unique feature for a puzzle game, but the lack of multiplayer and online support is a glaring omission. Puzzle games are usually best enjoyed with a human opponent or three (or 99) so being limited to handcrafted single player stages starts to get repetitive. This matter isn’t made any better by the lack of unlockables and each stage is only accessible in sequential order. So if you are having difficulty with that one stage in particular, too bad, you need to grind until you get it right.
Even though it lacks in overall gameplay features, there is no denying the high production values. The fluid animation, the outstanding yet grotesque artwork, and even the Windows-like stage select presentation is top notch. The soundtrack is also well done. In fact, this is one of the most impressive looking puzzle games I’ve ever played. Unfortunately, as good looking as this game is, the lack of extra features is disappointing and makes the experience feel incomplete.
It seems like Dr. Fetus’s Mean Meat Machine was positioned like a trial run since it is such a departure from the original source material. While it is an entertaining puzzle game, one that carries the Meat Boy philosophy well, it leaves the door wide open for a more robust sequel with fleshed out, pun intended, features. It also gets me excited for what the future might hold for Meat Boy. A kart racer perhaps? A Mario & Luigi-style RPG? Simulated Badminton? Sky’s the limit with this quirky series.
Not As Good As: Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo
Also Play: Puyo Puyo Fever
Wait For It: Super Meat Boy Smash Burger Simulator
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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