The game’s new dimension doesn’t change the series’ brutal platforming.
The original Super Meat Boy is one of the most iconic indie games. Released in 2010, it’s a notoriously challenging 2D platformer but remains entertaining: Its short levels feel like speedrunning challenges, filled with traps, yet dying isn’t too punishing thanks to instant revivals. Super Meat Boy 3D continues this tradition; it’s equally infuriating and satisfying.
Playing as Meat Boy in 3D is reminiscent of the 2D experience, particularly his floaty jumps. Blood splatters mark where you’ve run (or died), serving as helpful guides when retrying a level. You’ll face obstacles like saws, lasers, spikes, homing missiles, moving platforms, and complex walls, often dealing with several simultaneously. The 3D transition introduces new elements like diagonal jumps and wall-running without changing the core Super Meat Boy experience.
In Super Meat Boy 3D, starting a level often seems impossible at first. Initial attempts usually end in quick deaths, but instant restarts allow you to tackle challenges repeatedly until you succeed. Completing a level might only take about 20 or 30 seconds after a few minutes of trial and error, then it’s on to the next.
This might sound daunting, but it’s exhilarating. Continuous repetition improves your skills, enabling you to face progressively harder levels. This is intentional: There are no options to ease the game’s difficulty, so you must conquer the levels as presented. The only way out is through.
For increased difficulty, levels have hidden bandages to unlock new characters and time challenges for an A-plus ranking, which open additional Dark World levels. If you enjoy chasing achievements, good luck with challenges like completing 15-level worlds without dying.
I completed the Light World, the main batch of levels, in about five hours, with 911 in-game deaths. While not attempting A-plus times or Dark World levels now, they are intimidating. Still, I may return despite their apparent impossibility: Super Meat Boy 3D makes enduring the hardships enjoyable.
Super Meat Boy 3D is available now on Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X / S.