Super Meat Boy is an incredibly difficult platformer - but one that is immensely satisfying to conquer.
First of all, if you don't like a challenge, you will hate this game. In order to be successful at Super Meat Boy, you need to be incredibly patient. You need to be able to play the same level for extended periods of time, dying over and over. Super Meat Boy is all about the difficulty, and if you can't handle it, this game is not for you. However, if you are patient, or if you are just ridiculously skilled, you will find a highly addictive and satisfying game.
The platforming in Super Meat Boy is fairly standard, but with the inclusion of wall jumping, which is a vital mechanic. Mastering the art of bouncing between walls is quite challenging early on, but as you practise, it becomes second nature. Despite being very simple in essence, Super Meat Boy manages to always feel new, and to always feel immensely challenging. The game is incredibly fast. Though earlier levels can be quite easily traversed, eventually you need to constantly running, jumping or bouncing around. Hazards constantly place themselves in your way, ranging from saw-blades to laser cannons to demonic portals which shoot flying monster mouths. Sometimes you have to spend a while figuring out the best past through a maze of spinning wheels of death. Sometimes you simply have to run as fast as you can, being chased by a wall of saws. The variety in the game is abundant, and you never get bored while playing Super Meat Boy.
The amount of content is also overwhelming. There are 5 main worlds, each with 20 levels and a boss. After this, the 'final' world carries with it 5 very difficult levels, and the final boss. After all of this is completed, you unlock an additional, even harder world, with 20 more levels for you to tear your hair out over. And if you completed a level within a set time, you unlock an even harder version of it, which essentially doubles the number of levels previously mentioned. There are also hidden levels in the form of warp zones, some of which contain bonus characters to unlock, such as Commander Video from the Bit Trip games. Some levels also have bandages in them which can be collected to unlock even more playable characters, such as a Headcrab from Half-Life. These characters aren't just simply fancier looking skins for your character - each character has different abilities, different speeds and various other characteristics which make them unique. Collecting all the bandages is a difficult task, adding another layer of challenge to an already difficult game. If you purchased the game for PC via Steam, you also gain access to a level editor and the ability to download community made maps, essentially providing you with infinite platforming awesomeness.
Super Meat Boy's controls are very responsive and accurate - at least with a controller. On the PC, the keys just simply don't allow the same degree of control as with a 360 controller. Plugging a wired controller into your computer will remedy this problem, but if you don't have one, it's not the end of the world - the controls just take a bit more time to master.
Super Meat Boy is a masterpiece of a game - but it's not for anyone. However, if you don't mind an incredibly steep difficulty, this game will provide hours upon hours of incredibly satisfying gameplay.