edmund-mcmillen
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Tofu Boy being added to Super Meat Boy PC in next patch
Team Meat has cheekily responded to yesterday's PETA Super Tofu Boy parody by announcing that it will add the soy-based protagonist as a downloadable character in the next Super Meat Boy PC patch. The character will only be available on PC, since the XBLA can't be patched in the same fashion. In a blog post, Team Meat's Edmund McMillen said he "repeatedly made fake user names" in PETA's forums, trying to push the game in hopes of a response. Well, he got one -- and so did they. McMillen added that the parody was "beyond flattering and amazingly helpful," but also had some harsh words for PETA's stance on animal testing. He also reiterated, just in case some folks weren't aware, that Meat Boy isn't actually made of animal meat, "he's simply a boy without skin." And here come the Robbie Williams "Rock DJ" flashbacks again. Update: According to Team Meat, the "bit malnourished" Tofu Boy will be playable by typing "petaphile" at the character select screen following the next Steam update.
Super Meat Boy's 'Sewers of Dross' DLC now available, Team Meat details five more additions
"Teh Internets" of Super Meat Boy got an additional 20 levels of precision platforming madness this morning, with "The Sewers of Dross." The free pack features Gish as the only playable character, leading the character-specific DLC charge for SMB. Free DLC chapters made specifically for Commander Video and The Kid will also be made available in early 2011, along with a "best of" user-submitted level pack, featuring 20 levels created by PC/Mac players. Two non-character-specific DLC packs will arrive via "Teh Internets" in December: Meat Boy (a retro chapter "based on the best of the Meat Boy flash prototype") and I Meat Boy (a pack of remixed levels from the main game, made more difficult). As Team Meat's Edmund McMillen explains in the comments of the announcement post, some of these DLC packs will be available on PC and Mac as well, but some (TSoD, for example) won't make it due to exclusivity agreements with Microsoft -- Gish is exclusive to Xbox 360.%Gallery-108015%
Team Meat considering retail for Super Meat Boy on Wii
Sure, we appreciate the fact that Team Meat's Super Meat Boy was conveniently downloaded onto our Xbox 360, but that doesn't do much to satisfy our unending urge to lovingly squeeze the game box ever so tightly. At the moment, there's nothing we can do about this (and no, not any old game box would do) -- but this may change. Tweeting from the Super Meat Boy account, the game's devs publicly wondered, "If we decided to try to find a publisher and do a boxed version for $20 (with extras) but come out later on the Wii, would you hold out?" It seems that the tweet was at least partially in reaction to the game's WiiWare delay, said to be due to size constraints. One thing the folks at Team Meat certainly won't be doing? Splitting the game into chapters for digital release. "No split. It isn't as easy as 'cut it into parts.' The logistics of that are insane. That would push it out farther than a retail release," the devs also tweeted. "We will figure this WiiWare issue out soon," Team Meat assured. "Should have official updates in a few weeks." Until then, well, we'll be playing ... Super Meat Boy.
If you think Super Meat Boy is hard, try developing it
You must excuse Team Meat for looking a little loony upon the completion of the duo's Game of the Year contender, Super Meat Boy. "I can't even count the amount of times I had breakdowns and my wife had to convince me that I need to finish the game and I'll be okay," co-CEO Edmund McMillen told Eurogamer of the development of the game (which eerily echoes our experience of playing it). "We get five or six hours of sleep a day, max," McMillen recounted. "As time drags on and you get sleep-deprived things get really crazy" -- perhaps explaining some of Super Meat Boy's loopy brilliance. Despite the grueling development process of the two-man team's first commercial release (currently available and on sale for Xbox Live Arcade), Team Meat has no plans to hire more staff nor seek a publishing deal (which "seems like the most awful thing ever") for the next game -- and it "won't be Meat Boy," McMillen insisted. "It'll be totally new." "We'd be lying if we said we hadn't talked about the next game, because we very much have," a pooped out McMillen confessed. "But thinking about it right now makes me want to stab myself in the stomach as hard as I can. With a gun."
Minecraft character digging into Super Meat Boy PC
Need another reason to re-buy Super Meat Boy? Neither did we -- we have plenty already, thanks -- but apparently the forthcoming PC iteration includes another bonus character: Minecraft's main man. A Destructoid tipster spotted Team Meat's Twitter account putting Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson on the spot, asking, "How's about you let us use Mr. Minecraft as a playable charater in the PC version?" The ever affable and accommodating Persson responded in turn, saying, "Permission hereby granted!" Persson also noted that he needs to "add meat blocks" to Minecraft. While you're at it, may we also suggest heat-seeking missiles, enormous buzz saws, and piles of epidermic needles? Thanks!
Super Meat Boy save fix on the way
Super Meat Boy demands patience and precision from fans, who have shown nothing but adoration for its frantic 2D platforming. While you're grinning from satisfaction after completing an incredibly difficult sequence, don't forget to make sure your progress has been saved -- some players have reported encountering an inconsistent auto-save glitch. According to Tweets from the Super Meat Boy account, the bug can crawl out if you collect the same band-aid more than once in a level. So, um, don't do that. Team Meat's Edmund McMillen assured us that the issue has been identified and will be corrected soon. We'll let you know when the fix goes out on Xbox Live.
Super Meat Boy review: Into the grinder
There was a time when I thought I was pretty good at video games. I've brought down the likes of Earthworm Jim, Rocket Knight Adventures, Ninja Gaiden (2004), Mega Man 9 and many others without much trouble and only the occasional spurt of profanity. Having completed the story (but not nearly all of the levels) of Super Meat Boy, I can soundly declare that it trumps them all. As of this writing, I have died 1,792 times and several hundred of those lives -- at least -- were spent trying to conquer the last level. Super Meat Boy is tough, as tough as the toughest nails in the toughest universe. I've been maimed, beaten, crushed, devoured, stabbed, sliced and otherwise disfigured over, and over, and over again. I can only thank my lucky stars that my wife wasn't around to witness the frequency, volume and general ferocity of the swears that shook the living room walls. So, yes, it's hard. It's also one of the best games I've played this year. %Gallery-103429%
Super Meat Boy to be injected with delicious free levels
From what we've seen from Team Meat's challenging, retro-inspired XBLA platformer Super Meat Boy, the game's already packed with countless hours of missed jumps and gruesome deaths. Still, that hasn't stifled the developer's lofty plans for expansion -- Team Meat's Edmund McMillen recently explained to MTV Multiplayer that the game will have a level called "Teh Internets," a world that can (and will!) be automatically updated with free level packs using the "Title Managed Storage" system we learned about from the release of Monday Night Combat. Each pack will contain 20 new levels, all belonging to a different theme -- for instance, a pack titled "The Butcher Boy" places you in the shoes of an 8-bit Meat Boy, and will be available on launch day, October 20. McMillen explained on the game's official site that the long-term goal is to release the game's level editor "no more than six months after the PC version ships," and start putting player-made creations on Teh Internets. We hope the chosen creators don't have a mean streak -- the game's hard enough as is.
Super Meat Boy WarioWare D.I.Y. microgame is an exercise in futility
Super Meat Boy creator Edmund McMillen is among the game designers asked to create a WarioWare D.I.Y. microgame for the "Big Name Games" series. Like the others who have contributed, McMillen has put his own characters into a five-second adventure -- but unlike the others, this tiny story does not have a happy ending. If you win, Meat Boy fails, and if you lose, he still fails. See the game in action after the break. Should you like to play McMillen's micro-Meat-game, you can download it through WarioWare D.I.Y. on DS or WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase on Wii. [Via Nintendaan]
Direct2Drive indie award finalists named, threatened with Chobot lick
Aside from a spot on Sony's The Tester, we can't imagine a contest in the game industry with a much more ominous prize than Direct2Drive's Vision Award winner. Aside from the $10,000 bounty, apparently the trophy will be presented onstage at the 12th Annual Independent Games Festival by IGN's one and only lick-happy reporter, Jessica Chobot. We've listed all five of the games up for the Vision Award after the break -- a list that includes Hello Games' Joe Danger and Edmund McMillen's Super Meat Boy. The awards presentation will be held during GDC 2010, specifically taking place on Thursday, March 11. We here at Joystiq would like to wish all the contestants luck. Also, you might wanna bring a towel. Just in case, ya know?
Super Meat Boy coming to XBLA before WiiWare, aiming for summer release
In this week's meat-related game news, Super Meat Boy devs "Team Meat" (a.k.a. Edmund McMillen and a few others) has confirmed the game's release for XBLA with the above screen via its Twitter account. The studio further confirmed the news to IGN, who also found out that the team is hoping for a summer release. According to the report, SMB will find his way into thousands of inglorious deaths on the Xbox 360 first, with WiiWare and PC/Mac support coming afterward. No PSN release was announced, but the team would say that it has the little meaty platformer up and running on a PlayStation 3 dev kit. The reason for the move is said to be at least in part due to the space restrictions enforced by Nintendo and Microsoft, with the latter offering more space and thus more options for extra content. Super Meat Boy is claimed to be "about half finished," with the game's developers hoping for a summer release, just in time for grill season. Talk about synergy! Source 1 - Super Meat Boy Twitter account Source 2 - IGN
Exclusive: The new Super Meat Boy comic
Trailers are fine, but we're true renaissance men at Joystiq with an appreciation for all forms of artistic expression. That means that in addition to the crass populism of video game trailers, we can also appreciate the refined non-motion of comics about video games. In that vein, we're proud to be the first to bring you this comic about the upcoming WiiWare release, Super Meat Boy. Just in case they're not up for the cerebral challenge, we've also put up a new trailer for the game. You know ... for the common people. %Gallery-74107%
The Joystiq Free Game Club: Time Fukc
Yes, the Free Game Club is back -- only for one man would we resurrect this classic feature. While we wait not-so-patiently for Super Meat Boy, creator Edmund McMillen has given us Time Fkuc (yes, all orders of the second word's letters are acceptable) to gnaw on. As with most of McMillen's Flash platformers, explaining its gameplay is almost as difficult as understanding its meaning (if there even is one). Suffice to say the game's mechanics play with time, dimensional shifting and forms part of, according to the release, "an allegorical game about stuff you've never experienced." McMillen continues to have an incredibly fresh perspective that hasn't disappointed yet: Time Fkuc is no exception. It's lovely, with better animations than the art would suggest, and a really cool soundtrack. Plus, it's free! If you're still not convinced, there's a trailer after the break, placed there because it contains a bad word and is ... well, it's kind of unsettling.
Super Meat Boy character select screen reveals playable Alien Hominid [update]
Things are on the up and up for Super Meat Boy developer Edmund McMillen. After releasing This is a Cry for Help last year and subsequently announcing SMB for WiiWare, he put his indie cred on display for the world in adding Braid's Tim to his upcoming game. And now, during a live video interview with Bytejacker, McMillen revealed The Behemoth's Alien Hominid as another playable character! Quickly panning to his computer screen during the interview and teasing it, one of our wonderful readers snagged a screen grab so we could share it with the world. Now the real question: Castle Crashers characters playable as well? Hmmmm, McMillen? Hmmm? (We love you. Please?) Update: It was pointed out by a few astute Game Informer readers in the comments section that Alien Hominid was actually revealed as a playable character in a recent issue. Sorry, folks! (Thanks, Zack!)
Braid's Tim makes time for Super Meat Boy
Meat Boy isn't the only fleshbag to make an appearance in Super Meat Boy for WiiWare. Turns out that Braid's Tim will also be an unlockable character. How did these two indie darlings collide and not produce so much heat as to create an insta medium-rare hamburger? Turns out that Super Meat Boy's Edmund McMillen also did the character design for Tim -- so, you know, it's only natural he'd make an appearance in this game ...Much like Tim, Super Meat Boy still has plenty of time to release details and potentially offensive ads before its launch later this year.[Via ThatVideogameBlog]
Super Meat Boy ad may be super offensive
Uh, wow. This ad for Super Meat Boy, posted by Edmund McMillen on his blog, attempts to market the WiiWare platformer by offending a) vegetarians, and b) everyone else. "Hitler was a vegetarian ..." the ad reads. "Don't be like Hitler." We understand that it can be difficult to make money on WiiWare, but we wonder if Godwinning your own game is really going to help.It's kind of too bad. We think the Meat Boy-in-butcher's-diagram design of the ad is cute, but the text makes it all but impossible to pay any attention to the picture.[Via Destructoid]
WiiWare's Super Meat Boy compared to Flash version, demo promised for E3
Edmund McMillen has posted the first side-by-side comparison of Super Meat Boy's new WiiWare incarnation (left) and its original Flash version. He explains that the background in the WiiWare slide is a mock-up and that the final product will be "crap your pants awesome," with more depth and lighting.The plan is to have a playable demo ready by June 1 for E3. That's a good sign that the game will be ready for a release "by the end of the year." Although we have all the faith in the world in Meat Boy's success on Wii, we've learned that Q4 is not kind to downloadable titles. Hopefully, the adorable Meat Boy will release in late summer.
Super Meat Boy sliced up for WiiWare
God, we love being right. Remember back in November of 2008 when we told you it was time to get on the Edmund McMillen bus? Well, a teaser site has just been launched for Super Meat Boy (which McMillen co-created), and it's sporting a big, fat WiiWare label. See!? Blowing up! Looks like you'll be able to get your hands on it in the fourth quarter of this year.If you're unfamiliar with the original Flash game, which plays sort of like a meatier (literally) N+, you can get a sample of what to expect right here. We'd love to be playing it ourselves, but we've got a full day of looking smug and satisfied planned.[Via IGN]
Gish creator's Super Meat Boy splattering onto WiiWare
Edmund McMillen, creator of indie hits like Gish and Independent Games Festival award nominee Coil, has announced an updated remake of one of his deep cuts, co-created with Jon McEntee: the Newgrounds Flash game Meat Boy, a platformer similar to Metanet's N series, but with more persistent blood dripping. McMillen announced the game on his blog as a release for Mac, PC, and a "secret" platform. And then the official website opened, featuring a prominent WiiWare logo. According to the blog entry, the game should be out "by the end of the year".World of Goo sent a clear message: if you are a known indie developer who likes it when people give you money and then download and play your games, perhaps you should consider WiiWare.[Via Offworld]
It's time to get on the Edmund McMillen bus
Like most of you, we were thrilled to see an indie like Jonathan Blow get his big break with Braid. But unlike most of you, we had the added benefit of smug satisfaction from having been "totally into him" before he had his break. It's like those people who say they liked The Strokes before they hit it big, except we're not lying. Now, we're offering you a chance at that kind of cred for the low, low price of $10. That's how much it'll cost you to pick up This Is A Cry for Help, a disc full of the complete works of Edmund McMillen. You'll get the delightful Aether of course, along with more than 16 other games, as well as some animations and comics. We've put a trailer after the break, take a look and see if you're not convinced that he'll be the next big thing. Get there before the rest of the world and don't say we never did anything for you.
