Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine Reviews
Dr Fetus' Mean Meat Machine is too hard for its own good, and the addition of deadly obstacles to the puzzle gameplay is just frustrating.
Although Dr Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine is presented gorgeously and provides an interesting twist on the genre, it lacks the meaty content required to keep players engaged. The steep difficulty results in frustratingly repetitive level restarts, and with all stages locked with no hints, tips, or level skips the majority of players won’t see it past world one. There’s definitely more enjoyable ways to beat your meat elsewhere.
In all, the game has everything you’d expect of a Meat Boy title, right down to the narrative—a playful, unobtrusive shaggy dog story that builds to a predictably but no less hilariously crass punchline. Turns out that Dr. Fetus building this entire game just to flip Meat Boy the bird is, yes, frivolous and excessive but also, like Mean Meat Machine itself, perfectly fitting.
Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine doesn't meet the standard that Super Meat Boy set, but it's a serviceable puzzler that does bring something new to the genre. Appealing visuals and tight controls are positives here, though these are balanced out by the often excessively punishing difficulty and the lack of multiplayer or other modes. We'd give this one a light recommendation if you're tired of falling block puzzlers treading the same ground and want to try something that stands out from the pack. Otherwise, we'd suggest sticking with games like Mixolumia and Lumines Remastered.
A fun puzzle take on the beloved Super Meat Boy universe
Dr Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine is a brutal puzzle take on the IP and one that many players may find too tough to deal with. It can be rewarding beating these levels but with the auto-failing hazards you’ll be running into one wall after another trying to advance.
A fun and slightly gory puzzler on Nintendo Switch
Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine may not be the clever concoction that I was hoping it would be but it can be fun in short bursts.
Super Meat Boy was lightning in a bottle and the IP has been trying to replicate this success ever since, Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine is one of the most interesting spin-offs. The whole Puyo Puyo gameplay is good but not enough to support many ideas the game have in store so everything ends up feeling not quite cohesive.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It is a suggestive and attractive proposal, with important stumbling blocks, but it is still entertaining for fans as well as for those who are not familiar with the genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine might be a spin-off, and it might be a bloodier version of Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, but everything that made Super Meat Boy an enjoyable (?!) platform game is present here. The match-4 formula has been given a facelift to operate more like Dark Souls than Puyo Puyo, with numerous obstacles not only in your way, but actively trying to kill you. Those looking for a challenging puzzle game will be hard pressed to find anything more frustrating than Mean Meat Machine.
Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine is one of the strongest (and easily most difficult) puzzle games I’ve ever played.
Sold at a low price, Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine is certainly not the experience that fans of the Super Meat Boy franchise have been waiting for. The title offers an original variation on the puzzle games of the same type, with a world that's as well-realized as ever. Nevertheless, balancing and latency problems detract from the overall experience that the Headup Development team is trying to deliver. The idea isn't bad, but it lacks a little polish. Not to mention that it's more than a little strange to see this kind of game for the franchise when gamers are still hoping for a proper sequel to the first opus.
Review in French | Read full review
Playing Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine was honestly hell (but in a good way). I came looking for a challenge, and it was delivered. I admit sometimes I wanted to give up and ditch the game altogether, but I just couldn’t put it down. Every level I beat felt like a reward in itself. I would highly recommend playing with small breaks for both your mental health (and the controller’s health), as this game will get you angry with some of the traps. The little fun game at the end of the credits was adorable, and I would recommend this to people looking for a challenge. This game has a lot of charm, and the team at Headup Development has outdone themselves. If you are still curious after reading this review, a demo is available now on the Steam Store. I award Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine the Thumb Cultures Golden Award.
Getting angry at the difficulty of Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine is something that comes with the package, and there are certainly those who love it and those who hate it. The fact is that they managed to put the same spirit of adventure games into a Tetris-like game, making it very attractive for those who like the troublesome meat cube universe. That's not an easy task, but one that this game managed to accomplish very well.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While it absolutely has a novel look and tackling puzzle action games differently, it fails to make a compelling case for your full attention
But, for the most part, Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine does exactly what it needs: it tries something new with the Super Meat Boy franchise and does it well. It’s tricky, it’s gory, it’s exciting and it carves new thinking pathways. There’s fun to be had and it’s got gorgeous animation, a bopping soundtrack and is perfect to pick up and play here and there.
Dr Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine shows great respect to what SEGA and Sonic Team achieved all those years ago, bringing Puyo Puyo into more homes while adding their own unique spin on an established genre. But the lesson it didn’t take from it is how to balance its ideas, develop them to the full and show more respect to the player as opposed to reveling in their misery.
Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine is an occasionally brilliant match 4 puzzler. It has great ideas mixed with middling execution. I can’t say I “enjoyed” my time playing it, but I appreciated the looks and sounds when I was sane enough to pay attention to them.