Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine

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.

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.

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.

A fun puzzle take on the beloved Super Meat Boy universe

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.