With online distribution becoming increasingly viable for indie games, we're seeing all sorts of wacky shit coming down the pipeline. The bar has been set in recent years by The Behemoth's "Alien Hominid," a Newgrounds flash classic turned console and XBLA hit. With relatively little overhead, studios and individuals can turn out fiercely original games regardless of how insane their premises may sound. Enter "Super Meat Boy," a beefed up (sorry) version of the super-popular Newgrounds flash game "Meat Boy," headed to WiiWare and the PC Q4 this year. The gameplay of the flash game is old school, with one button controlling the jump command as you navigate various obstacles and climb to the end of the level. The premise itself is, well insane.
Of course, it gets even weirder, as this teaser trailer does nothing but tug on the strings of early-90's late night MTV nostalgia:
Truth be told, the gameplay of the flash game is quite catching and endlessly frustrating in a "Donkey Kong" sort of way. I'm curious to see how the graphics evolve, but the character designs are looking pretty awesome. If it's cheap and plays well, does it even have to make sense to be successful? I'd guess not.