Super Meat Boy is one of those games that feel so specific to a certain, short period of time, that it almost feels like a crime playing it today.

The aesthetic is the biggest jump back in time, and it's almost inevitable to feel at least a little bit nostalgic playing it, doesn't matter if you've already played it in the past; everything here screams flash animation (of course), and the gameplay too is a refelction of what was once popular on youtube. It's a very simple platform (simple, not easy) with sooo many levels that can vary from pure rage game magic, to some really good design choices and ideas. Blasting through levels is the best feeling, expecially once you understand how to beat the hardest ones.
Some levels feel impossible to beat, so i have to thank my ocd for being able to complete (almost) each and every one of them. I know it may sound silly, but I almost felt like there were too many, and the game regressed too often into a rage game, more so than a really tough platform. Completing this game in 100% is a bitch, but it isn't impossible. Most of the unloackable characters feel nearly the same and have minimal changes between them, but maybe it was inevitable, so not to destroy the game from the inside. Also, don't know if it was just me, but some of the hitboxes felt a bit strange and sometimes the controls don't feel as responsive as they should be (expecially when going faster in hard levels).

This is a simple, good, early 2010s platformer. It doesn't pretend to be anything else, and it definitely delivers in what it wants to. At the same time it probably is pleasantly remembered more for the context in which it was released rather than for the game itself.

It's actually kind of crazy how well this game holds up today. Every part of this game has so much polish and the soundtrack by Danny B. just brings it all together into one really fun package. All the choices and bonus content make it really stand out today.
I also love how the alternative characters actually unlock levels and make progress. I remember playing as a kid and using Tim to get past the creatures in the rapture when I was stuck and it felt a lot more interesting than using assist mode to get past a place I was stuck in when playing celeste. (no hate to celeste)