The Meating is a retro-style action-platformer developed by Mega Cat Studios and 8-bit Legit. It takes inspiration from classic NES games, offering a nostalgic experience with a modern twist. The game is available on the Nintendo Switch, and physically on NES and GBA carts. I love these kinds of old-school games, so naturally, I was super exited about this. Sure, I really wish I’d kept hold of my Game Boy from my youth. But also thankful that there’s a Switch version so that I can try this out.
About The Meating
The story recounts the adventures of Kon, a solitary minotaur who ventures into the world of online dating. His initial encounter doesn’t end well, thrusting him into a chaotic quest to reclaim his treasured meat cuts, regardless of the steaks (heh). His odyssey takes him across various worlds, each represented by a unique cut of meat, where he must solve intricate puzzles and partake in thrilling battles.
And that about sums it up. It’s not much of a story and that’s not a drawback of The Meating. I’ve played plenty of games from the era where I either couldn’t tell you what the story is or it’s fairly simplistic. And it’s never taken me out of the game or made me wish for more, providing the gameplay is fun. The essence of the game lies in navigating levels and vanquishing impressive bosses.
Gameplay
The gameplay of The Meating is deceptively simple yet challenging. Players navigate through various dungeons, each consisting of multiple rooms filled with enemies, traps, and puzzles. The objective is to find keys to unlock doors and progress to the next level. Kon gains abilities like telekinesis and fire as you progress, which add variety and complexity to the gameplay.
The game features more than 40 levels, each with its own distinct theme and set of challenges. The difficulty of the levels gradually increases to ensure a smooth learning curve. Boss fights mark the end of each major section, testing the player’s skills and providing a rewarding sense of progression. There’s some nice replayability through its level design and hidden secrets, encouraging you to revisit levels to discover hidden items and take on extra challenges. Always enjoy features like that, as if you enjoy it, then you can keep on going.
This can be a challenging game, though. There’s a restart option to help, as you will occasionally become trapped with no way out. Or you’ll drain your power gauge with no way to replenish it, which limits what you can do. It’s a handy mechanic that you’d think shouldn’t be needed. But it adds to the challenge you think you’ve done well only to miss a jump and get trapped without enough power to get out.
Controls
Where the game suffers, though, is with the controls. The button mapping on the Switch is not great and feels more suited for a different console, like the NES or Gameboy, which is disappointing. Anyone purchasing this from the eShop might feel a bit disheartened. I wish it was possible to buy the ROMs for these games, as I would love to have it on my Anbernic RG35XX Plus.
For example, the menu selection involved pressing every button to see what changes were made, as the d-pad buttons did nothing. To cycle through abilities, you press Up and B to activate them despite the Switch having more than enough buttons to map abilities to. And saving, although not a huge problem, uses a password system rather than a regular save slot with auto-save.
Visuals
Visually, The Meating embraces an 8-bit aesthetic reminiscent of classic NES games. And I love pixel art games, so this is an absolute delight. The pixel art is well-crafted, and the cutscene visuals between levels provide a refreshing break from the action.
The Meating’s environments are richly detailed in their 8-bit way, with each level offering a unique and immersive atmosphere. Naturally, there’s only so much you can do, but with some bright colours and interesting textures, this old-school style game can still look pretty damn great, and it does.
Each realm boasts a distinct theme. There’s a grim slaughterhouse adorned with hanging carcasses and eerie, candlelit mansions. There are also thrilling boss battles. These encounters are ingeniously designed, often demanding multiple attempts and creative strategies, sometimes even allowing for victory without directly harming the boss.
Conclusion
The Meating is a delightful throwback to the golden age of NES games. Its simple yet challenging gameplay, combined with charming visuals and a quirky storyline, makes it a must-play for fans of retro-style platformers. While it may not be groundbreaking, it offers a fun and nostalgic experience that stands out in today’s gaming landscape.
There’s replayability and plenty of fun and frustration to be had, making for a rather enjoyable gaming experience. But I can’t help but think this would be a lot better on an original console. It makes the Switch almost seem like an afterthought with no care, which is a disappointment. But on the bright side, it’s still an enjoyable game, so it’s not too big of a problem. It is a shame, though, that anyone stumbling upon it on the eShop will be left wondering whether this is an actual Switch game or not.
If you want to grab a copy for yourself, you can do so on the Nintendo eShop. Or if you still have a NES laying about, you could buy it for that, which would be my recommendation. Play it on what it was designed for.
Rating: 7/10
