Super Meat Boy
1-20 The Test
Last level before the final boss in Super Meat Boy's first world.
The level is structured into three clearly differentiated zones that define the direction of the player’s movement. In the first zone, the player moves vertically upward; in the second, horizontally to the right; and in the final zone, vertically downward. In this way, symmetry is created both in the construction of the level and in how it is traversed. Even within the final challenge, horizontal movement is also present, as it combines the characteristics of the two previous challenges.
The level begins with an immediate dangerous situation. The player has very little room to act and must face an active and a passive hazard at the same time. As this is the last level before the first boss, such a sudden spike in difficulty at the start is understandable.
After completing the first challenge, there is a brief moment of rest. The player then faces the central and most difficult challenge of the level: breaking through two layers of dirt blocks while trying not to fall onto the saws below.
Finally, the player reaches the longest rest period in the level. In fact, they will not enter the third challenge area until they choose to do so by breaking the dirt block themselves. Once the challenge begins, the player must dodge projectile saws while descending through the next layers of the zone by breaking additional blocks, thus combining the two mechanics previously used in the level. This sequence happens three times, but the final one is the easiest: even though there is no space to jump, the player only needs to properly time the saw shot, because reaching the other side results in victory.
If we analyze the progression of difficulty throughout the level, where green zones represent the easiest areas and red zones the most difficult, we can see that, aside from the small safe space where the player spawns, the first zone already contains one of the hardest moments in the level. This is followed by a brief rest, allowing the player to prepare for the highest difficulty spike, where they must pay attention both to the destructible blocks and to the saws below. The final third of the level once again begins with a safe zone, giving the player a much-needed breather. What characterizes the end of the level is how it alternates between red and green zones, ultimately finishing in a yellow area with moderate difficulty.
