I don’t remember the last time I played anything on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Like anyone with an even remote interest in video games, I have the console sitting in a box somewhere, probably covered in dust. Then, suddenly and without warning, the gaming gods of lore (Mega Cat Studios) dropped in and gifted me knowledge of the existence of The Meating and a chance to review it. At first glance, I was hesitant because it was difficult for me to enjoy games with an older aesthetic when I knew there would be more immersive experiences in 2024. I’m glad I gave it a shot.
There are a ton of things about the modern, 8-bit dungeon crawler that satisfied an itch I didn’t realize I had. Between the strong visuals, comical dialogue, and easy to pick up gameplay, I’d quickly fallen into the clutches of Kon’s revenge story. I wanted to get his parts back almost as badly as he did. However, despite the fun of going through dungeon after dungeon, slaying enemies, and winning back body parts, The Meating is not perfect… but it might be for what it is: a B-Movie masquerading as an NES game.
A Rib-Tickling Good Time
The tale tells of Kon, a lonely minotaur who’s finally decided to put himself out there by creating a dating app profile. His first date finds him at the dead end of a knife, prompting Kon a turbulent journey to find his prized meat cuts and win them back, no matter the steaks. You just can’t trust anyone you meet on a dating app, even if you’re a giant minotaur. Along the way, you’ll go through different worlds (each a different cut of meat) and levels, solving puzzles and engaging in cool fights.
That’s pretty much it. I wouldn’t consider that to be a negative of The Meating, but I don’t think I would have noticed if there wasn’t a story at all and I was just a minotaur head going through levels and beating cool-looking bosses. That’s what most NES games expect of players, anyway. However, I’ll admit that I loved the cutscene visuals that would show up between worlds, especially since I felt that it gave my brain a break after going through levels one after the other.
Try Not To Get Hit
The Meating has deceptively simple gameplay. Every dungeon Kon enters consists of a few rooms, a key, and a door. It’s an honest-to-god platformer, so you jump from place to place while avoiding enemies and other environmental attacks in order to snag the key and make it through the door. The earlier worlds and levels are walks in the park, while the latter are far less forgiving. It can get to be incredibly difficult at times.
Kon becomes equipped with a few neat abilities that help make every level unique and challenging. In the context of the game being developed for the NES, abilities like telekinesis and fire are ambitious work, especially considering how well done and smooth they are. I love when a game just feels fun, and The Meating was definitely fun from beginning to end.
Leaving Me Hungry For More
There’s just something so good about having consistent beeps and boops playing in your ear while playing an 8-bit adventure. Don’t get me wrong, I love the deep and compelling soundtracks of our more modern sister games, but they all start to feel a little samey after a while. Having this title thrown into the mix made me have a greater appreciation for the electronic genre. It makes me wish that the songs were available on Spotify to add to my video game-dedicated playlist.
However, beyond that, I wouldn’t say that the music and sound effects are necessarily groundbreaking, but as I stated with the gameplay: I love when a game just feels fun. The soundtrack was definitely an added bonus to that fun.
Keep Me in Mind Next Time, Kon
Overall, I wouldn’t say that The Meating did anything groundbreaking from what we already know about NES games. However, considering all the games available now, playing something so fun and deceptively simple as this was a breath of fresh air.
The Meating is available to play on the NES, Nintendo Switch, and the Game Boy Advance.
The Meating was reviewed on Nintendo Switch. Publisher Mega Cat Studios provided us with the review code.