Super Meat Boy was, without a doubt, one of the best 2D platformers of its generation when it first launched on Xbox 360 and PC. It became an instant sensation which brought the genre of terrifically-challenging platformers to the forefront. Ever since then, we’ve seen so many titles try to present their own spin on the formula perfected by Team Meat’s masterpiece. Seven years later, we’re finally seeing a sequel of sorts coming to light with Super Meat Boy Forever.

It was originally announced exclusively for mobile, but has since been revealed as coming to multiple platforms beyond smartphones. There’s no doubt that many were initially concerned due to the fact that the game is a 2D runner. After all, these are so often made with a casual audience in mind that it seemed like Super Meat Boy’s selling point -- its challenge -- could be totally destroyed. Fortunately it turns out this isn’t the case. Super Meat Boy Forever might be easy to pick up and start playing before you start to grasp its deeper concepts.

It offers a bevy of mechanics and smartly-designed levels to keep up the level of difficulty that fans already know and love. Players only use two buttons with this game (or two styles of screen tap and swipe if on a smartphone). One button is used to make Meat Boy or Bandage Girl jump while the other does a sliding move. While that alone might not sound very exciting, these two buttons get a lot of use due to how their functionality gets modified while playing.

For example, pressing jump while already in the air causes Meat Boy to execute a punching glide move. Jumping while mid-jump allows Meat Boy to descend faster than normal. The game quickly reveals itself to be far more complex than it initially appears when you start modifying the various ways you can go on a stage. Unlike most runners, Super Meat Boy Forever moves beyond going simply left or right as well. Think of it a bit like how Super Mario Run modified the genre, just this time around it’s much more focused on the challenging aspects of runner platforming.

The visuals, too, have seen a change. Now everything looks a fair bit smoother. Even if the original already had a Flash-esque game look, this is even more of that “mobile” game aesthetic. The bright, cartoony visuals provide an enjoyable view as you watch Meat Boy die over and over at your hands. Get ready to experience a runner like never before when Super Meat Boy Forever launches on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch and mobile (iOS and Android) in 2018.