Friday Night Fights - Mario vs. Meat Boy

In the words of Winner2: "I'm kind of surprised as to how few comments this fight [between Captain Price and Duke Nukem] stirred up as opposed to chief vs shepard. I know that fight needed some explanation and parameters to be set but still." Here's the requested explanation and parameters. Captain Price, Duke Nukem. Fight to the death. Go. The same explanation and parameters apply for all forthcoming fights, including...

When a villain is loose, when war is imminent, when the very known galaxy is facing certain destruction *breathless pause*... it's totally inappropriate timing to have a popularity contest. But right now we've got peace, and with our 100 Best Heroes of All-Time rankings out, it's time to tease out--scientifically!--just who is better than whom. We'll tally up the votes at the end of each week and let you know which hero reigns supreme.

Tale of the tape: Mario, a mustachioed plumber with an affinity for red, not-so-arguably launched the platformer genre. Meat Boy, a naked wad of meat that oozes blood, arguably perfected it. What we have here, folks, is a battle of the old-school versus the new.

Meat Boy (Super Meat Boy) - One of the top character traits that a hero needs is persistence. He can't give up no matter how many times a buzzsaw tears him apart in one hit. Meat Boy might be easy to kill, but even 10,000 deaths means nothing to him in his quest to save Bandage Girl. And despite the horrors he faces, he still keeps a positive outlook on life.

Mario (Mario series) - While most mascots are designed with wide appeal in mind, Mario is beloved in spite of being something as noncommercial as a squat, fat, mustachioed, middle-aged guy. When he first appeared in Donkey Kong, Mario couldn’t helped but be seen as one of the most human characters in gaming. He’s spent his career beating the odds in David and Goliath battles, continually besting monsters that overpower him through quick jumps and quick thinking.

Old school versus new?


And if you're looking for more Wii U coverage, check out GamesRadar's reviews for New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land.

GamesRadar+ was first founded in 1999, and since then has been dedicated to delivering video game-related news, reviews, previews, features, and more. Since late 2014, the website has been the online home of Total Film, SFX, Edge, and PLAY magazines, with comics site Newsarama joining the fold in 2020. Our aim as the global GamesRadar Staff team is to take you closer to the games, movies, TV shows, and comics that you love. We want to upgrade your downtime, and help you make the most of your time, money, and skills. We always aim to entertain, inform, and inspire through our mix of content - which includes news, reviews, features, tips, buying guides, and videos.

Latest in Action
Death Stranding 2 Collector's Edition
Hideo Kojima reveals Death Stranding 2: On the Beach release date, and the Collector's Edition includes exactly what I predicted it would
Former Xbox boss says GTA: San Andreas and its infamously NSFW Hot Coffee minigame "signified a maturing of the industry" and put games "on par with movies and music"
Death Stranding 2 PS5 screenshot
Death Stranding 2 pre-orders are estimated to go live this month, and will reportedly include a $230 collector's edition that I pray doesn't come with another creepy baby statue
Assassin's Creed Shadows Claws of Awaji expansion Naoe and Yasuke in Awaji forest
Assassin's Creed Shadows roadmap, DLC and future content
Grand Theft Auto 3
A GTA streamer is trying to beat every single 3D entry without dying, and in 33 hours he's made it as far as San Andreas but keeps getting caught in Vice City purgatory
The Last of Us 2
Naughty Dog has done it: it's remastered the PS5 controller with a Last of Us-themed DualSense announcement 24 hours after Neil Druckmann dashed our hopes for The Last of Us 3
Latest in Features
Monster Hunter Wilds characters share a meal
Oh no, Monster Hunter Wilds is so good that I'm already counting the days until its inevitable Master Rank expansion
Kai and Giatta battle Xaurip in Avowed
I get why Obsidian doesn't like The Elder Scrolls comparisons, but Avowed is the first RPG to have its hooks in me this deep since Skyrim took over my life 14 years ago
Photo taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe of the Tears of the Kingdom OLED Nintendo Switch handheld, with the Super Mario Nendoroid figure standing in front of it.
My PC is screaming for an update, but the Switch 2 will be taking all my money this year
GoDice in their RPG case beside Pixels dice
I put two electronic d20s head-to-head and the bad news for your wallet is the discount D&D dice failed its saving throw
Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread in play
This board game TRPG hybrid delivers something D&D hasn't quite managed to capture for me
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again killing off a fan-favorite character is controversial, but it might prove to be the right choice for the new Marvel show