Super Meat Boy Soundtrack is real and it's spectacular

How can you deny this cute face?

It's a well known fact that we at Who Burned My Toast? are in love with Meat. Super Meat Boy that is. As we patiently wait for the PC, Mac, and WiiWare releases of the game (currently available only on XBox Live), we wanted everyone to know about the newly released soundtrack.

You can pick up this amazing 33 track albulm at dbsoundworks.bandcamp.com for $3.99. All the proceeds will go to danny B of dbsoundworks.com and as the site says it will "fuel his habit of making killer soundtracks for awesome indie video games!"

And for all of you that like resisting the digital revolution while combing back your mullets. You can buy the physical special edition of the soundtrack being announced in late November.

So far I am loving this electronic, rock mix of sounds as its washes through my brain. I can't quite put my finger on it, but even though the music is being produced with current technology, the beats and rhythms feel very 16 bit old school. I know next to nothing about music, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Sequelitis

I love you! But not that much.

Is the gaming industry relying too heavily on sequels?

I love sequels, I really do. I think overall video games fare well when it comes to the business of creating sequels to beloved franchises, which is much more than what I can say for your average movie sequel (Mortal Kombat II, you’ve failed me). Once a good game concept is implemented those foundations can be easily replicated and improved upon and refined to perfection, creating a massive fan base who cling to every nuance of their favorite characters and demand to see more. Which is understandable, why wouldn’t you want more of the games you love?

But over the years, I’ve been noticing a trend in the industry. Publishers are giving us more of what we want and they are doing it at a pretty fast pace. Sequels are now coming more frequently and what I would argue, less innovation. Some publishers, such as Activision have even gotten to the point of releasing a new version of their games on a yearly cycle. Choosing to develop one franchise with multiple studios in order to hit their yearly sales numbers. This isn’t a new phenomenon by any means and even today we still see sequels to some of gaming's biggest franchises of the last 20 years still being reworked and played by millions of fans worldwide. But I feel like over the last eight years or so the world has been filled with more Marios, Zeldas, Master Chiefs, and games with the number 4 in their titles then I feel comfortable with. Often these games are great in their own right, but often they feel a lot like there predecessors. It may be nostalgia creeping into my mind, but I remember sequels to games really feeling like a whole new upgrade to me when I was a younger gamer. Nowadays I feel like I’m just getting slightly modified upgrades to my favorite games. Pretty graphics and a few new mechanics mixed in.

Nintendo sure knows how to throw a party

Screen savers and pins? I feel so special.

If your a member of the Nintendo Club like myself (yes I have no shame), you most likely have noticed that there a few new goodies that you can purchase with your coins on the club website. You have the option to either purchase a Mario Screen saver and a series of commemorative pins to celebrate 25 years of saving the princess, eating mysterious mushrooms, and squeezing your big head down tubes. Since I'm a club member I'm surely going to spend some coins on one of these choice trinkets and wear it with pride as I spend my evening drinking Tall Boys at my local watering hole. But like any video game consumer, I'm never satisfied.

True it's great to get these little exclusive gems for being part of the Club Nintendo, but I still feel a little shafted. We get measly pins and screensavers while Japan and Europe are getting an actual Wii game titled Super Mario Collection (Simular idea as Super Mario Allstars for SNES) to celebrate the occasion. Granted this is a full retail release and will cost you more than these sweater vest accessories, but I would just appreciate the option. Maybe Nintendo will read this post and fix this issue right away. I doubt it.

Would you pick up a copy of Super Mario Collection if it was released in the US?

Are you a member of Club Nintendo?

It all started one year ago today.

October 5th, 2009 was the official launch of the Who Burned My Toast? Podcast and Blog. A few things have changed over the year. First we changed our name from the generic "Select Start", then we redesigned the site and started to include interviews on the podcast. Now we're also are including video game music to our repertoire. It's all been a long slow process since we've been living our double lives as gamers and people who need to make money to pay their bills.

But oh it's been fun and we've met a lot of cool people along the way and we're constantly talking about ways to improve the site (when we have the time). So we're not going anywhere, we'll still be podcasting, and we'll still be attempting to entice you to post comments on the blog.

So listen to the cat and celebrate. You don't want to make Mr. Biggles angry. You won't like him when he's angry.

Thanks everyone for a fun year and keep listening.

Brad (Butcher) and Amado (Den).