Is Super Meat Boy really harder with a keyboard? [closed]

While poking around on Youtube I found many commenters saying "yeah, now try that with a keyboard." The game itself, however, only seems to suggest a controller to keep the "feeling" of the game.

I played with the keyboard so far, and I'm 10 levels from completing world 5. Sure, my completion rates for worlds 2-5 are below 30% and I only have 11/100 bandages so far – I still do value my sanity – yet I'd rather think it's me not being good enough, than thinking I'm bringing artificial difficulty onto myself for not wanting to buy a controller.

The only gripe I have with the controls is that you need to release Space after having gained enough elevation before you can jump again by pressing Space again. I'm not sure using a smaller button, or a different finger, would make this any less frustrating however.

Is Super Meat Boy actually harder to play with a keyboard?

Solution 1:

Super Meat Boy is easier with a gamepad only if gamepad is the input device you are more at ease with generally speaking, that's all. A few top players (Breakdown, Joe) play on keyboard and it's pretty obvious it doesn't hinder their skill. I would play SMB using keyboard rather than a gamepad myself if I didn't have an arcade stick, which I prefer to use. Last but not least: SMB default keyboard layout isn't exactly optimal IIRC, but that is easy to change.

Solution 2:

EDIT: Theory proved wrong, there is indeed little difference. Old answer follows, please see accepted answer.

Super Meat Boy is harder to play with a keyboard.

Gamepads can detect how much you are pushing the control stick in a direction; there are partial actions. Jumping to the right with 30% of run speed is possible to do.

Keyboards only detect whether you're pressing a key or not; you are either performing an action or not. So if you want to jump to the right with 30% of run speed you have to tap the right key at a certain frequency to simulate what the gamepad would otherwise do for you. This is especially difficult with a less than perfectly responsive keyboard.

Buying a gamepad is worth it depending on your experience with PC platformers. The gamepad and keyboard have different mindsets, and having already played through a good chunk of Super Meat Boy with the keyboard you'll have to spend time switching to the gamepad mindset. If you're a long-time player of PC platformers this will prove a painful transition. If you're not, then getting a feel for the gamepad will happen after replaying a few levels and you'll find the game much easier.