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.