Upon the release of Super Meat Boy in 2010, independent game creator Edmund McMillen had finally struck it big. After years of making obscure and much smaller projects, he and Super Meat Boy co-creator Tommy Refenes became overnight successes. Both critics and fans were in agreeance that Super Meat Boy was one of the greatest games ever created.
In the years since, a lot of things have changed for Edmund McMillen. Most people would assume that after a smash hit, plans for its follow-up would be fast-tracked, but that hasn’t happened. The continuation of Meat Boy’s journey is only now happening eight years later and it doesn’t even involve McMillen. Instead of resting on his laurels, he decided to forge his own path forward.
His follow-up to Super Meat Boy was The Binding of Isaac. Another incredibly personal tale from McMillen, the game combined different aspects of his life and interests into an infectiously clever roguelike with strong religious overtones. Isaac went on to renew interest in the decaying genre while also propelling him forward as a creative force to be reckoned with. To say it was monumental in cementing him as a visionary is an understatement.
Source: Destructoid Life after death: Edmund McMillen on the success of The Binding of Isaac and his future