Super Meat Boy 3D Guide | How to Defeat Maggot Larry

Maggot Larry is the boss standing between you and the last world of Super Meat Boy 3D. The fight has three phases and the arena gets smaller after each one. That's the whole idea behind it — not complicated attack patterns, but less and less space to move around in. 

Once you understand what each phase wants from you, the whole thing can be done in under two minutes. Of all the bosses in the game, Maggot Larry is the one where things click into place the fastest.

One thing to keep in mind before each phase ends: stay near the center. The outer edge of the arena is what falls away during transitions, and being too close to it when that happens will end your run right there.

The boss order in the game goes Sawhalanthropus in The Forest, Mr. Filthy in The Wastes, The Forge Master in The Forge, and then Maggot Larry before the final world, The Core, where Dr. Fetus waits.

Phase 1 – AoE Circles And Tracking Missiles

The moment the fight starts, move sideways. A large AoE circle drops right where you're standing, and staying still for even a moment will kill you. Three of these circles appear in total, and they take turns spawning at different spots on the ground.

The way to handle them feels a bit backwards at first. After a circle goes off, run toward where it just exploded. The next one will show up on the opposite side, so the spot that just fired is the safest place to stand. Keep switching between those two positions as each circle goes off.

On top of that, tracking missiles are falling from above the whole time. They follow your position, so stopping at any point puts you at risk from both threats at once. Keep moving sideways and you cover both problems at the same time.

Phase 2 – Tentacle Sweeps

When Phase 1 ends, the outer ring of the floor drops away. Get to the center before it does. Then Maggot Larry starts sending tentacles across the arena, and there's one rule here that matters more than anything else.

If a tentacle comes from the left, jump over it. If it comes from the right, duck and go under it. That's it. The problem is that most people try to handle both the same way, and that's where it falls apart. The direction of the tentacle tells you exactly what to do, so get that into your head before the phase begins.

The tracking missiles from Phase 1 also come back here. The same approach applies — keep moving between tentacle reads and don't stop to watch one coming toward you, or a missile will catch you from behind.

Phase 3 – Clockwise Sprint

The floor collapses a second time, and what's left is a narrow ring around Larry's pool of toxic sludge. This is the easiest part of the whole fight, even if it doesn't look it at first.

Larry sends out two large maggot orbs that spin clockwise around the ring. All you need to do is run clockwise and stay in front of them. Keep your speed up and don't slow down. After about ten seconds of running, the fight is over.

Also, check our Super Meat Boy 3D Review and other guides below:

• Super Meat Boy 3D Beginner's Guide | Gameplay Tips & Tricks
• Super Meat Boy 3D Guide | World 1 Bandages Location
• Super Meat Boy 3D Guide | How to Unlock Dark World
• Super Meat Boy 3D Guide | How to Find Secret Levels
• Super Meat Boy 3D Guide | All World 2 Bandages Locations
• Super Meat Boy 3D Guide | All World 3 Bandages Locations
• Super Meat Boy 3D Guide | How to Unlock Glitch Boy