Guacamelee! Super Turbo Champion Edition

By: Robert Murphy

It would seem that all my time lately is being taken up by Indie games, not that this is a bad thing though because I have always enjoyed them for their often arcade like nature and that was the feel I got from Guacamelee! Super Turbo Champion Edition. Yes, it is just as ridiculous as the name would lead you to believe that it is but I'm no stranger to the fact that ridiculous can lead to greatness. The story follows Juan, a man who once dreamed of being a Luchadore but who now sells tequila and lives in a somewhat depressed state most of the time. This all changes though when Carlos Calaca comes with his army of skeletons and kidnaps his childhood friend and the Presidents daughter, Calaca kills Juan but this is not the end for him as he becomes resurrected by an ancient Luchadore mask he finds in the other world. The now resurrected Juan is a super charged Luchadore with legendary strength and abilities, which he will need in order to beat Calaca and his army to save his childhood friend and the world.  

Players will find that progressing through the game is quite fun and simple, Juan must conquer the various skeletal enemies of Calaca's army and his interesting associates such as Flame Face, not really original when you meet him but it still worked. You will meet friends of your own along the way though and learn new skills that will help you access areas that you couldn't before. It's the classic tale of wanting so badly to go through an area to find hidden secrets but you can't until you learn the skill that will help you get there first. You're guided by Tostada, a female Luchadore who was guarding the mask that granted you your powers and wants to see an end to Calaca as much as you do (she also is the co-op character when playing with friends). Juan himself is a fun to control as his whole attitude changes when he dawns the mask, he sprints, jumps and combo punches his way through the army of skeletons with thick Mexican bravado. The platforming you will see is just as good, there are no missteps in the design and the unique way that they can change when traveling between the world of the living and world of the dead make for some great puzzles for you to figure out. 

Ascetically too, Guacamelee! gives off a very unique feel to it. We see a large amount of Mexican culture unfold in the story such as the Day of the Dead festival and the reverence people have for the dead in Mexico. Also you see how much respect a professional Luchadore garnishes is Mexican culture through what the game shows, perhaps not as much in today's world but they're incredibly popular figures, go figure why Juan wanted to be one. Everything in the game is fun to look at and is well put together and carries a little bit of humor to it such a "MeGusta" signs or "Bust it up Ralph" references to pop culture and internet humor are not hard to find. It is a funny game and it knows it and that is something that you love when it comes to games like this. As I said before you'll find yourself wanting to get into certain areas for secrets, well these can come up by taking alternate paths early on too. Players can collect heart pieces for health boosts, skeleton head pieces for a stamina boost and regular golden chest for some extra gold pieces to spend on further upgrading Juan's skills. Gold pieces can be used on improving health, stamina, damage and all sorts of things and you can get it by finding certain chests or defeating enemies, you also get silver coins for defeating larger groups of enemies which can be used on costumes.

The game is also obviously a new addition and an add on to the first Guacamelee! featuring new bosses, areas and abilities, the biggest being the introduction of Intenso mode. Once you reach a certain point in the game you will be introduced to the Intenso ability which unlocks an enhanced state and cool Mayan looking Juan. You reach this mode by filling up the meter in the upper left corner and you do that by beating on enemies until you can activate it. The mode allows for more damage and a quicker Juan, you will stay in this state even longer if you keep a combo of hits coming in on Calcada's men. This can be tricky later on as some of the enemies are blacked out meaning they're in the opposite world than you and the interesting shielded enemies. Yes, later on enemies can have certain colored shields around them and require one of Juan's unique moves to get ride of them or unlock an Intenso ability to deal with them easier as well. This was an interesting choice, I didn't think it really fit in with the style of the game but then again the style of Guacamelee! is pretty unique to begin with.

In conclusion, I enjoy Guacamelee! Super Turbo Champion Edition and welcome it as a great addition to the list of solid Indie games I've played recently and will probably play for awhile. Not much changed from it's original outline and that was certainly a wise choice but the additions that have been made are very welcome especially the Intenso mode which I thoroughly enjoy using. The story and the theme are all very unique and it is something that I don't think many have played before and will really enjoy it now if you decide to play it. 

Good:

- Keeps all that was great about the game in it's original release

- New stages, bosses and abilities

- Funny and ridiculous game with a unique story and look

- Thee already added in DLC with purchase

Bad:

- Didn't really understand the shielded enemies but this may just be me and is all around minor

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10