Written by Patrick Orquia
Title: Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition
Developer: Drinkbox Studios
Publisher: Drinkbox Studios
Genre: Metroidvania, Platformer, Beat ‘em Up, RPG
Number of Players: Up to 4 players
Release Date: October 08, 2018
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Price: $14.99
Also Available On: PS4, Steam, XB1
Guacamelee was originally released way back in 2013 and got high praises for its visuals and gameplay. I played and finished it on the Wii U early last year and it is one of the best games that I played on that console. I remember seeing a video review of it on YouTube and thought that it looked really cool, so one day, on my birthday nonetheless, I saw that it was on sale on the Wii U eShop and I bought it. Very cool. And it was more than cool, as it was one of the best games that I have played on the console. And now it’s back on the Switch. Time to unleash its awesomeness again.
The game begins with Juan Aguacate becoming a legendary luchador who has to save his beloved, El Presidente’s Daughter, and defeat the evil Carlos Calaca and stop him from taking over the world. Along the way, Juan encounters a goat that transformed into Uay Chivo, an old man who gives him his first skill, the Rooster Uppercut. Juan will meet the old man many times during the progress of the game at various location to bestow upon our hero more skills. These skills are needed not only to beat enemies up but also to open up new areas in the map like any of your typical metroidvania game. These areas are either passageways to new sections of the map or hidden locations that usually contain chests for upgrades. As Juan becomes more and more powerful, the more you are required to be at the top of your game as you perform multiple consecutive button combos to defeat enemies or get past puzzling obstacles. With aching fingers, will you still have what it takes to defeat the devil himself?
The game is a primarily of the metroidvania genre, but with a punch of platformer, a kick of beat ‘em up, and a suplex of RPG all rolled into one, with superbly executed visuals inspired by Mexican culture and complemented by an awesome soundtrack. It is a game where lucha libre meets Beetlejuice and the combination of the two transcends the worlds of the living and the dead with its humorous script and very challenging gameplay. From the get go, this audio-visual tour de force of a game never lets up and you’re part of the ride all the way.
What made me get attracted and eventually love this game is the sheer creativity of it, from the esthetics to the very challenging yet still accessible gameplay. Add to that the chock full of tributes and references to classic Nintendo games, like a poster of luchadores who look like the famous Mario Brothers, statues of Metroids, and many others. The most glaring one is the use of “Chozo statues” (referred to the game as the not-so-subtle Choozo statues) that give Juan new skills, similar to the functions of the ones found in Metroid games. If you are a Nintendo fan, you will most surely notice these references right away and will probably make you forget that your thumbs are already about to bleed.
Speaking of bleeding thumbs, this game can be really, really tough, even at normal difficulty, so prepare to die a lot. There are numerous instances, especially during the latter part of the game, wherein there is a myriad of enemies with different attack patterns and attack types and on different dimensions, all engaging you at the same time. Whenever such big battle occurs, the section of the area you’re currently in would be closed off on all side, making you unable to leave until you defeat all the enemies. You have to execute different types of attack combos consecutively with pinpoint accuracy to achieve this, and thus, making your thumb really sore in the process. Defeating enemies rewards you with coins that can be used to buy skill upgrades. Defeating enemies during big battles in closed off areas also reward silver coins that can be used to buy costumes that grant different abilities. You can buy these upgrades and costumes from strategically-placed altars that also serve as save/respawn points.
Like any other metroidvania game, the world of Guacamelee is divided into different areas, with new areas opening up after you acquire a certain skill or ability to proceed further. Most of these skills are acquired by destroying an aforementioned Choozo statue. These skills are mapped to button combos and can be used to deliver devastating damage to enemies as well as serving as additional movement option, such as being able to reach platforms that are typically unreachable by normal jumps. As the game progresses, you acquire more skills and the more difficult the obstacles you have to tackle. Yes, getting to one area to the next is not much of a cakewalk. Aside from having to deal with hundreds of enemies, you will also have your skills put to the test with a mind-numbing combination of spikes, thorns, acid pools, lava beds, interdimensional platforms and walls, etc. You better have excellent hand-eye coordination and cat-like reflexes to pull off the button combinations that you have to press in quick succession in order for you to successfully get past these obstacles. Usually, a chest containing coins, health, stamina (consumed by performing combos), and intenso (triggers enhanced attack and defense for a short period of time) upgrades await at the end to somehow entice you to be good at mashing buttons. Good luck with your Joy-Con controllers.
In between the battles and exploration, there are also some side quests that you can do, but they are not too many. There are also some mini-games where you get to practice your fighting skills. If you’re ready to fight again but still you don’t want to progress through the story, there is also a multi-level gauntlet-like area where you get to fight against a series of enemies that will put your skills to the ultimate test. Of course, you earn lots of money through these challenges, which you can use to buy new abilities and upgrades. And if you have acquired all skills available in the game and of the completionist type, you can do some backtracking and try to find and open all of the hidden and not-so-hidden chests. The game has a quick travel system (in the form of giant stone heads) that can get you quickly to different areas on the map. Completely exploring the map is one of the many achievements that you can acquire in the game. Other achievements encourages you to do multiple playthroughs solo or even with friends, as this game also supports up to 4 players in local co-op mode.
Overall, Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is definitely a highly recommended game. It probably didn’t get as much attention as it deserved on the Wii U, despite it being a masterpiece. 4 years after its Wii U release, it finds a new home on the Nintendo Switch, and it is as good as it has ever been, probably even better with improved resolution, framerate, and up to 4 players in local coop multiplayer mode. And, of course, you can now play it on the go. The hurting never has to stop.
And how awesome it is to play a game, whether on TV or on the go, where you play as luchador who can travel to the world of the living and the dead at the press of a button, battling against skeletons and giant armadillos and flying dragons, and traversing a world full of colorful Mexican Day of the Dead festive aesthetics all packaged with an awesome soundtrack, frantic arena battles, metroidvania gameplay, humorous dialogue, and with plenty of references of past Nintendo games. So suit up with your spandex, wear your luchador mask, and suplex and body slam your way to the very top, and enjoy the muy buen awesomeness of this game that is truly a blast to play from beginning to end.
REPLAY VALUE: Very High
PROS
- Superb visuals, inspired by various Mexican culture and Day of the Dead imagery
- Awesome soundtrack, consisting of mariachi-inspired music with lots of acoustic guitars overlaid with subtle electronic beats
- Lots of references and tributes to past Nintendo games and characters
- Challenging gameplay that keeps the player on their toes
- Classic beat ‘em up battle mechanics that also feature classic lucha libre moves like suplexes, body slams, and body throws as special finishing moves to stunned enemies
- Costumes that give extra abilities and bonuses which could appeal to different play styles (while also taking away some, making sure that they will not make the game too easy)
- Lots of abilities and attack moves to acquire
- Attack moves also serve as additional movements, like allowing you to reach places that cannot be normally reached by mere jumping to them
- High diversity of enemies
- Frenetic battles in closed-off areas against various enemies, including boss fights
- Has an achievement system that encourages backtracking and multiple playthroughs
- Multiple difficulty modes
- Up to 4 players in local co-op mode, with any of the players can drop in and out anytime
CONS
- Some areas in the game have needlessly intricate obstacles that are very frustrating to traverse and are obviously there to pad the playtime of the game. Sure, these are very good challenges and they are welcome in moderate doses but these areas tend to be such a chore to beat, making the game ever more frustrating than it has to
RATING: 5/5 Rooster uppercuts and intense combos
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