While Guacamelee doesn't innovate the Metroidvania genre, it uses its brawler/lucha-libre fighting system to make a well-crafted experience. The polished mechanics for both fighting and platforming are worth your time.

My only complaint is that so much of the game (and gameplay) are call-backs to other games that the game lacks an identity. (Definitely not for the visual department). On the other hand, the similar mechanics could benefit newcomers who are not familiar with the games it works off of.

For die-hards of Metroidvanias, there is something worthwhile for you too.

The game starts off simple, but quickly ups the challenge and the world becomes more open. (There is no sequence-breaking, but you can earn certain collectables early with enough determination.) Then there are mini-challenges for completionists that will truly test your mastery.

• You get expanded areas and more challenges. (Every level was reworked.)
  
• More enemy variety and a new boss.
  
• Rebalancing of enemies' and player's attacks.
  
• New mechanics: Player-controlled dimensional swapping (switching between worlds on the fly) and Chicken Bombing (not often used or needed except for 100% completion).
  
• Upgraded local coop: From 2 players to 4.
  
• Multiple save-slots (so you dont' have to strangle your friend when he overrides your progress).
  
• DLC of Gold Edition included for free.
  
• Costumes can now be permanetly unlocked.
  
• INTENSO Mode (a fury mode for extra damage and other benefits that you can unlock).

Basically, the whole game was redone from the ground-up that buying the standard game is moot. (I got the Complete collection at a discount, and previous owners got a loyalty discount.)

It definitely plays like a game fine-tuned from the ground up, and it is better for it.


The one change that I think needs more polish is the toned down epileptic screens and visuals. They are much better than what they used to be, and I'm glad they were changed because they made me sick.

However, the Intenso medallion eyes and the names on the boss-screens might still be a strain on the eyes.

Also, the player-controlled dimension swapping is something I think the devs cannot fix for elipeptic gamers; the visuals are bright and colorful, and the platforming challenges for the harder areas will require lots of swapping between bright colors and a white-circle around the character.

I think you'll be able to play the majority of the game without much trouble. But like I said, the more difficult platforming areas require you to shift on the fly, so be careful.


With all that being out of the way, let's talk about gameplay. The combat of Gucamelee has a careful synergy between your abilities and attacks, making your progression on platforming and combat obstacles both challenging.

All the abilities you unlock can be used as attacks: The Rooster Uppercut (a saving jump), the Frog Slam (dive-attack), the Goat Run (vertical scaling), the Dashing Derp Derp (yes, it's called that; a forward lunge) and the Goat Fly (Shinespark) are all new abilities that expand your combo potential. And the animation quality is so smooth that it feels energetic.

The dojo in the game can help you learn the intricaces of your abilities. Or you can experiment on your own.

For example, if you use the Dashing Derp Derp, and you want to keep the combo going, you'll have to roll to continue the offense (the DDD knocks the enemy too far away). You can then send the enemy flying with the Rooster Uppercut or wait after sending the enemy in the air normally, and then use a Frog Slam or continue with another DDD or a headbutt.

Combine all those abilities with the grapple-based moves (throwing and doing some lucha-libre manuevers), and you will find yourself enjoying every single combat encounter you come across. The boss-fights don't feel special, but they're entertaining to say the least.

The platforming is no different; the careful attention to details of your surroundings can let you know of alternative routes or other means to unlock certain collectables. Health, stamina--for the special moves--and the INTENSO meter need three pieces for an upgrade, which you can purchase some pieces but you'll have to find a lot more on your own.

To compensate for giving your character a ton of versatility, the rule is you can use every ability once before you land on the ground again. I have found one or two screens where that didn't seem the case--maybe a bug--where the game forced me to do the platforming one way when I should've been able to use my Rooster Uppercut.

The Inferno challenges are the best platforming aspects because they're so short, while also very brutal on you mastering your fighting and platforming skills. The same goes for the Mask Pieces, which are all platforming-based; you need to find them (six out of seven before Callaca) to get the good ending.


For all the game does get right, I think some aspects of the game are lacking or not as finely executed as the gameplay itself.

I already mentioned how the game lacks an identity because it borrows heavily from its sources. Choozo Statues, the memes of indie games and other video-games (from Grim Fandango to VVVVV), the Shinespark ability, the Metroid Bomb eggs--did I mention this was inspired by Metroid?--and tons of other references. But the story is forgettable too.

Essentially, it's two young lovers who haven't seen each other since children now are a part of some demonic villian's plot for taking over the world. I like it 'cause the game reminded me of Mucha Lucha in its art-style and gameplay. But I'm not really given much of a reason to care about "El Presidente's Hija/Daughter" (that's her name), but the game spends a lot of time forcibly supplying plot points to sudden narrative moments.

And speaking of forced, those innuendos. I gotta say, I never really played a game before where I thought the sexual tension in the dialogue was a bit too much. (And I played Conker as a kid). Maybe it was because it was so forced that I thought it was cringe-worthy.

Dying is perhaps the one drawback that improves towards the end. At every checkpoint, you get your health refilled. and when you die you restart at the last one. Thankfully, falling just teleports you to where you last stood safely.

But the biggest complaint I have about its gameplay is what you need to do to 100% the game. You have to collect everything; not just the upgrade-stuff, mask pieces, and side-quests, but also the health-orbs, INFERNO orbs and other stuff you might not want to break in order to save it for later. As a result, I don't see a reason to beat this game for 100% completion.

All you should do for a complete playthrough (around 8 to 10 hours) is collect as many upgrade pieces as you want, then collect all the mask pieces and get Gold raitings for the Inferno challenges. Then, when you're done, you can play hard mode and enjoy the game however you want.

Thankfully, you will want to play again because the gender-swap characters (Juanita or Tostalla) have a different playstyle to Juan. Juanita is much faster and does more damage, but her throws are much weaker. The other costumes have some passive-changes, but none that I would consider worthy for replaying the game like with Shovel Knight.


You can't go wrong with this game whether you've fallen in love with Metroidvanias before or if you've never played one. You can be guaranteed that you will have a good time, especially if you are able to play with friends (respawns are available).

(Guacamelee won't actually spice up your life; it's a game, not food.)

While Guacamelee doesn't innovate the Metroidvania genre, it uses its brawler/lucha-libre fighting system to make a well-crafted experience. The polished mechanics for both fighting and platforming are worth your time. My only complaint is that so much of the game (and gameplay) are call-backs to other games that the game lacks an identity. (Definitely not for the visual department). On the other hand, the similar mechanics could benefit newcomers who are not familiar with the games it works off of. For die-hards of Metroidvanias, there is something worthwhile for you too. The game starts off simple, but quickly ups the challenge and the world becomes more open. (There is no sequence-breaking, but you can earn certain collectables early with enough determination.) Then there are mini-challenges for completionists that will truly test your mastery. [h1]What's so Super, Turbo and Championed?[/h1] [list] [*]You get expanded areas and more challenges. (Every level was reworked.) [*] More enemy variety and a new boss. [*] Rebalancing of enemies' and player's attacks. [*] New mechanics: Player-controlled dimensional swapping (switching between worlds on the fly) and Chicken Bombing (not often used or needed except for 100% completion). [*] Upgraded local coop: From 2 players to 4. [*] Multiple save-slots (so you dont' have to strangle your friend when he overrides your progress). [*] DLC of Gold Edition included for free. [*] Costumes can now be permanetly unlocked. [*] INTENSO Mode (a fury mode for extra damage and other benefits that you can unlock). [/list] Basically, the whole game was redone from the ground-up that buying the standard game is moot. (I got the Complete collection at a discount, and previous owners got a loyalty discount.) It definitely plays like a game fine-tuned from the ground up, and it is better for it. [h1]WARNING FOR EPILEPTIC GAMERS![/h1] The one change that I think needs more polish is the toned down epileptic screens and visuals. They are much better than what they used to be, and I'm glad they were changed because they made me sick. However, the Intenso medallion eyes and the names on the boss-screens might still be a strain on the eyes. Also, the player-controlled dimension swapping is something I think the devs cannot fix for elipeptic gamers; the visuals are bright and colorful, and the platforming challenges for the harder areas will require lots of swapping between bright colors and a white-circle around the character. I think you'll be able to play the majority of the game without much trouble. But like I said, the more difficult platforming areas require you to shift on the fly, so be careful. [h1]Let's Get Ready to Lucha-Libre![/h1] With all that being out of the way, let's talk about gameplay. The combat of Gucamelee has a careful synergy between your abilities and attacks, making your progression on platforming and combat obstacles both challenging. All the abilities you unlock can be used as attacks: The Rooster Uppercut (a saving jump), the Frog Slam (dive-attack), the Goat Run (vertical scaling), the Dashing Derp Derp (yes, it's called that; a forward lunge) and the Goat Fly (Shinespark) are all new abilities that expand your combo potential. And the animation quality is so smooth that it feels energetic. The dojo in the game can help you learn the intricaces of your abilities. Or you can experiment on your own. For example, if you use the Dashing Derp Derp, and you want to keep the combo going, you'll have to roll to continue the offense (the DDD knocks the enemy too far away). You can then send the enemy flying with the Rooster Uppercut or wait after sending the enemy in the air normally, and then use a Frog Slam or continue with another DDD or a headbutt. Combine all those abilities with the grapple-based moves (throwing and doing some lucha-libre manuevers), and you will find yourself enjoying every single combat encounter you come across. The boss-fights don't feel special, but they're entertaining to say the least. The platforming is no different; the careful attention to details of your surroundings can let you know of alternative routes or other means to unlock certain collectables. Health, stamina--for the special moves--and the INTENSO meter need three pieces for an upgrade, which you can purchase some pieces but you'll have to find a lot more on your own. To compensate for giving your character a ton of versatility, the rule is you can use every ability once before you land on the ground again. I have found one or two screens where that didn't seem the case--maybe a bug--where the game forced me to do the platforming one way when I should've been able to use my Rooster Uppercut. The Inferno challenges are the best platforming aspects because they're so short, while also very brutal on you mastering your fighting and platforming skills. The same goes for the Mask Pieces, which are all platforming-based; you need to find them (six out of seven before Callaca) to get the good ending. [h1]The Game's Blemishes[/h1] For all the game does get right, I think some aspects of the game are lacking or not as finely executed as the gameplay itself. I already mentioned how the game lacks an identity because it borrows heavily from its sources. Choozo Statues, the memes of indie games and other video-games (from Grim Fandango to VVVVV), the Shinespark ability, the Metroid Bomb eggs--did I mention this was inspired by Metroid?--and tons of other references. But the story is forgettable too. Essentially, it's two young lovers who haven't seen each other since children now are a part of some demonic villian's plot for taking over the world. I like it 'cause the game reminded me of Mucha Lucha in its art-style and gameplay. But I'm not really given much of a reason to care about "El Presidente's Hija/Daughter" (that's her name), but the game spends a lot of time forcibly supplying plot points to sudden narrative moments. And speaking of forced, those innuendos. I gotta say, I never really played a game before where I thought the sexual tension in the dialogue was a bit too much. (And I played Conker as a kid). Maybe it was because it was so forced that I thought it was cringe-worthy. Dying is perhaps the one drawback that improves towards the end. At every checkpoint, you get your health refilled. and when you die you restart at the last one. Thankfully, falling just teleports you to where you last stood safely. But the biggest complaint I have about its gameplay is what you need to do to 100% the game. You have to collect everything; not just the upgrade-stuff, mask pieces, and side-quests, but also the health-orbs, INFERNO orbs and other stuff you might not want to break in order to save it for later. As a result, I don't see a reason to beat this game for 100% completion. All you should do for a complete playthrough (around 8 to 10 hours) is collect as many upgrade pieces as you want, then collect all the mask pieces and get Gold raitings for the Inferno challenges. Then, when you're done, you can play hard mode and enjoy the game however you want. Thankfully, you will want to play again because the gender-swap characters (Juanita or Tostalla) have a different playstyle to Juan. Juanita is much faster and does more damage, but her throws are much weaker. The other costumes have some passive-changes, but none that I would consider worthy for replaying the game like with Shovel Knight. [h1]Gucamelee: Great as Junk-Food Or for Spicing Up Your Life[/h1] You can't go wrong with this game whether you've fallen in love with Metroidvanias before or if you've never played one. You can be guaranteed that you will have a good time, especially if you are able to play with friends (respawns are available). [b](Guacamelee won't actually spice up your life; it's a game, not food.)[/b]