Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition

🎮 Steam ⏳ 10 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Vibrant Cultural Style #

This title is a stylish, high-energy Metroidvania that blends colorful worldbuilding, tight combat, and clever platforming into a uniquely charming package. Set in a cartoonish world inspired by Mexican folklore, the game immediately stands out with its bold color palette, expressive characters, and smooth animations. Everything, from the towns you visit to the supernatural landscapes you explore, feels handcrafted and full of personality, giving the adventure a lively and memorable identity. This is truly one of the most unique games when it comes to it’s art-style, we sometimes take it for granted when we experience content inspired by other cultures. But this one is a big standout, not just because this is not a very well explored culture, but also when it comes to the overall quality and presentation, even when compared to more traditionally explored cultures such as the japanese/asian ones.

Dynamic Luchador Combat #

Combat is both fast and satisfying, the MC is called Juan, a humble agave farmer turned luchador, and the moveset reflects that wrestling theme with hard-hitting throws, slams, and special attacks. The combo system encourages experimentation, letting you juggle enemies, switch targets mid-air, and weave in special abilities for extra power. As you progress, you unlock new moves that not only expand your offensive options but also serve as keys to explore previously inaccessible areas. This creates a rewarding loop of discovering upgrades, backtracking, and uncovering secrets that enrich the world. And despite it not being a hard game in general, it is still a very satisfying combat, with a lot of enemy variety and a balanced combo system, similar to even something like Devil May Cry or God of War.

Inventive Dimension Platforming #

Platforming is another highlight, and the game uses its mechanics in inventive ways. One of the most distinctive features is the ability to switch between the “living” and “dead” dimensions, often in the middle of tricky jumps or enemy encounters. This mechanic keeps the platforming fresh and forces you to stay alert, especially in later stages where timing becomes crucial. It may not sound like a standout feature but, when you start playing while using this, you start to notice the game becomes much more complex overall, not just when it comes to the combat, but especially the platforming. Another standout to this mechanic is the fact that, similar to the SOTN Inverted Castle, the development team had to recreate the entire game map due to the implementation of this mechanic, which is an incredible task. Puzzles are generally fair, with a good balance between reflex-based challenges and thoughtful navigation, they are as enjoyable as the combat or the platforming.

Playful Meta Humor #

The humor throughout the game is lighthearted and self-aware, full of puns, visual jokes, and nods to video game culture. You can even notice some old memes from back in the day, immortalized on this piece of videogame, which is a nice nostalgia trip. NPCs frequently break the fourth wall, and the world is peppered with posters, signs, and side characters that add comedic flavor without feeling forced. It helps that the tone never takes itself too seriously; the story is simple but engaging, built around rescuing El Presidente’s daughter and defeating the skeletal villain Carlos Calaca. And since I live very close to Mexico I had a fond connection to this game’s culture because I experienced it in other places such as my childhood cartoons for example, I loved “¡Mucha Lucha!” as a kid.

Enhanced Definitive Edition #

This game improves on the original release by adding new areas, new enemy types, and additional difficulty options, making this version feel more complete and refined. It also supports local co-op, which turns the adventure into a fun, chaotic shared experience where teamwork actually enhances the platforming and combat. I played this with a friend for the first time, but we only reached half the game progress, then I decided to replay it from the beginning, alone, and almost 100% it. While the game still leans on repeated combat arenas and isn’t as long as some other Metroidvanias, its pacing remains brisk, and its mechanics stay entertaining from start to finish. I recommend trying to 100% this game, it has some amazing late-game content which enhances the experience. Since the overall journey is not really a hard one, the optional contents makes up for this with some platforming, combat and puzzle sections that are very challenging, even for veterans of the genre.

A Timeless Metroidvania #

Not to mention the classical secrets that makes up for the 100% factor, trying to find everything and do every side-quest feels like the intended way of experiencing this, similar to other titles of the same genre. Overall, this game is a polished, spirited, and highly enjoyable action-platformer. Its humor, art direction, and combat depth set it apart, while its clever level design and dimension-shifting mechanics keep the gameplay consistently engaging. Whether you’re a fan of Metroidvanias or just looking for a distinctive and energetic adventure, it remains one of the standout indie titles of its era. I consider this one of the best indie Metroidvanias that I’ve ever played, despite it’s age.