Guacamelee!

Guacamelee!
Super Turbo Championship Edition cover art
Developer(s) DrinkBox Studios
Publisher(s) DrinkBox Studios
Composer(s) Rom Di Prisco
Peter Chapman
Series Guacamelee! Edit this on Wikidata
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Release PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita
  • NA: 9 April 2013
  • EU: 10 April 2013
Microsoft Windows
8 August 2013
OS X, Linux
18 February 2014
PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
2 July 2014
Nintendo Switch
8 October 2018
Genre(s) Metroidvania, platformer, beat 'em up
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Guacamelee! is a metroidvania action platforming video game developed and published by DrinkBox Studios.[1] The game was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in April 2013,[2] and was later ported to Microsoft Windows in August 2013, and to OS X and Linux in February 2014. An enhanced edition was released for Wii U, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 in July 2014,[3] and later on the Nintendo Switch in October 2018. The game draws its inspiration from traditional Mexican culture and folklore.

A sequel, Guacamelee! 2, was announced in October 2017 initially for the PlayStation 4, which includes four player co-operative gameplay.[4] The sequel was released on August 21, 2018.

Gameplay

Screenshot of the gameplay

Guacamelee! is a hybrid 2D Metroidvania style action platform and brawler. Players control the luchador Juan and explore an open, non-linear world to complete the central story objectives while collecting necessary character upgrades and battling enemies. Coins collected from defeated enemies are used to buy new skills at shops,[5] which also double as checkpoints. The game features drop-in co-op play, with the second player assuming the role of Tostada, Guardian of the Mask.[6]

Abilities

As players progress through the game, Juan breaks open "Choozo statues," a direct reference to Metroid’s "Chozo statues," to gain new abilities. Some abilities give Juan new combat options with each move’s color corresponds to similarly colored obstacles in the world, requiring Juan to learn specific moves before accessing certain areas.[5] Other abilities include movement upgrades, such as a double jump, and the ability to cross between the world of the living and the world of the dead.[6]

Plot

In a small village in Mexico, Juan Aguacate is a humble agave farmer who is on his way to meet his childhood friend and love interest, El Presidente's Daughter. When an evil charro skeleton named Carlos Calaca attacks the village and kidnaps her, Juan is killed by Carlos during his attempt to stop him and winds up in the land of the dead. There, a mysterious luchador named Tostada gives Juan a mysterious mask that transforms him into a powerful luchador and brings him back to the world of the living. The game then follows Juan's battle to rescue his beloved and to stop Calaca's plan to sacrifice her in a ritual that would unite the worlds of living and dead under his rule.

While he confronts X'tabay, the first of Calaca's lieutenants, he ends up transformed into a rooster and brought back to human form by another rooster with mysterious powers. After defeating X'tabay, she reforms, revealing that Calaca was once a great rodeo man who broke his arm just before an important competition, and sold his soul to the Devil to have it healed time enough for the competition, but just after winning, the Devil enacts his payment and drags him to hell, but with X'tabay's help he deceived the Devil by having him transformed into the same rooster who helped Juan, and wants him to defeat Calaca in order to restore his power.

After confronting the rest of Calaca's forces, Juan pursues him up to the altar where the ceremony is being held and destroys him, but does not arrive in time to save El Presidente's Daughter. In the normal ending, Juan returns to his village and lives his life in peace until reuniting with El Presidente's Daughter in the afterlife. In the true ending, attained after completing certain feats in the game, El Presidente's Daughter is revived by the power of Juan's mask and the two return to the village where they get married.

Development and release

The DrinkBox development team

The game was originally released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in April 2013, with cross-buy support and additional missions and costumes released as downloadable content (DLC). Guacamelee! Gold Edition, released on Steam in August 2013, includes the previously released DLC, as well as Steam Workshop support, allowing players to create their own character skins using Adobe Flash and share them online. This version was later released for OS X and Linux in February 2014.[7] Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition, which adds additional levels and bosses in addition to previous DLC, was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Xbox 360, and Wii U in July 2014.[8][9] The game was a PlayStation Plus free title for subscribers during May 2015.[10] The idea behind the Mexican theme was originally proposed by the animator.[11]

The Nintendo Switch version was announced and released on the same day, 8 October 2018, with Drink Box's plans to also bring the sequel Guacamelee! 2 to the Switch before the end of 2018.[12]

Physical Edition

In July 2015, DrinkBox Studios teamed with the subscription box company, IndieBox, to distribute an exclusive, custom-designed, individually-numbered physical release of Guacamelee! This limited collector’s box included a flash-drive with a DRM-free game file, official soundtrack, instruction manual, Steam key, and various custom-made collectibles.[13]

In August 2017, Vblank Entertainment released a limited retail version of Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition for the PlayStation 4. This release was limited to 3,800 copies.[14]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(PS4) 89.79%[15]
(XONE) 89.33%[16]
(WII U) 88.86%[17]
(PC) 88.59%[18]
(VITA) 86.75%[19]
(PS3) 86.54%[20]
(360) 85.00%[21]
Metacritic(WII U) 90/100[22]
(XONE) 88/100[23]
(PC) 88/100[24]
(PS4) 87/100[25]
(VITA) 87/100[26]
(PS3) 84/100[27]
Review score
PublicationScore
IGN9.0/10[5]

Guacamelee! was selected as a nominee at Indiecade in August 2012.[28] The game was also nominated for the 2013 Independent Games Festival for Excellence in Visual Art.[29] IGN gave the game a 9.0,[5] citing that the game's only misfire was the short length.

Legacy

Juan will appear as a playable cameo character in the upcoming Wii U and PC game Hex Heroes.[30] Both Juan and Tostada appear as playable "guest-star" characters in the Wii U game Runbow.[31] Juan is also set to appear in Indivisible as a playable party member.[32] Also, Juan appears as a playable character in the fighting game Brawlout.[33]

References

  1. ↑ "New DrinkBox Game Announced–Guacamelee! «". Drinkboxstudios.com. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Guacamelee! PS3! PS Vita! Pub Fund! Chickens! – PlayStation.Blog". PlayStation Blog. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition Release Date Announced". IGN. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  4. ↑ Phillips, Tom (30 October 2017). "Guacamelee 2 announced". Eurogamer. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Moriarty, Colin (8 April 2013). "Guacamelee Review". IGN. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  6. 1 2 Brown, Peter (9 April 2013). "Guacamelee! is so full of personality and challenging gameplay that it's a shame it ever has to end". Gamespot. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  7. ↑ Matulef, Jeffrey (31 July 2013). "Guacamelee: Gold Edition launches next week on Steam •". Eurogamer. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  8. ↑ Hinkle, David. "Rumor: Guacamelee coming to PS4, Xbox One with new content". Joystiq. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  9. ↑ Dyer, Mitch (5 March 2014). "Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition Announced". IGN. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  10. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (29 April 2015). "PlayStation Plus' free games for May include Guacamelee, Hohokum, Unfinished Swan". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  11. ↑ http://thezarf.com/guacamelee-interview-with-chris-mcquinn-of-drinkbox-studios/
  12. ↑ Andriessen, CJ (8 October 2018). "Guacamelee! 2 comes to Switch this December, Super Turbo Championship Edition available now". Destructoid. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  13. ↑ "What's In The Box? It's TheIndieBox, Guacamelee edition!". Nerd Essentials. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Guacamelee! STCE Limited PS4 Retail". VBlank Entertainment, Inc Store. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition for PS4". GameRankings. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition for Xbox One". GameRankings. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  17. ↑ "Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition for Wii U". GameRankings. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  18. ↑ "Guacamelee! Gold Edition for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  19. ↑ "Guacamelee! for PlayStation Vita". GameRankings. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  20. ↑ "Guacamelee! for PlayStation 3". GameRankings. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  21. ↑ "Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  22. ↑ "Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition for Wii U Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  23. ↑ "Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  24. ↑ "Guacamelee! Gold Edition for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  25. ↑ "Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  26. ↑ "Guacamelee! for PlayStation Vita Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  27. ↑ "Guacamelee! for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  28. ↑ "The 2012 IndieCade Finalists In Full In A Long List". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  29. ↑ "The 16th Annual Independent Games Festival". Igf.com. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  30. ↑ Prismatic Games LLC (27 March 2014). "First Cameos Revealed!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  31. ↑ "Shovel Knight, Rusty, and more join Runbow". Nintendo Everything. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  32. ↑ "Lab Zero's Indivisible to feature characters from Shovel Knight, Guacamelee! and more". Polygon.
  33. ↑ "Brawlout - Party Fighting Game". Angry Mob Games. 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
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