Some of the best aspects of games are their ability to bring people together and allow them to escape reality if only for a second. Guacamelee! with the Super Turbo Championship Edition features co-op play which allowed me to enjoy the fun with my children. One of the first things you will notice about the game is its ability to pull you in with is striking visuals and intriguing characters. As soon as the game starts, you are taken back to some of the best days of classic gaming were the title starts off with a knock at the door and a couple of speech bubbles set against a black screen. While this may be nothing for most people to gawk at, it was in fact a very well-thought out intro that automatically draws you into the game and makes you curious about what is going to happen next.
Obviously from the intro, players figure out they are the soon-to-be-Luchador Juan Aguacate and you step into his shoes for this fun adventure. The entertaining platformer starts you out in a beautiful backdrop that casually gives you some background information on the character. From the items found around your environment that give you more insight into Juan such as wresting posters, boxes of tequila, sexy pinup art, religious candles, and workout equipment. Juan obviously loves to drink tequila as his house is littered with huge crates of it that overflow into his backyard. Once you get to the door, a plump and balding munk tells you that it is time to get up because it is noon already and to make your way to the Dia de los Muertos festival. Basically, get your lazy butt out bed and head to the festival and drink there! It has to beat the continuous sounds of clucking chickens at Juan's house, so of course, we decide to head to Pueblucho!
Guacamelee! with the Super Turbo Championship Edition features very open gameplay with simple, responsive controls that allow players to pick up new abilities to enjoy throughout their travels. There are a ton of fun fighting moves to learn which start out pretty basic like throwing punches to more specialized abilities like they ability to throw your enemy. Gamers can also combine moves to create powerful combos to take out their enemies which are learned as you progress. One of the first baddies you will meet is Carlos Calaca, Ruler of the Dead World, and his goofy looking flame-head sidekick with a scary pumpkin-like grin. Your first match obviously doesn't go well and you get the living bejeezers kicked out of you! That means its time to practice before becoming a full Luchador while taking out your frustration by smashing some barrels on the way to earn some coin to unlock new costumes and abilities. You will soon meet up with Tostada, Guardian of the Mask, were you are told to put on a mask and return to the world of the living! Then is when you realize you just died! What the....?!?!
Juan comes back from the world of the dead as a powerful Luchador and has the look to go with it. No shirt, a Luchador mask, and tight pants with a huge medal belt buck are the comic stylings of a true hero-- we are now tasked with taking out some evil skeletons to save the town. A Luchador's work is never done and we have only been one for 10 seconds with instructions from a barrel.... After players get back form the underworld, a friend can now join you in the game as the character Tostada. With your new look, comes great responsibility, and you will be required to stop ever baddie in a one mile radius with your new abilities like being able to switch between the worlds of the living and dead. This ability really comes in handy throughout your platforming adventures and will add to the great puzzle aspects of the game as you continue to play.
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is good on current-gen consoles and even better on next-gen. The new release adds a slew of new content that includes two new areas, more details about Tostada's past, and a challenging new boss to take out. Gamers finally get to play even more of the title with all of the new added content which is what everyone wanted more of when it came to the original release. Players even get the challenge of new, stronger enemies who can teleport out of the way which adds a new degree of difficulty to the title.
In the end, Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is an almost perfect game with its great storyline full of humor, its exquisite visuals, alongside a beautiful presentation and music. You basically couldn't ask for more when it comes to an entertaining game. The co-op features makes gameplay that much better because you are able to laugh and enjoy the bizarre story with a friend. Some gamers however may find that some of the enemies are just a little too tough at times but that really doesn't distract at all from this great game. If you haven't purchased Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition then do so today and if you can get it for FREE on Xbox Live Gold for Xbox One then it makes it that much better! What are you waiting for? A Luchador to kick your chicken and drink your tequila?! Come on!
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is now available from all major retailers for the MSRP of $14.99 (currently free on XBLA with Games with Gold) and can be purchased for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is rated E10 by the ESRB for Everyone 10+. For more information on the game, check out the official Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition website.
Game Features:
- Expanded Story
- New Game Areas
- Fully Cooperative Campaign
- DLC Support
- Trophy/Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer: Drinkbox Studios
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360 (reviewed), Wii U, & PC
Release Date: July 2, 2014
All The Game's New Features for the Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition Include:
- Expanded Story – An expanded version of the game that includes new content and all DLC from the original
- New Game Areas – Players will ride boats through the Canal of Flowers to save a besieged fishing town, and avoid lava as they climb through the fiery Volcano
- New Boss – Face off against the deadly Trio of Death, a three-headed skeleton that lives in the Volcano, who helps the evil Carlos Calaca build his skeleton armies
- New Abilities – Maximize destruction with the powerful new INTENSO combat mode and dish out scrambled pain with powerful Chicken Bombs. Plus, swap dimensions independently in co-op play using the new Shadow Swap ability.
- New Enemies – Lethal new elite-class enemies that want to chokeslam luchadores to sleep
- Support for multiple save slots
- Dual currency system that supports permanent item unlocks