A decade later, ‘Guacamelee!’ still bursts with flavor

wegotthiscovered.com:

With Metroidvanias — whether you think the term is industry gobbledygook or a legitimate genre — there’s no denying the concept’s premier flavor within the industry. Following the lead of Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, there’s something so captivating about large, explorable worlds that unfurl more and more with each newly acquired upgrade, opening new paths and allowing you to reach that one secret that’s been teasing you since the opening area. Plenty of recent indie games — Hollow Knight, Axiom Verge, Ori and the Blind Forest, and countless others — have enraptured the hearts and minds of brave adventurers worldwide. Look back a decade, however, and you’d find this wasn’t always the case — at least, not until a brave luchador kicked in the doors and showed everyone the way. 

On April 9, 2013, Drinkbox Studios brought the heat with the release of Guacamelee!, a Mexican-inspired Metroidvania where players controlled Juan the Luchador on his quest to save his best friend and love interest Lupita from the insidious undead skeleton Carlos Calaca (literally Carlos Skeleton) and his cadre of fiends. The Toronto-based team brought a reverent artistic touch, smattering the world with loving (yet still cheeky) references to other games within the indie scene (one particular recurring gag indebted to the Metroid series seems like a copyright claim still waiting to happen). The striking visuals — an art style developed from Mexican folklore and culture — mixed with witty humor and satisfying gameplay to create a charming, unique, and endlessly playable experience.

Although the bright colors and cheery tone might not create the dreadful, tense atmosphere that its inspirations effortlessly ooze, Drinkbox