Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Collector’s Edition)

Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Collector’s Edition) is an enhanced Metroidvania-style action-platformer inspired by Mexican folklore, where players control the luchador Juan as he battles skeletons and explores a vibrant, non-linear world. This GameStop-exclusive collector’s edition includes a steelbook case, a DRM-free game disc, a soundtrack CD, an art book, and an art card, along with a Steam key for digital play.

Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Collector’s Edition): Review

Introduction: A Luchador’s Legacy

In the vibrant tapestry of independent gaming, few titles blend cultural specificity with genre-defying design as exuberantly as Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Collector’s Edition). Released in 2016 as a physical culmination of DrinkBox Studios’ acclaimed 2013 Metroidvania, this package transcends mere gameplay—it’s a lovingly crafted artifact celebrating Mexican folklore, brawling euphoria, and the enduring legacy of 16-bit adventure. Its steelbook housing, bundled soundtrack, and art book elevate it beyond a simple port, embodying the passion of a cult favorite. This review argues that the Collector’s Edition represents the definitive expression of Guacamelee!, weaving together expanded gameplay, cultural authenticity, and tangible nostalgia into an experience that remains as electrifying today as upon its debut.

Development History & Context: From Toronto to Pueblucho

DrinkBox Studios, a Toronto-based indie team fresh off the quirky platformer Tales from Space: About a Blob, embarked on Guacamelee! with a bold premise: a luchador-themed Metroidvania steeped in Mexican culture. The concept originated from the studio’s animator, who proposed blending Metroid-style exploration with beat ’em up combat, seasoned by Day of the Dead aesthetics and folkloric creatures like alebrijes. This vision was shaped by pragmatic constraints: a small team leveraging cross-platform releases (PlayStation 3, PS Vita, PC) to maximize reach. Notably, former IGN editor Colin Moriarty advised adding D-pad controls, a tweak now immortalized in the game’s credits.

The 2013 release landscape was pivotal. Indie games were gaining mainstream credibility, but Metroidvanias were a niche revival. Guacamelee! stood out by rejecting grimdark tropes, instead offering a sun-drenched, comedy-tinged adventure. Its 2014 Super Turbo Championship Edition (STCE) expanded on this with new areas, abilities, and 4-player co-op, addressing critiques of the original’s brevity. The 2016 Collector’s Edition capped this evolution, bundled with physical artifacts—a testament to the game’s cult status and the era’s booming indie physical market, driven by collaborations with GameStop and IndieBox.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: Dia de los Muertos and Meta-Heroism

At its core, Guacamelee! is a Mexican folktale reimagined through video game logic. Juan Aguacate, an agave farmer, is murdered by the skeletal charro Carlos Calaca while rescuing Lupita, El Presidente’s daughter. Revived by the luchadora Tostada and a mystical mask, Juan gains the power to traverse the “Living” and “Dead” realms, transforming his struggle into a heroic odyssey. The narrative balances earnestness with irreverence: Calaca’s backstory—tricking the Devil into becoming a rooster—adds tragicomic depth, while Juan’s quest to save Lupita culminates in two endings, including a “true” path unlocked via hidden trials.

Thematic richness lies in its exploration of duality: life/death, mortal/divine, and farmer/hero. The Day of the Dead setting isn’t mere aesthetic; it frames death as a transitional space where rituals bridge worlds. Dialogue is peppered with self-aware humor—references to Metroid‘s “Chozo” statues (renamed “Choozo”) and luchador quips—highlighting the game’s meta-commentary on gaming tropes. This cultural specificity avoids stereotyping, instead celebrating Mexican iconography (e.g., alebrijes as benevolent guides) while universal themes of redemption resonate universally.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: Dimension-Swapping Mastery

Guacamelee! redefines the Metroidvania formula through seamless dimension-swapping and luchador combat. As Juan, players explore interconnected zones (e.g., Forest del Chivo, Infierno), unlocking abilities via “Choozo” statues that grant moves like the Goat Climb or Pollo-Bomba. The game’s genius lies in dual-purpose abilities: the Dragon Punch uppercut both attacks enemies and reaches new platforms, turning combat into traversal. Combat itself is a rhythmic ballet—combos (punches, suplexes, slams) chain fluidly, with grapples allowing flinging enemies at each other for massive combo multipliers.

The STCE edition refines this with:
– Intenso Mode: A temporary invincibility state fueled by a bar, adding risk/reward depth.
– 4-Player Co-op: Expanding from 2 to 4 players (Tostada and alternate skins), enabling chaotic teamwork.
– New Areas: Canal de las Flores and Pico de Gallo introduce phase-shifting puzzles and elite enemies.
– Quality of Life: Health bars, visual upgrade indicators, and the Shadow Swap (swap planes without shifting the world).

Flaws include segmented maps with loading screens that disrupt flow and “kill rooms”—arenas forcing combat that can feel repetitive. Yet these are minor quibbles in a system where even backtracking feels dynamic thanks to dimension-based puzzles.

World-Building, Art & Sound: A Mexican Tapestry

Guacamelee!‘s world is a riot of color and symbolism. The Living realm explodes with warm oranges, yellows, and reds, evoking Mexican hillside villages, while the Dead realm erupts in purples, pinks, and greens, mirroring Dia de los Muertos altars. Environments are meticulously detailed: Santa Luchita‘s wrestling arena, the crumbling Mansión de Presidente, and the ethereal Tule Tree blend Aztec patterns with luchador motifs. Character designs—Juan’s luchador spangles, Calaca’s skeletal charro attire—draw from folklore, while enemies like jaguar-clad Jaguar Javier or goat-like Chupacabras embody mythical creatures.

The art style, reminiscent of 90s Cartoon Network (Samurai Jack), uses bold lines and high contrast for expressive animations. Sound design amplifies this: Rom Di Prisco and Peter Chapman’s soundtrack fuses mariachi with electronic beats, tracks like “Fiesta Lucha” punctuating combat with festive energy. Voice acting is sparse but impactful, with Mexican Spanish accents lending authenticity. This sensory cohesion creates an immersive world where every screen feels like a celebration of culture and gameplay.

Reception & Legacy: From Cult Classic to Genre Benchmark

Upon release, Guacamelee! earned near-universal acclaim (Metacritic scores: PS3 84, Vita 87, PC 88). Critics lauded its combat, art, and humor, with IGN calling it “a Metroidvania masterpiece.” The STCE edition (2014) was hailed as the “definitive version” (Switch Player), praised for its expanded content and 4-player co-op. The Collector’s Edition (2016) appealed to physical collectors, bundling a steelbook, soundtrack, and art book—a rare treat for digital-native indies.

Legacy-wise, Guacamelee! pioneered “folklore-infused” Metroidvanias, inspiring titles like Dead Cells. Its characters became crossover stars (Juan in Runbow, Indivisible), and the sequel Guacamelee! 2 (2018) refined co-op. The Collector’s Edition remains a coveted item, embodying indie games’ pivot toward physical merchandise and celebrating cultural representation in gaming—a legacy where luchador masks and agave fields echo as loudly as its combos.

Conclusion: The Ultimate Frog Splash

Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (Collector’s Edition) transcends its niche, offering a masterclass in Metroidvania design wrapped in a love letter to Mexican culture. Its combat is viscerally satisfying, its exploration inventive, and its art audacious. While segmented maps and occasional combat repetition temper perfection, the Collector’s Edition elevates the experience into a holistic artifact—one where the physical package mirrors the game’s core: vibrant, heartfelt, and unapologetically joyful. For newcomers and veterans alike, this isn’t just a game—it’s a cultural artifact, a genre benchmark, and a testament to the power of indie innovation. In the ring of gaming history, Guacamelee! lands a flawless 5-star Frog Splash.