I might sound like the laziest guy in the world when I say this but I love PSN games because I can play them without having to put a disc in my PS3. Why expend excess energy when you can just push a button instead?! Luckily, many of these downloadable games are great too. Journey was one of the best games I've played in the last year. Guacamelee is one of the latest releases and it's definitely worth checking out.

This game has been described as Mexican wrestling meets Metroidvania, and that is definitely accurate. For those who don't know, Metroidvania games are those that contain similar level structure as seen in the classic games, Metroid and Castlevania. Basically, an open 2D world that gets bigger and bigger as you explore and open it up with new abilities and keys. I immediately noticed the first sign of this at the beginning of the game. In one of the early houses I went into, I saw a wall with a big crack in it. L-level detective skills told me that this wall was very suspicious. You can't break through it immediately, but later your character gets a head butt move that can smash these kinds of wall! This encourages you to revisit old areas and uncover all the secrets. When I did that, I quickly found a bonus area where you get to fight increasingly difficult enemies for practice and money. I used that area to train and level up my character!

Speaking of the main character, you play as Juan, a super strong Luchador with a cool mask. The plot is very simple, you must save the president's daughter from an evil group of super villains. On the way you meet various characters who give you tasks or upgrade your move set. When you first start, you only have a basic punch. Powerful but not very exciting. But once you learn the Rooster Uppercut, that's when the real fun starts. This move let's you fly into the air similar to the Shoryuken in Street Fighter 2. The attack is devastating and you can combo it with the normal punches and throws. It's very satisfying to beat up one enemy with a combo and then toss him into a group of other enemies. Though often times you will get swarmed and have to escape until you see an opening. But by using the attacks in conjunction with a roll move that gets you out of danger, you can take down even giant foes. Your character does have a stamina gauge which limits how many super moves you can do at once. So managing that wisely will be the key to conquering the tough enemies.

Accompanying the melee fighting is some nifty platforming. By using the Rooster Uppercut, you can get to higher ground or make long jumps. Several sections require some complicated jumping from disappearing platforms. These parts were pretty frustrating and took me dozens of attempts. However, once you clear the area and get the bonus item, the sense of achievement is amazing. Showing a platform who's boss is definitely worth a bunch of failures.

One of the best parts of the game is the various posters in the world that are based off of internet memes.  My favorite so far are Mega Hombre (Mega Man), Los Super Hermanos (Super Mario Bros.) and one with that grumpy faced cat! These add a lot of atmosphere and humor to the colorful world. The game also includes a two-player mode which adds even more fun to the experience. 

Hint: Explore everywhere! Finding the well-hidden health and stamina upgrades really makes a difference.

Related Links:
Official Site 

by Alexis Kirsch