History VideoGame / Guacamelee

* BittersweetEnding: The default ending has Juan defeat Calacas and save the world... at the cost of arriving too late to save El Presidente’s Daughter. In the end he gives up his resurrection and returns to the land of the dead [[TogetherInDeath to be with her.]] [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] if you get the good ending where she ends up surviving and the two live happily ever after... at least until [[VideoGame/Guacomelee2 the sequel]].]]

* ThemeTuneCameo: A brief snippet of the underground theme for ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' plays during the final dungeon.

* BittersweetEnding: The default ending has Juan defeat Calacas and save the world... at the cost of arriving too late to save El Presidente’s Daughter. In the end he gives up his resurrection and returns to the land of the dead [[TogetherInDeath to be with her.]] [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] if you get the good ending where she ends up surviving and the two live happily ever after... at least until the sequel]]

* YouCantThwartStageOne: No matter what you do, how fast you get there, or [[spoiler:how many Mask pieces you've collected]], you can never stop Carlos' ritual, nor you can prevent [[spoiler:El Presidente's Daughter's death]].

* AGodAmI: [[spoiler:At first, Calaca only wanted to get back at the Devil and reclaim his glory. By the time he has completed the ritual, though, he has shifted objectives to becoming god of the living and the dead]].

Think ''WesternAnimation/MuchaLucha'' meets {{Metroidvania}} with some of ''VideoGame/GrimFandango'''s design sensibilities and the dual world aspect of ''[[{{VideoGame/LegacyOfKain}} Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver]]'', and you've got some idea of the game.

* CatastrophicCountdown: Exploders aren't typical ActionBombs in a sense that they are stationary aside from having color-coded shields as their gimmicks. But let just even one of them to tick past their countdown, the resulting explosion will damage your luchador regardless of your location on the area. Elite Exploders are much more durable, yet still retain the same 10-second cooldown before they explode, with even more damage.

* MultiMookMelee: The Caverno del Pollo dungeon contains three sets of floors that pit you against several waves of enemies, even though you haven't encountered them yet in the proper story walkthrough. Only Olmec's Headbutt and Dashing Derpderp are required to break the necessary blocks.

* SequenceBreaking: You can already clear Caverno del Pollo when you have Olmec's Headbutt, Dashing Derpderp and the Intenso upgrade that instantly breaks shields. Complete the last set of floors and you gain an access to a PortalDoor to Chac Mool. It will reward you with a mask piece even if you haven't been informed about the mask pieces yet in the proper story line.

* CatastrophicCountdown: Exploders aren't typical ActionBombs in a sense that they are stationary OneHitPointWonders aside from their color-coded shields. But let just even one of them to tick past their countdown, the resulting explosion will kill your luchador regardless of health. Elite Exploders are much more durable, yet still retain the same 10-second cooldown before they explode.

* BigHeroicRun: Invoked: The final corridor of the Great Temple is a series of screens that [[StaggeredZoom zoom in closer and closer to your character]] from a normal distance to an extreme closeup for appropriate dramatic effect.

* InvulnerableAttack: Some enemies have purple-colored attacks that cannot be evaded by the dodge button.

* SuperMode: El Intenso, a technique exclusive to the ''[[UpdatedRerelease Super Turbo Championship Edition]]''.

* {{Shoryuken}}: Rooster Uppercut visually appears to be a direct ShoutOut to the [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Dragon or Tiger Uppercut]].

* {{Shoryuken}}: Rooster Uppercut appears to be a direct ShoutOut to the [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Dragon or Tiger Uppercut]].

* ShoutOut: There are numerous references to memes, video games, movies, and luchadores throughout the game.
** A poster in El Pueblucho advertises a lucha libre match between [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask La Máscara]] and [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Mega Hombre]] (Mega Man in his classic jump & shoot pose can also be seen in the brickwork). A hidden room in the church's belfry has ''VideoGame/{{Fez}}'' script advising players to [[spoiler:[[Film/AChristmasStory drink their Ovaltine]]]]. (Speaking of ''VideoGame/{{Fez}}'', the forest has an owl statue hidden in it.)
** You obtain your main, roadblock-busting attacks from a Goat Hermit's [[VideoGame/{{Metroid}} "Choozo" Statues]].
** There is bill-board in a level that reads "Las Gemas" featuring [[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse The Crystal Gems]].
** A room in the Forest has a mural of [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaI a man striking a skeleton with a whip]]. (Dracula is also one of the opponents advertised in the wrestling match posters.)
** There are statues and wall tapestries in the shape of [[VideoGame/{{Metroid}} giant, toothy jellyfish with round nuclei]].
** Sierra Morena, being Jaguar Javier's place, is filled with feline statues. One of them is... the Nyan Cat.
** The town of Santa [[PunnyName Luchita]] is FILLED with them:
*** Posters for bands, lucha libre matches, and local movies: the [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Los Super Hermanos]] tag-team, the [[VideoGame/CastleCrashers Casa Crashers]] band, the movies "[[http://www.mutantblobsattack.com/ Limones Mutantes Atacan]]" (Mutant Lemons Attack) and "[[Disney/WreckItRalph Bust-It Bill]]," [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 a poster of a man in a balaclava with a bunch of churros shoved in his mouth]], a poster for "One night only, [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda EL LINKO]]!" with a luchador holding another one up high over his head while a triangular spotlight shines behind him. The Dead World version has a poster for [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bane vs. Batman]]. You can also see most of these in one place at Combo Chicken's gym. At the top of one apartment building, you can see a sign advertising ''"[[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/me-gusta Me Gusta]] Guavas"', while the other sign says "[[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/grumpy-cat Gato Gruñón]] Brand Cat Food"'.
*** Some children in the plaza are seen [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} pitting their pet critters against each other]].
*** A man garbed in a purple tunic and trapped inside a house says his being there is a stupid mistake, therefore, "[[VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink I AM ERROR]]."
*** There are also several posters based on Image Macros and one poster featuring "El Destructo Vs. La Bomba", a reference to gaming websites Destructoid and GiantBomb.
*** In the Land of the Dead, there is a "Missing" poster with a picture of [[VideoGame/GrimFandango Manny Calavera]]. The same poster in the world of the living features the [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ikea-monkey IKEA Monkey]].
*** There is a shop called [[VideoGame/VivaPinata Viva Pinatas]]. When Juan switches to the Land of the Dead, the pinatas resemble [[http://skelanimals.com/ Skelanimals]].
*** The house where the dead child resides has a painting of the six characters from ''VideoGame/{{VVVVVV}}''. The same house has, in the living world version, a painting of the "[[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/three-wolf-moon Three Wolf Moon]]" T-shirt.
*** One of the buildings in the Land of the Living is for the mining supply store, 'Mine Forever'. On its side is a picture of a [[VideoGame/{{Minecraft}} pixelated pickaxe]]. To drive the point home, that same building in the Land of the Dead is a bar called 'The Nether Portal'.
*** One is a little obscure, but there is a poster with 3 luchadors wearing animal masks that says "Call lucha hotline". It's hard to tell at first, but it's a shout out to ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'', a game famous for its use of animal masks for the main character.
** Another poster reads [[BilingualBonus "Fuerte Malo"]] Who is displayed on said poster? [[spoiler:[[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Strong Bad.]]]]
** The giant Alebrije is an [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood unstoppable behemoth that chases after you]], and can only be destroyed when you [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1 hit a Gold Axe at the far end of a collapsing bridge, dropping the monster into a pool of lava]]. After that scene, you encounter X'tabay telling you your Princess is in another castle.
** The Dead World version of the Tule Tree has carvings of the tulip-shaped version of Fire Flowers from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''.
** El Presidente's Daughter and Calaca quote Luke and the Emperor's dialogue from ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' at each other in a cutscene.
** The "Gumshoe" trophy for capturing the Chicken Thief is a portrait of [[Franchise/AceAttorney Detective Gumshoe]] wearing the luchador mask. He even has the PointlessBandAid on his cheek ''on top'' of the mask.
** The Desert has a [[Franchise/FinalFantasy Cactuar]] statue in the background.
** The slope leading to the top of the mountain of Sierra Morena has a [[VideoGame/{{Journey}} scarfed, red-robed figure lying amongst grave markers in the snow]].
** The "El Portero" costumes are references to the outlandish outfits of Jorge Campos, the goal keeper of the Mexican national soccer team for most of the 90's. "Portero" = "goalkeeper".
** At the very end of the credits, you get a screen proclaiming that [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/ProWrestling A WINNER IS YOU!]]]] even with the appropriate sprite work.
** The first [[spoiler:mask piece]] you find gives you the achievement [[VideoGame/{{Pokemon}} Gotta catch em all. ]]
** Near the end of the adventure Juan needs to go through [[VideoGame/{{Portal}} blue and orange swirling portals]].
** The pin-up calendars in El Infierno are set on the month of [[WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror Smarch]].
** Part of the Great Temple theme contains the opening riff of the underground theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1''

** In general, falling into GrimyWater or bottomless pits will just quickly put you back on a nearby safe platform without dying or even losing health. Similarly, getting stuck in a wall when you [[spoiler: shift dimensions]] pops you out without harm. These features make many (but not all) platforming challenges less frustrating and [[spoiler: makes it more reasonable for you to stumble upon the various hidden areas as you don't really have to fear dying from exploring]].

* BackFromTheDead: The Mask resurrects Juan and allows him to exist in both realms, but he needs to wear it constantly. [[spoiler: In the Golden Ending, the Mask, fully recharged by the Orbs of Chac Mool, sacrifices itself to truly resurrect Juan and El Presidente's daughter.]]

** In the Tree Tops bonus area, after a series of grueling platforming sequences, [[spoiler: you meet a chicken who tells you that you're halfway up. On the next screen, you see the easily-accessible exit from the area, with another chicken nearby who says "Ha ha! Psych!"]]

* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler: El Presidente's Daughter. But only in the good ending.]]

** [[spoiler: The chicken flight ability. Unlike every single other powerup in the game, you never get a fancy ItemGet screen or any explanation at all when unlocking it, instead just getting a nebulous "You feel lighter" message after getting enough pieces of the Mask. If you don't use your mighty chicken powers much you can go the rest of the game without knowing it's there.]]

* SaveThePrincess: Well, save El Presidente's Daughter. [[spoiler: You also fail to do so unless you get the GoldenEnding.]]

** And finally, say goodbye to your sanity at the Cueva de la Locura ([[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace the Cave of Madness]]), at the easternmost corner of the Sierra mountains. It consists of a gauntlet of BottomlessPits with [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic evil disappearing blocks]] that require split-second timing, memorization, pixel-perfect precision, and far more patience than the average goat hermit. And whether you fail at the beginning or the end (and you will) you must clear each room in one go.

** HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:The endings show that Jaguar Javier became one of Juan's friends after the events of the game. Of course, he never truly was on Calaca's side to begin with, he only worked for him because Calaca threatened to kill the goat hermit if he didn't.]]

* NecessaryEvil: The Devil seeks mostly to punish those who did evil themselves in life. For example, in response to Flameface trying to gain his favor by [[PyroManiac burning innocents alive]], the Devil [[IronicHell engulfs his head in an eternally burning flame.]]

* TakeYourTime: Twice, the goat hermit outright tells you to go and prepare yourself before the challenge ahead: when you first open the way to the [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Floating Temple]], and right at the PointOfNoReturn (immediately before the FinalBoss.) That's your cue to finish up the sidequests, bonus levels, round up chickens, reunite dead girls with their dolls, capture thieves, find missing mariachis... Don't worry, the ritual won't happen until you're actually at the altar itself.
* ThemeTuneCameo: A brief snippet of the underground theme for SuperMarioBros plays during the final dungeon.

* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: PlayedForLaughs. The goat hermit eventually gets back at you for breaking his statues and awards you for breaking one of them with...nothing! (complete with the typical splash screen, but with "NO POWER" written on it and Juan and Tostada standing there looking frustrated.)

* WomanScorned: X'tabay is not entirely pleased with the way Calaca obsesses over El Presidente's Daughter. [[spoiler:After beating her, she decides Calaca isn't worth her time and gives Juan the ability to switch between the Living and Dead Worlds at will, then disappears for the rest of the game. She shows up in the credits, indicating that her and Juan have become friends.]]

* IHaveYourWife: Jaguar Javier [[spoiler:is only doing Calaca's bidding because the latter threatened to kill Javier's former master, the goat hermit]].
* InfinityPlusOneSword: Two of them. The first is [[spoiler:Diablo's Suit, which regenerates health when attacking enemies. Sure, it has less maximum health, but with health upgrades it's still a decent amount, and the regenerating health can more than make up for that restriction anyway. If you're reasonably good, you should have no trouble beating the entirety of the Caverna del Pollo BonusDungeon with it.]] The second is [[spoiler:the infinite chicken flight ability from collecting the five/[[UpdatedRerelease six]] special mask pieces that you can get before finishing the game.]] Both are likely to only be unlocked late in the game though, as [[spoiler:Diablo's Suit is the reward from beating at least 10 of the 17 challenges in El Infierno with gold medals, which can be quite challenging and requires you to have unlocked most or all of the progression powers anyway. The UpdatedRerelease allows you to actually ''buy'' the costume, but unless you go out of your way to find silver coins or start a NewGamePlus, you're not likely to get it early either. It is not surprising that infinite chicken flight is unlocked by the five/[[UpdatedRerelease six]] mask pieces, as just getting to the beginning of their areas can be GuideDangIt obscure, let alone actually completing them as they are among the hardest challenges in the game.]] There's also a third that counts in certain contexts. [[spoiler:The Skeleton Luchador can't heal from enemies but has infinite stamina for spamming special abilities. Since special abilities are also necessary for various platforming challenges, this costume can be very useful for them, especially the timed ones in El Infierno where you might otherwise have to spend a little time regenerating stamina.]]

* {{Metroidvania}}: Although it follows the model of "discrete areas connected to a central hub" more similar to ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' or ''VideoGame/{{Outland}}'' than a fully-interconnected world.

* MultipleHeadCase: For some reason the Conquistador enemies are two-headed.
** This might be referencing the legend that, upon seeing conquistadors astride horses (unknown in the New World), Aztecs mistook beast and rider for one creature with two heads.
* NecessaryDrawback: All of the DLC costumes give you an advantage in one area, and a disadvantage in another area as a trade-off. For example, one costume gives you regenerating health, but gimps your stamina in return.

* PunnyName:

** El Pueblucho - Shantytown.
*** Additionally: "pueblo" + "lucho", where the latter means "[I] fight."

* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: [[spoiler:Jaguar Javier is the goat hermit's former disciple. However, he only worked for Calaca in order to protect his master. Upon learning this, the hermit asks Juan [[ItsPersonal to punch Calaca in the face for him]].]]

* StandardSnippet: The ItemGet jingle uses a few bars from the start of ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Rqdgna3Yw El Jarabe Tapatio]]'' (also known as the ''Mexican Hat Dance'')...[[PlayingWithATrope played at such a ridiculously fast tempo that it's barely recognizable anymore]].
** [[ZigZaggingTrope On the other hand]], ''El Jarabe Tapatio'' does appear at normal speed later in the game.

** The FinalBattle is advertised as "Máscara contra Ca''l''a''v''era" (Mask vs. Skull.) Some of Mexican lucha libre's biggest, most celebrated fights have been "Máscara contra Ca''b''e''ll''era" (Mask vs. Mullet.)

* SuperMode: El Intenso, a technique exclusive to the [[UpdatedRerelease Super Turbo Championship Edition]].

* TheUnreveal: [[spoiler:Despite her status as the Mask's Guardian, first showing up in the World of the Dead, and wearing a mystical mask herself, La Tostada's identity, origin, or even motivations (beyond simply helping Juan out of the goodness of her heart) are never explained. The Super Turbo Championship Edition seems to give her some backstory though; Tostada was once a hero who helped save her fellow villagers from being killed by an erupting volcano, performing a HeroicSacrifice. They live in Canal de las Flores now and have memorialized her. There are wooden carvings of Tostada scattered around the area as well.]]

* AnimalMotifs: Most of the techniques gained from the Choozo statues are named after some kind of animal, with the exception of the Double Jump, Olmec's Headbutt and the Dashing Derpderp (the goat hermit naming your techniques ran out of names and was beyond caring.)

** In the Tree Tops segment there are several barrels containing healing orbs as there are also many spikes and saws along the way to the top. [[PlatformHell You WILL need them]].

* BackFromTheDead: The Mask ressurects Juan and allows him to exist in both realms, but he needs to wear it constantly.
** [[spoiler: In the Golden Ending, the Mask, fully recharged by the Orbs of Chac Mool, sacrifices itself to truly ressurect Juan and El Presidente's daughter.]]

** In the Tree Tops bonus area, after a series of grueling platforming sequences, [[spoiler: you meet a chicken who tells you you're halfway up. On the next screen, you see the easily-accessible exit from the area, with another chicken nearby who says "Ha ha! Psych!"]]

** The Devil also decided that he prefers being a chicken to his normal form, even though he knows how to turn back (he's the one who teaches you).

* TheBroCode: The goat hermit promises that once you become bros, he won't hit on your mother. Maybe.

* [[DarkIsNotEvil Dead Is Not Evil]]: The regular denizens of the World of the Dead are friendly and helpful, and would rather, uh, live out their existence in peace, and are NOT happy with Carlos Calaca trying to merge both worlds.
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: When you run out of health, you just respawn at the nearest checkpoint with full health (although you may have to re-retrieve some collectables). In co-op, you just have to wait a small amount of time before you can respawn on the spot.

* DiscOneNuke: In the [[UpdatedRerelease STCE version]] of the game, all costumes are bought with a new, separate currency: silver. The amount you can get is limited, but even so if you hoard it and seek it out as much as possible in the early stages of the game, you can unlock some powerful costumes like the Skeleton Luchador or Diablo Suit before entering the Tule Tree. The latter is especially notable, as it could be considered a late-game InfinityPlusOneSword in previous versions of the game.

* DownloadableContent: A costume pack, and El Diablo's Domain (Also known as El Infierno), a series of extra-tough challenge rooms that put your combat and platforming skills to the test. Both are included right off the bat in the UpdatedRerelease

* ExcitedShowTitle

* GratuitousSpanish: ''Por supuesto.''

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: When playing 2-player mode, one of the players can transform into a bubble at the touch of a button (to change back, the other player needs to punch the bubble.) This can eliminate the telepathy-level synchronization needed for two players to get past some of the more challenging platforming puzzles, as one player can hang back and let the other one do it at their own pace.

* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: The Alebrije, again. Even when the screen zooms out, he still fills it.

* BalefulPolymorph: Carlos likes turning his foes into chickens, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain which eventually bites him in the ass]] when he does it to Juan/Tostada.

* DifficultButAwesome: The Skeleton Luchador outfit negates any means of recovery aside from checkpoints, however you'll have ''infinite'' stamina, which gives you freedom to spam your techniques all over the place. Thanks to this perk, it becomes very useful in boss battles, especially so against [[FinalBoss Carlos Calaca.]]

* GuideDangIt: The timed skull switch in the forest. [[spoiler:It leads to one of the Chac Mool gateways, but to reach it in time you first have to figure out where the entrance to the path is (marked by a statue and a "not yet explored" smudge on the map), try and fail to open it, connect it to the skull switch, and finally realize that you can only get there fast enough by using Goat Fly on the hill the switch is under.]]

* VideogameCrueltyPotential: You can kick, punch, bash, grab, and smash chickens (and even their tiny baby chicks!) to your heart's content. Unlike [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda that other franchise, they won't retaliate]], they'll just run away.

The story consists of agave farmer Juan Aguacate being invited to the Día de Muertos[[note]]That's "Day of the Dead" in Spanish in case you were wondering.[[/note]] festival to help out with the festivities and getting acquainted with an old childhood friend, El Presidente's daughter. However, disaster strikes in the form of a [[OurLichesAreDifferent lich]] named Carlos Calaca kidnapping her to use her as a virgin sacrifice for merging the World of the Living and the World of the Dead together to rule over them both. Despite his best attempts to stop him, Juan is swiftly slain by Calaca as El Presidente's daughter cries out his name...