Looking at La-Mulana, the game seems as if it’s thirty-five years old. In actuality, the game released in 2005 to Japanese gamers who yearned for the Metroid-vania action of the SNES days. A successful Kickstarter delivered its sequel, and the two games still went largely unnoticed by popular culture. 15 years since its release on the Nintendo Wii, La-Mulana 1 and 2 come to the Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.

What is La-Mulana?

Lemeza Kosugi, a professor of archaeology, stars in the game series after receiving a letter from his father Shorn Kosugi. Shorn claims he has finally found the ruins of La-Mulana, supposedly the birthplace of all civilizations that carries the secret treasure of life itself. Following his father’s trail, Lemeza comes to the ruins and discovers Mother, an entity which crashed to Earth from the skies, and has never been able to return home. Her “children” attempt to find her an escape, but it’s up to Lemeza to finally settle the score.

At the heart of the game is a love letter to 16-bit graphics and Metroid-vania games. The simple mechanics feel a lot like Super Metroid, with a few attacks and power-ups which get discovered as you continue through the game. MSX games in the 1980s like Contra or the original Metal Gear all feature great music and a mellow color palette. In its pursuit to honor these games, La-Mulana 1 and 2 also feature these key elements and nail the presentation.

Is La-Mulana Worth It For People Who Don’t Usually Like Metroid-vania Games?

I think the important thing for games like this is to qualify their experience, in a subjective manner of course. I don’t love Metroidvania games. I can appreciate things like Hollow Knight, but they’re not my forte. I don’t think I’m particularly good at them, and I don’t enjoy backtracking to discover new things. So, what did I think of La-Mulana? Both games are exceptional. The games do a great job of staying focused on the action and not so much the guessing and discovery I dislike. I think the puzzles really save this game from feeling boring and lifeless.

Plus, the game is really good at pushing the story. Most older games feel like a monotonous exploration with very little narrative. I loved the story of La-Mulana, and its sequel was great as well in the same way. With a little bit of an Indiana Jones twinge to the Metroid world, it’s a great story I could see making a decent light novel or Netflix series.

Our First Look at La-Mulana 2

A successful Kickstarter led to La-Mulana 2 launching in Japan in 2019. Finally, Western audiences can get the game, bundled with the original. I think both games are a great time, and I didn’t feel bored once while playing. That might seem funny to include here, but these sorts of games usually do nothing for me in terms of entertainment or enjoyment. La-Mulana is a breath of fresh air, and I actually feel motivated to go back and try similar games because of my fun time with these titles. I highly recommend these games, which are available on March 17th for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One.

A Nintendo Switch Review Copy of La Mulana 1+2 was provided by NIS America for this Review

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La-Mulana 1+2

0.00

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Two amazing games in one package
• Great metroid-vania style gameplay
• Wonderful visuals and music

Cons

• Very much a love letter to older, discovery-based games. If that's not your thing, it might not be for you