Game Reviews

Lucha Amigos

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iOS
| Lucha Amigos
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Lucha Amigos
|
iOS
| Lucha Amigos

If this game had been released a couple of years ago, you suspect that it would have been called 'Turtles vs Cacti,' and we probably would have ignored it accordingly.

Thanks goodness it wasn't, because Lucha Amigos is actually a very well constructed little casual physics puzzler.

Shell company

You take control of a small group of brave Mexican wrestling turtles, standing up to a gang of prickly bullies.

Each turtle's means of attack against these stationary opponents, who place themselves throughout a bunch of buildings, is to tuck up into their shell and allow you to catapult them through the windows.

If they make contact with a cactus as they bounce off book cases and stair wells, it disappears.

There are also three bonus flowers to collect in time-honoured mobile game fashion.

Prickly customer

Along the way you'll be steadily introduced to turtles with additional abilities and new level elements, such as teleporters and multiple floors.

It's all pretty by the book stuff, but there's a simple satisfying solidity to the action. Bouncing your turtle off multiple surfaces to take out your targets has just the right mixture of skill and luck to it.

Most success comes from a vaguely decent plan, with a couple of generous dollops of luck stirred in. When a fortuitous bounce sees you cleaning up with turtles to spare, it's never any less satisfying for it.

All in all, this is the kind of simple, addictive fare that mobile gaming was built on.

Lucha Amigos doesn't take the physics puzzler to new heights of polish or mechanical brilliance, but it squares off against much bigger opposition with tenacity, guile, and no little charm.

Lucha Amigos

A well constructed physics puzzler with just the right balance of skill and luck to keep you playing
Score
Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.