La-Mulana (stylized as La•Mulana) is a platform-adventure video game designed to copy the appearance and style of MSX games. It was released on June 27, 2006, in Japan for Microsoft Windows. At first, the game was only available in Japanese, but an English translation patch was created by Ian Kelley of AGTP. Later, the game was completely redesigned in a 16-bit style for the Wii, and subsequently released for PC, Mac, Linux, and PlayStation Vita.

Gameplay

The main character in the game is Lemeza, an adventurer who uses a whip to explore a tomb in La-Mulana. Even though the game has only one ending, players can reach it through many different paths. Completing tasks, such as collecting power-up items or discovering new areas, does not follow a fixed order. The game does not show players where to go next, and some items allow access to new areas, but their purpose is not always clear.

The game was created to honor the MSX games of the 1980s, especially The Maze of Galious. It uses a 16-color palette and low-resolution graphics, like those found in older MSX games. The game’s opening scene mimics the loading screen of an MSX system, showing details about video memory and the MSX logo. Lemeza carries a laptop MSX throughout the game and can collect or purchase ROM cartridges for it. Some of these cartridges can be combined to create special effects.

At the start, Lemeza has a whip and a small amount of health. Some items help move the story forward by opening new areas or allowing players to collect other items. Other items give Lemeza abilities needed to access parts of the game.

Most enemies in the game do not deal much damage, but there are few ways to restore health. In some cases, taking damage causes Lemeza to fall from a high ledge, leading to lost progress. An early item allows teleportation back to the game’s only save point, along with setting waypoints. The game’s manual suggests exploring and solving puzzles before health runs low, then teleporting back when danger becomes too high. However, some rooms make returning after teleporting difficult, so this strategy is not always safe.

The game’s design focuses on difficulty. The developers wanted to create tension by making players think carefully about their actions, as in real life an archaeologist might avoid risky moves. The game includes traps and dead ends that prevent players from escaping unless they use teleportation. These features are explained as part of protecting the sacred ruins.

Plot

Professor Lemeza Kosugi, an archaeology expert, receives a letter from his father, Shorn Kosugi, who claims to have found the ruins of La-Mulana. This site is said to be the birthplace of all civilizations and to contain the secret treasure of life. Following his father’s clues, Lemeza travels to the ruins and discovers that they are made up of a mix of structures from different parts of the world. As he explores further, Lemeza learns about a being called "the Mother," who fell from the sky and crashed onto Earth. The Mother sought to return to space and created different races, or "children," to help her. None of these races could find a way to send her back, which angered the Mother. In her anger, she destroyed each race and started over with a new one.

The seventh generation of children concluded that it was impossible to return the Mother to space. They discovered that the ruins of La-Mulana are actually the Mother’s body. To prevent the Mother from destroying them, they decided to grant her a peaceful death. They ensured that the eighth generation of children would grow up without knowing about the Mother, giving them the chance to succeed where previous generations failed. This eighth generation became humanity. To complete this task, Lemeza must remove the Mother’s soul and give it a physical form to destroy. After a difficult battle, Lemeza succeeds in stopping the Mother before she can begin the ninth generation. He takes the treasure of life and escapes the collapsing ruins to the surface. When he returns, his father, Shorn, surprises him and steals the treasure, prompting Lemeza to chase him toward the sunrise.

Development

On October 28, 2001, one month after completing their first game, GR3Project discussed what game they would make next. They decided to create "something like The Maze of Galious," and development of La-Mulana began. A version of the game based on a sample image created by director Naramura was made on November 6, 2001. This version was kept secret until the game was released.

On April 28, 2002, a demo of the game was released, which included only the first level. When GR3Project updated their website in 2003, they shared screenshots on the main page and a subpage about La-Mulana to update fans about the game’s progress. Around early 2005, the team announced they had completed 70% of the game.

Later that year, on August 17, the game entered an open testing stage with the release of an unfinished version. Many websites incorrectly believed this was the official release, partly due to language barriers and the game being playable despite missing features. A notice on the download page listed additions to be included later, such as extra items, keyboard controls, MIDI mode, and the opening cutscene. The complete version of La-Mulana was finally released on June 27, 2006.

Reception

After the English version of the game became available, websites 1UP.com and Joystiq played and reviewed it. Both sites described the game as enjoyable, with 1UP.com stating it is "a great exploratory platformer similar to Metroid or Castlevania that captures the look and sound of an MSX game." However, both websites mentioned that the game is very challenging.

The PlayStation Vita version of the game sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide in the first seven months after its release, as reported by Pygmy Studio. By July 2016, the total number of copies sold had reached over 600,000.

Legacy

The game was completely redesigned, with development beginning in 2007. It was released on Nintendo's WiiWare service by Nigoro on June 21, 2011, in Japan. The WiiWare version includes several changes. Some changes were made to make the game easier and improve its design to attract more players. Other changes were made to give players who played the original version a new experience. Some changes were also needed because of copyright issues. The graphics were updated to look smoother, and the music was arranged in a more detailed way.

Some major changes include:
• The bosses in the game are completely different from the original version.
• The in-game map has some small changes, such as new rooms and rooms that were removed.
• Some puzzles were removed, while new puzzles were added.
• The game's system was completely redesigned, along with new code.
• The MSX computer system was renamed "Mobile Super X."
• The melody of "Curse of Iron Pipe" was changed to avoid similarities to a track from the game Ashguine II.

Plans to release the game in North America and Europe were canceled by Nicalis, the game's original Western publisher. In June 2012, EnjoyUp Games said it wanted to publish La-Mulana. The game was released in North America and Europe on September 20, 2012, without the downloadable content that was available in Japan. This content was supposedly the reason for the game's initial delay.

A Windows version, based on the WiiWare version, was released on July 13, 2012, on Playism and in October 2012 on GOG.com and Desura. It was also released on Steam. This version includes language options (Japanese, English, Spanish, and Russian), support for USB gamepads (including Xbox 360 controllers), and some updates compared to the WiiWare version. These updates include the "Hell Temple" (which required downloadable content on the WiiWare version) and a redesigned "Time Attack" mode.

A PS Vita version was announced at a Japanese indie game event sponsored by Sony and Playism in September 2013. Developed by Pygmy Studio, this version was called La-Mulana EX and added a Monster Bestiary and some gameplay changes. The game was released in Japan on December 17, 2014. Rising Star Games published the English version in North America on March 3, 2015, and in Europe on March 4, 2015.

In January 2014, a Kickstarter campaign was started to fund the development of La-Mulana 2. The game was released on July 30, 2018, and focuses on the daughter of the original game's main character as she searches for her father. The sequel includes more focus on Norse mythology than the first game. It was released on Nintendo Switch in Japan on June 27, 2019.

A version that includes both the first game and the sequel, La Mulana 1 & 2, was released on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One in North America on March 17, 2020, and in Europe on March 20, 2020.