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* [[Joke Weapon]]: The Keyblade is the worst primary weapon in the game (it's as weak as the weakest secondary weapon, in fact), weak, slow and with a smaller hitbox than any other weapon. Naturally, there are many puzzles that require you to use it and even a few bosses that [[Weaksauce Weakness|can only be harmed by it]]. Additionally, as an almost never useful detail, it does extend a few pixels farther forward than any other primary weapon except the [[Infinity+1 Sword|mace]].
* [[Kaizo Trap]]: Plenty of them in the original, a bunch more in the remake, especially in Hell Temple.
** In the remake, what does one boss ( {{spoiler|Palenque}}) do as he's exploding? Makes a flying leap at you to take you down with him.
** {{spoiler|Stone fist in remake's Hell Temple anyone?}}
* [[Kamehame Hadoken]]: Mother's soul in the [[Wii Ware]] version.
* [[Knockback]]: Your main difficulty enhancer.
* [[Last Ditch Move]]: {{spoiler|Palenque in the Wiiware[[Wii Ware]] version}}.
* [[Lava Is Boiling Kool-Aid]]: Lava is a palette swap of water. The only difference between them is that they require different items to allow you to use ROMs while in them and to swim in them without damage.
* [[Ledge Bats]]: In many, many places, particularly in [[Brutal Bonus Level]].
* [[Leitmotif]]: Lemeza, Xelpud, the Four Sages, and every boss.
* [[Lethal Lava Land]]: The aptly named Inferno Cavern.
** Also the Tower of Ruin, though most players will be immune to lava by the time they reach it.
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* [[Level Map Display]]: There's a Map item to be found in each area of the dungeon (there is no overworld map). Viewing a map requires equipping either or both of the Ruins RAM cartridges.
* [[Level Up Fill Up]]: The way that you can [[Heal Thyself]] is by filling your experience bar. The only benefit is a health refill.
* [[Load-Bearing Boss]]: {{spoiler|The Mother.}}.
** Justified: {{spoiler|La-Mulana ''is'' the Mother; the entire complex is her body.}}.
* [[Lost Forever]]: ({{spoiler|Both Whip upgrades, The Life Jewel in the Dimensional Corridor, and nearly everything in the Shrine of Mother.}}).
** As well as {{spoiler|Hell Temple if you don't complete its whole unlocking process in one go.}}. This, however, is arguably an act of mercy.
** The Dimensional Corridor's {{spoiler|Life Jewel}} is still accessible, technically, but just very hard to get because you have to depend on the random nature of the enemies.
* [[MacGuffin]]: The Treasure of Life, Lemeza and Shorn's ultimate goal. Its powers (if any) are never explained, other than that {{spoiler|it is connected to the power to create life}}.
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* [[Metroidvania]]: And ''how''.
* [[Minecart Madness]]: Boss battle against Ellmac.
* [[Mini Game]]: A ''[[Parodius]]'' clone and a dating sim {{spoiler|which segues into a parody of ''Snatcher'', complete with shooting gallery battles}}.
* [[Mistaken for Granite]]: The second Guardian and the Spriggan statue. Also, wall reliefs will start shooting at you if you stand next to them for too long or strike them.
* [[Multi Melee Master]]: In the end, Lemeza carries a whip, a dagger, an axe, a katana and a ritual sword.
* [[Multiple Endings]]: Nicalis has confirmed that the [[Wii Ware]] version will have three different endings.
* [[Multi Stage Battle]]: While two- and even three-stage boss battles are par for the course in modern games, {{spoiler|the Mother battle should be acknowledged as it consists of five separate stages, some of which involve substages}}.
* [[Musical Pastiche]]: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXWNcvz9k-k Curse of IRON PIPE], the theme to the [[Down the Drain|Spring in the Sky]], borrows about 15 seconds of melody from [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flspAofUIIQ the obscure MSX game ''Ashguine 2'']. Because of this, that part of the song had to be [[The Jimmy Hart Version|changed slightly]] for the [[Wii Ware]] version, now called [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXkS5sOUW0Y "Curse of Ocean"].
* [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot]]: The hero is an [[Adventurer Archaeologist]]... descended from ninjas. The Japanese kind, not [[McNinja]]s. I am not making this up -... it's [[All There in the Manual]].
* [[Nintendo Hard]]: The whole game is basically an homage to the era of [[Nintendo Hard]] MSX games, so it's only natural that it would be difficult. They promised they'd lower the difficulty on the wiiware release... but not for hell temple. However, the main difficulty removal comes from removing the [[Fake Difficulty]].
* [[Nostalgia Level]]: The Gate of Time, which has its entrance hidden in {{spoiler|the Chamber of Extinction}}.
* [[Not Completely Useless]]: Throwing knives. {{spoiler|Try them on Viy.}}.
** {{spoiler|They're also good for detecting fake floors and for finding the edges of platforms in [[Blackout Basement|dark rooms]].}}.
* [["No Warping" Zone]]: Dimensional corridor inhibits teleportation to grail points... There's also a few death traps that prevent warping as well.
* [[Obstructive Foreground]]: Is present in some locations.
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** Constantly [[Lampshaded Trope|lampshaded]] by the tablets in the Confusion Gate.
* [[Our Demons Are Different]]: Baphomet and Beelzebub, as well as having [[Mooks|common enemies]] called Satan and Devil.
* [[Platform Hell]]: The aptly named Hell Temple. It's one of the few [[Platform Hell]] examples where it's hard to die. Considering what it is, dying may actually come as a ''blessing.''.
* [[Power Nullifier]]: The grail will not work within the Dimensional Corridor, since Tiamat sealed it off from the world.
* [[Precision F-Strike]]: One of the shopkeepers does not take kindly to you not completing a sale.
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* [[Puzzle Boss]]: The Soul of Life in the final boss fight is a very ornate example, requiring you to have found four hints scattered around the ruins to tell you what order to attack the boss in.
* [[Recurring Riff]]: All the boss themes start with the same sequence of notes.
* [[Redundant Researcher]]: Lemeza and Shorn. As well, there are many who eventually failed at their research -: check their corpses for notes and items.
* [[Relationship Upgrade]]: Subverted; the girl in the dating sim talks about doing this, but then she complains about toothaches and the guy she was talking to [[Snatcher|finds some fake skin on the ground...]]
* [[Remixed Level]]: The Shrine.
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* [[Reverse Grip]]: How you attack with your dagger.
* [[Rewarding Inactivity]]: A few puzzles are solved by waiting and doing nothing in specific areas.
* [[Rewarding Vandalism]]: If you attack something you shouldn't, you will bring it closer to becoming pissed off at you and randomly firing at you, if you aren't directly punished via lightning. But there's some puzzles that require you to piss off statues to get an item or continue on.
* [[Rocket Punch]]: Sakit shoots out his left arm, on a large chain that enables the player to reach his weak point. He gets a proper [[Rocket Punch]] in the remake, using his right arm.
* [[Running Gag]]: The "Curse of Ashguine". Elder Xelpud warns you about it; it turns out to be an iron pipe suddenly sticking out of your crotch. The manual mentions that one type of enemies breathes with an iron pipe originating from its crotch, and the theme of the Spring of the Sky is called "Curse of IRON PIPE"—which contains some musical material that references [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flspAofUIIQ a certain theme] from the game ''Ashguine 2''. (Saidsaid material had to be reworked for the [[Wii Ware]] version to avoid possible copyright issues.).
* [[Scenery Gorn]]: {{spoiler|The Shrine of the Mother after it "transforms", with great parts of the former place being broken down and [[Meat Moss]]-like roots emerging from the Tree of Life.}}.
* [[Schmuck Bait]]: Many traps, such as those that have a pedestal for weights, but merely close off the section of the room you're in, or throw spikes in your face -... or often both. Also, a really useful item sitting in plain view. Often it's told that doing this or that will trigger a trap. Also, as a sort of meta-schmuck-bait, the {{spoiler|treasure which must not be seen.}}.
** At least one of those trap pedestals is ''also'' the solution to a puzzle, but requires that you hit a certain switch first. As well, some traps ''must'' be triggered for certain puzzles.
** A certain tablet in the Mausoleum of the Giants tells you not to read it again. If you do, it basically says "you shouldn't have done that" and spawns extra enemies all through the area. The added [[Difficulty Spike]] isn't a game-breaker by any means, but the only way to undo it is to restore a previous save.
** In the [[Wii Ware]] version, the dev team sure seems to like to mess with people who have played the original game, for an example there are traps that were never there in the original version.
* [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here]]: An odd meta-example: {{spoiler|Inin ''Mukimuki SD Memorial'', a second girl appears after the protagonist downs the first one that tried to kill him. Turns out she's a Snatcher too, to which he replies, "Ah, to hell with this." The [[Robot Buddy]] invokes the [[MST3K Mantra]], then the ROM crashes.}}.
* [[Sdrawkcab Name]]: The game's name, ''La-Mulana,'' is the programmer's name, Naramura, with the syllables written backwards. Well, that, and the Japanese lack of distinction between "L" and "R". Xelpud's name spelled backwards is duplex, one of the other developers. Lemeza's Japanese name, Ruemiza, with syllables inverted is Samieru, the third developer's name.
* [[Sequence Breaking]]: If taken far enough, you can amass enough power to kill the first boss in 4 hits. In fact, odds are you won't fight the bosses in order, and you may end up fighting the first boss late in the game if you don't go looking for it sooner.
** On a whole though, the game is well aware of your sequence breaking desires, and just makes it so you have to work very hard to get what you want. There is almost always more than one path available to you at any time, though one is generally a lot easier than the other.
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* [[Shout-Out]]:
** One of the ROM combos lets you play a ''[[Gradius]]'' clone, another combo with ''[[Contra]]'' turns you into a [[One-Hit-Point Wonder]], and one of the ROMs required for the whip power-up combo is ''[[Castlevania]]''.
** The ''Contra'' "anti-shout-out" is part of a combo with ''F1 Spirit 3D,'' because the creators disliked that latter game (which also shows in the fact that you can buy it for ''five coins''.).
** Those who grew up with the MSX will get quite a few laughs from Elder Xelpud's many quotes.
** The {{spoiler|Finalfinal reward for beating the Hell Temple is a [[Shout-Out]] to ''Dragon Quest 2II'' for the MSX}}.
** Lemeza's last name Kosugi and his love for curry was inspired by a TV commercial about Kane Kosugi's "curry is my special power-up".
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0m8IONmXsc The second music preview for the Wii version] makes shoutouts to ''[[Castlevania]]'', ''[[Mega Man (video game)|Mega Man]]'' and especially ''[[Moonwalker]]''.
*** Speaking of ''[[Moonwalker]]'', in the Wiiware[[Wii Ware]] version of the Moonlight Temple, there are actual mural silhouettes of [[Michael Jackson]] ingraved on some of the walls.
** In the [[Wii Ware]] version, the MSX references has been replaced by flash games that Nigoro has made in the past.
** The song "Rest, No Rest" in the Wiiware[[Wii Ware]] version comes from the very first game that Nigoro made, ''GR3''.
** Lemeza's whip goes from leather to a chain to a chain with a spiked ball ("mace") just like the classic ''[[Castlevania]]'' games.
** [[Castlevania: Chronicles of Sorrow|You need to stop time to defeat the Skyfish]].
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* [[Spikes of Doom]]: In the original, spikes were more of a constant annoyance than anything, like the [[Goddamned Bats]].
** In the remake, spikes deal damage equal to a percentage of Lemeza's max health, making them dangerous all throughout the game. However, the remake also removes the simplistic [[Collision Damage]] that spikes from the original exhibited; Lemeza can now pass through fields of spikes safely as long as he doesn't move into the pointy ends.
* [[Spiritual Successor]]: The game was made by fans of the relatively little-known Konami MSX game ''[[Maze of Galious]]''. In the manual, they explain modern games just aren't thrilling enough. Not only that, but {{spoiler|there is a hidden area based off of it}}.
* [[Sprint Shoes]]: The Boots.
* [[Story Breadcrumbs]]
* [[Stuff Blowing Up]]: Ellmac, a giant frilled lizard, explodes when defeated.
* [[Sufficiently Advanced Alien]]: The Mother is heavily implied to be one.
* [[Super Drowning Skills]] ''and'' /[[Super Not-Drowning Skills]]: Merely ''touching'' water damages you if you don't have a certain item, even if you aren't submerged in it. The item makes water completely harmless. Because of this, the [[Water Level|Spring in the Sky]] is notable for being one of the most dangerous areas in the game up until you get the item in question and becoming one of the safest immediately afterward.
** Same is oddly true for lava. In fact, in all likelihood, you'll be able to [[Convection, Schmonvection|swim around in LAVA]] before water.
** The fun part about water is the player MUST swim through water in order to get the item that makes Lemeza immune to it.
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* [[Tactical Suicide Boss]]: Sakit. It would be almost impossible to damage him if his arm wouldn't be a convenient bridge after his [[Rocket Punch]]. Ellmac is one as well.
* [[Take That]]: The first page of the manual is a jab at newer generations of video games, as well as gamers of the current generation:
{{quote|''"For those used to the new-style of really easy games, it may be very hard to beat ''La-Mulana''. But that's OK. We're looking for those gamers that could in days past defeat [[The Tower of Druaga|Druaga]], bring the baby back safely from the clutches of [[Maze of Galious|Gallious]], and sealed the Evil Crystal."''}}
** If you're an NES fanatic, a couple of Xelpud's quotes might piss you off a bit.
** A minor one: ''F1 Spirit'' (a real MSX game) is available in a store for 130 coins. ''F1 Spirit 3D'' (also a MSX game) is available in the same shop, costs 5 Coins. When combined with the MSX version of ''[[Contra]]'', it either drains your health, or makes you a [[One-Hit-Point Wonder]].
* [[Taking You with Me]]: {{spoiler|Palenque}} pulls this right at the end of his boss fight after he's killed in the remake, : {{spoiler|Jumpingjumping out of his spaceship and exploding -... if he's not knocked back into his ship with a well-timed hit, it's a [[One-Hit Kill]].}}.
* [[Tears of Blood]]: The third form of the {{spoiler|Mother}} cries these, and they turn into blazes of fire.
* [[Teleport Spam]]: A few minibosses do this.
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* [[Tennis Boss]]: In the second form of the final boss, the swirling disks have to be hit with the knife to knock them back at her.
* [[Time Stands Still]]: The lamp.
* [[Title Drop]]: {{spoiler|'''The last Mantra is LAMULANA.'''}}.
* [[Tomorrowland]]: Most of the game is ancient, dusty ruins. Then the Tower of the Goddess comes along, and it's ''a spaceship''.
* [[Trademark Favorite Food]]: Lemeza has a huge love for Currycurry, he pulls it out whenever you pause the game.
* [[Trap Door]]: [[Temple of Doom]] has plenty of them.
* [[Trial and Error Gameplay]]: Often, but especially noteworthy in Hell Temple.
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* [[Turns Red]]: The Soul of Death in the final boss fight takes this to an extreme, by casually gaining more attacks and having different animations in the background the more you hurt it.
* [[Unexpected Gameplay Change]]: The dating sim minigame mentioned above does this for laughs.
* [[Unexpected Shmup Level]]: The boss battle against Palenque, especially if you have a lot of Shurikens to toss at him from afar. {{spoiler|1=''PR3'' is an Unexpected Shmup ''Minigame'', and you need to reach a high enough score to clear a puzzle in the Hell Temple.}}.
* [[Video Game Cruelty Punishment]]: It's not really what you call ''cruelty'', but attacking statues will cause them to fire darts at you. {{spoiler|It becomes cruelty when you learn that the ruins are the body of the Mother;: you're attacking her from the inside.}}.
* [[Video Game Remake]]: The WiiWare[[Wii Ware]] and PC remake.
* [[Virtual Paper Doll]]: The inventory screen in the WiiWare[[Wii Ware]] remake shows a picture of Lemeza wearing the current equipment set. [http://la-mulana.com/en/blog/the-menu-is-done.html The official blog] [[Lampshade Hanging|recognizes]] that [[Rainbow Pimp Gear|end-game combinations can make Lemeza look ridiculous]].
* [[Voice with an Internet Connection]]: The remake has Elder Xelpud send e-mails to the player when certain conditions are met, which can be read at any time.
* [[Waiting Puzzle]]: Some of the puzzles require to stand in specific spots for long enough. One puzzle specifically requires pausing long enough for Lemeza to go through his entire [[Idle Animation]] and start taking a nap.
* [["Wake-Up Call" Boss]]: Sakit. As the boss of the second area, he is ''many times'' harder than Amphisbaena was, as he is immune to subweapons, is only vulnerable in the head, has a lot of difficult to avoid attacks, and is nearly impossible to beat if you don't have the knife.
** Amphisbaena himself is shaping up to be one of these in the Wiiware[[Wii Ware]] version. Whereas in the original version he was easily dispatched by spamming shurikens, he has a much different method of attack and appears to be a genuine challenge in the Wiiware[[Wii Ware]] version.
* [[Walk, Don't Swim]]: Swimming translates into walking around underwater with reduced gravity and movement speed, and the ability to make infinite mid-air jumps.
* [[Warp Whistle]]: The grail. However, you must first locate the stone monument that identifies an area before you can teleport in. You also cannot teleport out from inside the Dimensional Corridor.
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* [[Wutai]]: Dimensional corridor.
* [[Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe]]: One gravestone calls you "Ye fool" instead of the proper "Thou fool".
* [[You Fail Physics Forever]]: A pushable block will stay stable even when it's half off a platform. The kicker? {{spoiler|You need to use this to solve a puzzle in the Endless Corridor.}}.
* [[You Fool!]]: Commonly found on glyphs, especially in the Confusion Gate.
** From the Endless Corridor:
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Thou art a fool.
Thou art a fool.
Thou art a fool. }}
* [[You Have Researched Breathing]]: Want to save the game? Buy the ability to do so for 10 coins.
** Want multiple save files? Etc...
** Averted in the [[Wii Ware]] Remake,remake: you can now save any time at the grail points.
 
{{reflist}}
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