Featured Image: (Pacer Graphic / Sophia Phillips)
The 2017 indie run and gun classic, ‘Cuphead’ is what you get when you have two cup brothers who sold their soul to the devil and now have to do his bidding.
‘Cuphead’ is a co-op, run and gun game released by independent video game developers Studio MDHR. It took the world by storm after its initial release in 2017. Fans fell in love with its 1930s art style inspired by early ‘Disney’ and ‘Looney Tunes’ cartoons. The game gained so much popularity that it received its own show on Netflix in 2022, being so lucky as to get three seasons of it. ‘Cuphead’ received widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike, reinforcing the message that even indie games can compete with the average AAA (Triple-A) video games.
When playing this run and gun platformer, players must be very aware if they wish to defeat the bosses that plague Inkwell Isle. There’s a decent variety of alternate attacks that the player can dish out. From tracking bullets to boomerang-like bullets, the player must be able to create the right combination with their weapons to stand a chance against their overwhelming opponents.
Despite being a stylish and fun game, do not be fooled by the cover. ‘Cuphead’ is notorious for building an increasing sense of rage in gamers that play it. Being a bullet hell by nature, ‘Cuphead’ is more difficult than one might first assume. The amount of projectiles and attacks on the screen at one given time are hard to dodge despite a player’s best efforts.
‘Cuphead’ is a co-op (cooperative) game, meaning that up to two players can play at once. Once in co-op mode, the players share the currency in the game. This allows a duo to buy separate upgrades and charms so as to stand more of a chance against the enemies of the isle. It also allows a revival feature to come into play.
When fighting a boss in ‘Cuphead’, it’s easy to die within the first few attempts of the fight. This is more of an obstacle in single player mode than co-op. In co-op mode, duos are able to revive each other if they perform a parry jump on the ghost of their partner. This allows the fight to last longer than it would have if player deaths were permanent. Co-op is arguably the only right way to experience ‘Cuphead’.
After mistakenly gambling their souls away at the Devil’s Casino, anthropomorphic teacup-headed brothers Cuphead and Mugman must travel across their home of Inkwell Isle and collect the souls of the Devil’s runaway debtors. From a ghost train to a sunflower, the brothers face a wide variety of enemies.
At the end of the game, the player is forced to make a choice. This is a choice that came up in an earlier conversation between the brothers and their caretaker, Elder Kettle. The ending of the game relies on the outcome of the player’s option in this crucial moment.
The story is simple enough to lay the groundwork for the gameplay. It does just enough without overwhelming the player with an extraneous amount of information.
The art style of ‘Cuphead’ may just be the most intriguing part about it. It’s inspired by the rubber-hose animation art style of cartoons created in the 1930s. The design of the main duo seems heavily inspired by that of Mickey Mouse. This is visible by just observing their appearance. From the overalls to the giant shoes and gloves, Cuphead and Mugman owe their outfits to Mickey.
The dedication of Studio MDHR is quite literally littered throughout the entire game. The animation was hand-drawn by a full team of artists. This type of love is rare in the current game industry. Instead of it being another cash grab, ‘Cuphead’ is a labor of love to the animation of the past while also being a stunning experience all on its own.
‘Cuphead’ easily blew gamers away in 2017 and is still impressive to this day. After receiving a TV show and an increasingly difficult DLC, it definitely earned its high praise. It’s a game that players will continue talking about in the years to come. The experience of playing ‘Cuphead’ is always a real ring-a-ding!
Grade: A Tier
$19.99 – Cuphead – PS5, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Windows, Steam, Nintendo Switch 2
