(*) Originally released on PC and Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch version came out in 2019, and the PlayStation 4 version in 2020.
I’ve criticized my fair share of mediocres games lately, and I’m apprehensively aware that there are still a bunch of them in my backlog. I needed a break. I needed to know if I was turning into a grumpy old geezer or if I was still capable of feeling enthusiastic…
We all remember our first “Tex Avery wolf moment” when faced with a title that dazzles, whether for its art direction or exceptional technical prowess. Most former Amiga owners would cite Shadow of the Beast (1989). Personally, I was too young and lacked the frame of reference. But years later, I was slack-jawed when a classmate introduced me to this (12:30, hold onto your seats!).
And since I’ve mentioned Tex Avery, no trip down memory lane would be complete without recalling afternoons spent in front of the VCR, watching for the hundredth time Gulliver’s Travels by Dave Fleischer (1939), A Corny Concerto by Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes, 1943), or Symphony Hour by Walt Disney (1942, direct link). Notice how prominent the music is.
The two main creators of Cuphead, two self-taught brothers, are roughly from my generation (though I searched high and low for their ages to no avail). They grew up in Canada, with a VCR on one side and a Sega Master System on the other. Their gaming references include Contra (arcade, 1987) (and its sequels), Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis, 1993), and Alien Soldier (Sega Genesis, 1995): fast-paced, technically demanding run and gun games, often playable with a friend, offering a variety of interchangeable weapons, and featuring numerous bosses with intricate designs and behaviors.
Perhaps more unexpected is their personal fascination with 1930s cartoons, which they aimed to incorporate into their game. Enthusiasts will easily spot the influence of the Fleischer brothers (the animators of Popeye and Betty Boop) as well as cartoons by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Julius the Cat, Flip the Frog, and a certain mouse whose name escapes me). No doubt they slipped in a few nods to slightly newer series, like Woody Woodpecker or Tom and Jerry. Quite a change from the ubiquitous manga imitations everywhere nowadays, wouldn’t you say?
Presentation rarely factors much into my appreciation of a game. Every rule has its exceptions. Cuphead is defined essentially by its unique visual style, which accounted for the lion’s share of the seven years it took to develop. The creators, who had no prior experience with programming or animation, chose to adopt the style of the old cartoons they loved, using the same animation techniques: hand-drawing and inking each character frame by frame to retain the imperfections, then animating at 24 frames per second, which was a massive undertaking for such a small team. And to top off this quest for authenticity, the jazzy music typical of that era’s cartoons was played by a live orchestra. The result is absolutely breathtaking. Nothing less than the second gaming slap in the face of my life.
As for the game’s substance, it’s perfectly executed. It synthesizes the titles mentioned above, with one unique feature: it falls under the category of Boss Rush, a series of boss battles strung together without actual levels (or reduced to the occasional interlude). This choice stemmed from limited resources, which they chose to focus on what they valued most: the elaborate bosses choreography. Their ambition was to make each of them as spectacular and memorable as a final boss (monumental size, multiple phases, attacks covering the entire screen that feel insurmountable on first attempt…). While this disregard for traditional platforming sequences delighted the hardcore fans, it deprived others of valuable breathing room, making the game particularly intense—to the point of being oppressive or even indigestible. Like dining in a restaurant that serves only desserts. There’s a market for it, but better to know beforehand.
Cuphead has a reputation for being difficult … by today’s standards. The levels are very short, players have unlimited lives, and the game saves progress after each victory (except at the very end). Naturally, you have to accept dying and retrying in order to progress, which hasn’t been a hurdle for me since I finally conquered the first level of Eat Mine on my 102nd attempt. So, I can attest that finishing this game is entirely doable, with a minimum of perseverance (unlike Contra, for instance, which would make you start over from scratch after using up all your “continues”). But let’s just say my thumbs took a beating…
Masochists can rest assured, however; Cuphead includes a scoring system (non-restrictive), which is usually not my cup of tea (oh oh oh!), but it fits well with the spirit of self-improvement central to the genre (dying a bit later each time, then winning by taking less damage, then achieving the perfect run in record time…). This system offers an additional challenge for those who want to prove their mastery by earning an “S” at the end of each level. I’ll speak less fondly of this feature when I cover the Ace Combat series…
There’s a recurring debate about whether games should include adjustable difficulty levels (especially in Eat-Mine-likes). I think while players have every right to complain, it’s ultimately not up to them but to the creators; difficulty is a part of the message they wish to convey (for those who still doubt video games as an art form). Besides, when you spend weeks drawing, animating, and fine-tuning a boss’s attack patterns, you don’t want some random Joe to breeze through it in five minutes.
My one criticism: I wish the music would stop when you pause the game or minimize the window. Given how demanding the title is, I needed to revive myself between bosses by doing other things. Furthermore, it seems some colourblind players face additional difficulties because the critical “parryable” projectiles, essential for charging up the “super meter”, are marked by a pink colour, which isn’t always easy to distinguish.
In conclusion, Cuphead boldly tries to bring together fans of “retro-elitist” games like Contra and old-timers raised on classic cartoons. Two groups with moderate overlap. I firmly place myself in the second category, and I admit that if they had chosen any other genre, I probably would have followed them without question.
The Delicious Last Course expansion was released in 2022, the same year as a Netflix cartoon.
