Platform: Macintosh

Developer: Studio MDHR 

Publisher: Studio MDHR

Release Date (NA): October 19, 2018

Genre: Run ‘n’ Gun

Nerd Rating: 10 out of 10

My wonderful readers…

I think I have found a new addition to my list of all-time favorite games. One that even gives my absolute favorite, Earthworm Jim, a run for its money.

As some of you may or may not know, I have been in love with animation for almost the entirety of my existence. Drawing at a very young age, the idea of one of my characters coming to life and moving was a dream that seemed far out of reach, though one I would realize when I was 15. As a man of 30, I have been animating on and off for, at the time of this review’s publication, half my life. It goes without saying that I have a profound love and respect for the art. I know good, fluid animation when I see it, which is why I had my eye on this game from the very beginning.

A video game that’s traditionally animated by hand in the style of 1930s cartoons, with run and gun gameplay akin to Gunstar Heroes, Contra, Metal Slug, and Mega Man? It’s like a dream come true!

Naturally, I had to play this. But alas, it was initially released exclusively for the PC and Xbox One – two platforms I do not own. So with the news of its availability on the Switch, what better time than now to fully articulate my thoughts? No, I do not own a Switch, nor did I play it on that system (not to mention the Switch port was not available when I wrote this review). As such, this will be the first evaluation I write of a game I do not own. Also my first for a newer game. Lots of firsts today, eh?

Cuphead is…boy, where do I even begin? It’s beautiful. It’s a work of art. It is living, breathing, cartoony wonder that you can actually control, with incredibly rich, detailed, and smooth animation that was skillfully and painstakingly drawn by hand.

Studio MDHR perfectly captured the sounds, visuals, and spirit of cartoons from that era. If I were to see this on a TV without knowing it was a video game, I would think I was watching some old cartoon from the 30s or 40s. Everything from the music to the voice recordings, to the character designs – it’s all perfect. And they say the Devil’s in the details…well let me tell you, this game’s got the Devil all over it.

How about that for a segue?

Cuphead tells the story of two adorable humanoid cup brothers who get into some trouble at a casino. They gamble away their souls and find themselves at the mercy of the Devil himself. But he gives the brothers Cuphead and Mugman a shot at redemption; if they can bring him the soul contracts of several indebted gamblers, the two will be freed from their contractual bindings.

Now the question is, will they have the heart to hand over all the poor souls they’ve defeated?

From a gameplay standpoint, on the surface it seems like a standard run ‘n’ gun. You run around, jump, and fire projectiles at enemies. But the gameplay manages to feel very unique, giving the player something fresh from a genre that can easily feel generic.

You start with a basic rapid-fire shot – an energy pellet of sorts that’s summoned by the snap of a finger. Most of the game is broken up into boss battles with a few platforming “run and gun” stages containing coins. You can buy upgrades with the coins you collect, enriching your character and overall experience.

Both brothers have a primary and secondary shot they can equip from a list of abilities. They can also equip a charm (such as an extra hit point) and a super attack that can be used as their meters (represented by playing cards) fill up. Pressing a shoulder button locks your character in place, allowing for easier multi-directional firing. But that’s not all!

You also have dash and parry abilities, both of which serve to enhance the experience significantly. The dash is incredibly fun and allows you to implement some precise, reflexive maneuvering to keep yourself from taking damage (which is essential, as you can only take a few hits). The parry requires a very well-timed press of the jump button whenever you come in contact with an enemy/object that is pink. This not only fills up your turbo meter quicker but is remarkably satisfying to master and can be necessary to move on in certain situations. You also use this parry move in the two-player mode as a means to reviving your partner.  Doing so must be accomplished before the player’s ghost floats off screen, and the more times you resuscitate, the faster the spirit will drift upward.

The controls are precise, intuitive, and smoother than Sam Cooke at the Harlem Square. And with a game like this, tight controls are a must!

The difficulty of Cuphead is often talked about. This is old school hard, where you are forced to try over and over again until you master a section. This game does automatically save your progress, though the battles themselves have no checkpoints. As such, you will find yourself taking on the same boss battles and platforming stages again and again. The good news is each level is very digestible and fast-paced, making for an experience that is more addictive than boring. Believe me, you will have a hard time putting that controller down. Never has the phrase “One more time” been uttered as often as in a round of Cuphead.

While the difficulty is definitely notable, with enough practice every stage is beatable. And when you do, oh how satisfying it feels.

Every boss offers you a unique fighting pattern and style. You even have a couple space-shooter stages in the form of airplane dogfights.

And speaking of style, the character design is wonderful. Prepare to be dazzled by the incredibly creative villains you’ll encounter. These baddies, like the heroes of this game, are as engaging to the imagination and artfully crafted as their movements are fluid and smooth. This has the kind of cartoon visuals that amaze the onlooker, reminding us how impossible it can appear that what you see was crafted entirely by human hands. Not to mention gorgeous backgrounds (even including a three-dimensional stop-motion backdrop in the same style as some of the Fleischer Popeye cartoons), filling every corner of the screen with rich and wonderful detail. Am I gushing? Well, if you think so, you either understand or haven’t played this game.

The music. Oh, the music. So perfect. So appropriate. So fitting. Like every other element in this game, it helps build a remarkably authentic experience. It’s fun, exciting, jazz music that matches the intense on-screen action. Every stage has its own track, so there is never a dull moment.

Cuphead is an immersive, interactive cartoon experience like no other. If you have any means of playing this game, I suggest you do so right away! Even if you’re not enchanted by hand-drawn animation, the gameplay is fun and satisfying enough to hold its own, allowing you to quench your thirst for a good run ‘n’ gun title. So what are you waiting for? Go play some Cuphead now!