Studio MDHR's Cuphead celebrates its fifth anniversary today, with the arduous and nostalgic experience still being heavily discussed and expanded upon. Cuphead is fondly known for its reputation of being an incredibly challenging run-and-gun platformer and its gorgeous, hand-drawn environments and creatures in the style of 1930s cartoons. It has seen continued support from Studio MDHR and fans alike since its release with continued updates and announcements from the creators and hundreds of thousands of hours of play time by fans.Cuphead was originally announced at E3 2014 by the founders of Studio MDHR, brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, to great excitement due to its stunning hand drawn visuals and stiff challenges. However, the game's planned release date of 2015 was delayed a further 2 years while the studio refined its first title. The game's DLC, The Delicious Last Course, consisting of ideas taken from the cutting room floor of the base game, faced a similar delay with the DLC announced in 2018 and released in June 2022. Yet both were well worth the wait, the quality of each blowing fans and critics away.
Cuphead's Unique Art Style
Cuphead's art is one of the first things that comes to mind when fans think about it. A heartfelt ode to 1930s and 1940s cartoons, the game uses hand drawn 2D animation while featuring period accurate music and silent film slides. The game's thoughtfully crafted blend of innocence and malevolence is immediately apparent in the opening cutscenes of the game, with King Dice and the Devil akin to antagonists of a Fleischer Studios cartoon.
Speaking of Fleischer Studios, when asked about specific influences on the visual style of Cuphead in a 2015 interview, Chad Moldenhauer specifically cited the 1931 short Bimbo's Initiation and the 1930 cartoon film Swing You Sinners! as two cartoons key to the game's atmosphere. Other cartoons of the period from Walt Disney Productions, Warner Brothers, Comicolor, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer are clear influences on the game too. For example, the bosses Ribby and Croaks on Ink Isle 1 are very similar to the Ub Iwerks character Flip the Frog, while Bluto from the Popeye cartoons is a clear influence of Captain Brineybeard's appearance.
The brothers, with the help of Chad's wife, Maja Moldenhaur, as the 3 person dev team's ink artist and producer, watched and studied these classic cartoons multiple hours a day outside their full time jobs. They did everything from analyzing aspects of a cartoon by pausing the screen frame by frame to blowing the frames and images up in Photoshop in an effort to better understand the subtle differences between each drawing and how to translate this fluidity to their game. Studio MDHR was committed to providing the highest quality product it could muster through these meticulous levels of care and detail for the base game and its subsequent DLC.
The New Standard of Difficulty for Platformers
Since its announcement and release, another readily apparent aspect of Cuphead is the demanding challenge the run-and-gun platformer presents its audience. The creativity behind every level is complimented with how unique each fight is, often demanding different strategies for each stage of an individual fight. This same on-the-fly thinking is applied for each separate platforming or boss level too; no two levels are the same, requiring players to constantly prepare a new approach for each major stage.
Despite how formidable this may seem, gamers have some flexibility on how to complete each challenge. Players can equip their character with various attacks, charms, or supers which can be purchased through the in-game store, Porkrind's Emporium, or unlocked through platforming challenges spread throughout Cuphead's 3 isles (4 with The Delicious Last Course DLC). This assistance can only get players so far; each boss fight still requires a high degree of concentration and will-power.
Countless gamers have experienced a certain level of difficulty, with some handling the pressure better than others. Raging is often a side effect of platformers and Cuphead is no exception, with everyone from casual players to content creators such as Asmongold taking their frustrations out on their controllers or desks. Many setups and peripherals hang in the balance whenever embarking upon this equally rewarding and frustrating experience for the first time, contributing to the overall appeal of Cuphead and its DLC being an exceptional challenge.
On the flip side, the game's reputation has inspired numerous fans to challenge themselves through speedruns, shooting for 100% completion, or even using unconventional methods to play through Cuphead or The Delicious Last Course. Twitch streamer and speedrunner PeekingBoo is one such fan: he used a Dance Dance Revolution pad to defeat every boss in the game in under 90 minutes. Another YouTuber, EazySpeezy, decided to speedrun the game while climbing up Mount Mansfield in Vermont, each being a difficult feat on their own.
Cuphead's Legacy and Future
It would be an understatement to say that Cuphead has made an impact since its release. The game has seen much success on various platforms and continues to be a beloved franchise, receiving Funko Pop figures and its own Netflix adaptation. Audiences have even been treated to a physical release of the game following an announcement from Studio MDHR's official Twitter account.
Even though the game is ultimately wrapped up following the release of The Delicious Last Course, Cuphead continues to flourish in the gaming scene, with many fans hoping for a potential sequel to Cuphead. Audiences hope to see the celebrated rubber hose design continued in future games by Studio MDHR in a shared universe of some sorts if a Cuphead 2 is unlikely. Given the size of the development team and no confirmation of a sequel to Cuphead, the likelihood of either of these projects being announced could be quite a few years away.
Despite this, gamers can continue to replay the base game and DLC many times over. If this task seems unappealing, then fans can play in Cuphead costumes in either Fall Guys or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate until more news is announced.
Cuphead is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.