Cuphead is one of the modern era’s finest indie gaming success. Its gameplay might be simple, and at times infuriatingly hard, but the game’s traditional cel animation inspired by 1930s Fleischer and Disney cartoons became well regarded as a form of artistic expression despite its financial burden on the developers. The work paid off, as aside from its difficulty, Cuphead’s main selling point is its visuals. With the game’s popularity lingering five years after its release, Netflix will launch a televised version of the cartoony, rubber-hose madness.
The Cuphead Show shows there is still life in Cuphead after all these years. A release date for Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course was also finally revealed recently. Two big Cuphead releases in a year is exciting. Studio MDHR should strive to integrate the video game and the cartoon it inspired into each other’s universes as much as possible. New characters will be introduced in the DLC, and The Cuphead Show could serve as a good gateway for both veterans and newcomers.
The Faithfulness of Animated Video Game Adaptations
Video games are one of the trickiest mediums to adapt. Additionally, video game adaptations - especially movies - tend to take many creative liberties with source materials. As a result these works tend to be panned, creating a cynical reputation for video game adaptations as a whole. With TV series, particularly animated shows, things tend to be different, as the theoretical lack of limits in animation allows artists to adapt games as faithfully as possible.
Still, a perfect replica of a game’s world seldom appears on the small screen. The Super Mario cartoons of the late 1980s and early 90s look uncanny compared to modern incarnations, but they were relatively faithful at the time. There were exceptions of course, like Bowser's appearance and the Koopalings having different names. The Pokemon anime, arguably the most well-known video game adaptation, retooled the personalities of in-game bosses, changed how battles work, and had a plethora of original characters. While its faithfulness to the games is dubious, it is partially responsible for the public perception of Pokemon with traits like monsters saying their own names.
The Cuphead Show is lucky since it adapts a video game that is inspired by the show’s medium, coming after decades of experimentation. Video game movies like Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog are now being seen as fun for fans of their source materials. The Cuphead Show can go even further by not only referencing the game, but being used as a reference point for future games in the series. There is no need for creative liberties in a cartoon based on a video game inspired by classic animated shorts. The artists working on the show can add a cohesive narrative to the established universe using the cartoony charm Cuphead already has.
The Direction Cuphead Could Take
Without subscribing to a Marvel-like cinematic universe gimmick, creative consistency is an ideal recipe for The Cuphead Show regarding the upcoming Delicious Last Course DLC. Their respective production pipelines might mean it is too late for such an idea to come into fruition, but the introduction of Ms. Chalice already shows plans of committing to a similar concept. While it will most likely be episodic, whether The Cuphead Show takes place before or after the game’s story is unknown. Regardless, the show could use its narrative as an opportunity to familiarize viewers with bosses, including new ones from the DLC.
Cuphead’s ending indicates that the bosses were not necessarily evil, but desperate due to being indebted to the Devil. The show could dedicate individual episodes or subplots to these characters, allowing viewers to see their personalities. Since Delicious Last Course's new bosses are unlikely to have the same motivations as the ones in the base game, their characterization will inevitably differ. If they happen to be in The Cuphead Show, they will get a pre-release reveal that establishes their personalities, enriching the context of their boss fights.
The Cuphead Show is based on a video game, but it does not need to be separated from its source material in the way most video game adaptations are. The character designs, tone, and backgrounds clearly try to emulate the game, so if the show’s writing were to insert itself into the upcoming DLC, it would make for a more satisfying experience.
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course launches on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on June 30, 2022.