Cuphead

 
Developer: StudioMDHR  Entertainment Inc.

Steam Release: Sep 2017

Hours Played: 15.3

Most Similar To:  20XX / Bleed / Explosionade / Penarium

Rating: 5/5 Parsnips

GAMEPLAY

With all the excitement surrounding this game and the heaps of critical acclaim showered upon it, you can chalk this one up as an instant classic. This is a 2D platformer, run and gun / side-scrolling shooter. It's a platform shooter because in the Mega Man style (but confined to one screen and over a handful of stages) this is how you'll be dealing with the long and elaborate boss-fights. It's "run and gun" because 25% of the levels involve side-scrolling through challenging landscapes of vicious foes that culminate in a brutal boss fight. Finally, it's a side-scrolling shooter because you'll be involved in aerial, horizontal assaults that lead to, yep - you've guessed it, a tricky boss fight. It's hardly surprising then that Cuphead is often referred to as a "boss rush" game.

BALANCE & PACE

This is all about learning attack patterns and then adapting and applying counter-attacking moves to eventually bring down that main villain. I say "eventually" because these battles are tough and it will take a hefty amount of multiple attempts to master each one. Yet it's the acquiring-skills-through-mastery part that really holds this game together. Like a Bit.Trip Runner, Super Meat Boy or a Spelunky, you'll pick up on how to do certain moves while getting pummeled time and time again but at the same time build both confidence and competence that will ultimately help you smash it. It's this process and the varied level designs that keep the player coming back for more but the game will also stand the test of time due to its presentation and design... 
 

PRESENTATION & DESIGN 

This is where the game mostly shines. Its aesthetic, loved by many, is inspired by the old Disney cartoons of the 1930s. For authenticity the screen crackles and flickers with specks as if filmed from one of those old style movie projectors. Scary plant-life monstrosities with gnashing teeth and evil eyes peer at you and grin maniacally, while aggressive vegetables and other such creatures loom over and snarl at you like hungry predators. Many characters (hand-drawn and animated in the painstakingly ol' fashioned way), helped by those exaggerated facial expressions and curious movement, have their own personality like the tearful onion or the dancing sunflower. Also, listen out for the different tunes accompanying each level and the raspy voice of the commentator as he announces each level as if it's a world-class boxing match.   

   

PROGRESS SYSTEM

In the form of Cuphead himself, you'll roam around an isometric map of three worlds (annoyingly separated by load-screens) which contain about seven levels in each. As you approach a place of interest, to the sound of a squeaking balloon, a pop-up will appear giving you the choice to enter the battle. Beating a level on simple mode awards you a white flag but beating it on regular awards you a flag with a cup. This also awards you a "soul contract" which have to be collected to reach the final portion of the game. While roaming the map you can bring up a checklist of the levels which include: the boss's names; a tick if it was beaten on the regular difficulty; a grade for performance (from S down to C-), and the time taken to beat it. This information is for the user-profile only so there are no online leaderboards or rankings.  

CONCLUSION

This game loves to treat you mean to keep you keen... and it definitely succeeds. Not least in the way it dangles those juicy carrots in front of you - both catering to the needs of beginner and expert alike. For a start there is a parry mechanic, essentially a double-jump, that causes Cuphead to strike at any pink item on screen. This immediately gives you the use of an extra secondary attack but is also taken into account when you're given that final grade. Obviously novices can ignore this completely while hardcore players will be parrying with relish. Another key point is that Run and Gun levels are sprinkled with coins that can be used to buy all sorts of (non-refundable) perks from the shop. Trying out all these perks (perhaps through different profiles) is another way to explore the many layers that this game offers.