Along with being a shmup fanatic, I grew up playing the games that inspired Cuphead, so I understand the importance of movement and hitboxes being accurate to the frame. Run and gun shooters live or die by the accuracy of their controls so it was incredibly important for the game to act as an extension of your thumbs.

While the tutorial is standard fare and teaches you the basics of the game’s mechanics, what’s immediately apparent is the fluidity of the controls. If you’ve got a local buddy or family member looking to join the fun, couch co-op is supported with the second player assuming the role of Mugman, Cuphead’s best friend. Upon starting, you assume the role of Cuphead and are introduced to the tutorial by the Elder Kettle. The Sizzle Reel Where Cuphead Was Originally Shown in 2014 (0:37) While Cuphead was initially planned to be a small boss run style title only, the deal with Microsoft allowed them to pursue their full vision for the game which included an overworld, platforming levels, and overall larger scope. Microsoft featured it more prominently during their E3 conference in 2015 and it was shortly after that Microsoft and the Moldenhauer brother’s development studio, Studio MDHR, came to an agreement on the title. Cuphead debuted to the public during Microsoft’s E3 press conference in 2014 and due to its unique aesthetic, immediately stood out. To properly capture the style of those cartoons, every frame in the game is hand-drawn and animated thus representing the “rubber hose animation” style of the time period. Initial development began on the title several years ago by the Moldenhauer brothers who wanted their title to accurately portray the early 1930s era of cartoons they grew up watching. The story of Cuphead’s development and rise to fame has been well documented. It’s exhilarating, and just one of the many admirable aspects of this phenomenal title. Cuphead, designed to replicate the challenging run and gun shooters from the eighties and nineties, offers that gameplay loop with every play session.

You are attempting to hold on as long as possible, hoping beyond all odds to see “Knockout!” before you are hit one more time and have to start over again. Your eyes focus intently, your heart rate steadily increases, and your hands begin to sweat as you grip the controller with a strength beyond what it was designed for. As such, while I’ll share some clips below, I don’t want to spoil anything for potential players with a full video review. While Cuphead is a game with video that begs to be shared, one of joys of playing it is watching each level and boss unfold in front of you.

First things first, this review will only be done in written format.

Cuphead ost review