In the world of videogames they usually appear titles that surprise the entire community. Suddenly, due to their playable, aesthetic or dynamic proposal, they become undisputed classics. Something like that happened with Cuphead. We tell you what this game is, who its character is, the story behind its creation, and how to play it.
We also explore the variants, clones and other proposals who appeared to take advantage of their sudden success. A trip to the world of video games, to a crazy sense of humor, to a different playable proposal and to a unique cartoon aesthetic from the 30s.
Cuphead, a game that listened to criticism
When it first appeared, Cuphead dazzled by its graphics but it showed some weaknesses in the playable aspect. It was a title focused solely on the battle against final bosses, and that did not allow it to make the most of the possibilities of its own universe.
The developers luckily listened to the public. Studio MDHR analyzed player feedback and added new 2D platforming sections, run & gun sections, and new boss mechanics and strategies. The result was even more positive. Today Cuphead is a title much loved by lovers of platforms and action, with clones and titles inspired by its characters and mechanics.
The original Cuphead
The original Cuphead game is available for different consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows and Mac computers. Subsequently, cloned and game-inspired versions would come out that can be run on mobile phones or through the web on online game pages.
The adventure plays out as a 2D platformer and shooter with a 1930s cartoon aesthetic. You'll find notable nods to Disney and Warner animated shorts, as well as character designs somewhere between comical and terrifying. The Canadian studio MDHR managed to perfectly capture an entire aesthetic and turn it into a different playable development.
The plot of the game
Inkwell Islands is a land of magic and fantasy. The cuphead brothers Cuphead and Mugman lived very quietly, enjoying the day to day, under the care of Elder Kettle. But one day they ran away from home and ended up in a casino. They began to win a lot of money, thanks to a streak of luck that any gambler would envy, but everything was complicated by the appearance of the owner of the establishment: the Devil.
Confident in their luck, they bet their souls against taking all the money in the casino and ended up losing. Before claiming their souls, the Devil offers them a deal: they must fight against the Devil's debtors and bring back those souls, in exchange for saving their own. Thus begins a journey in search of the soul contracts that will be the key to saving themselves.
How do you play Cuphead?
The title is divided into branching levels, with boss battles that follow one after the other, and with some in-between exploration and platforming screens. The game offers infinite lives and a very high difficulty, so we will have to learn to avoid the different obstacles and enemies. In addition, the weapons obtained are saved.
The cooperative mode allows you to control the two brothers and explore the map, with a world design similar to an Action RPG, and many enemies, traps and obstacles in each scenario. The strategic and equipment factor also influences the gameplay. There are different special items that can be used to facilitate a boss battle.
La object configuration It is carried out through four groups. The A and B shots to select weapons, the Super to equip a special attack, and the Amulet slot that grants powers or special abilities in combat. To escape and evade enemy attacks you can use special techniques, such as Dodge (Dash), Deflection (Parry) or Fixed to always aim in a specific direction.
Cuphead is not an easy game, but its developers have added different levels of difficulty for players to train. The idea is to have fun and train to finally defeat the final bosses on the hardest difficulty. That's why infinite lives, clearly you have to be prepared to die several times.
online versions
If you don't have the game original cuphead, still you can enjoy part of its technical and playable elements. On the web there are numerous online versions that adapt characters, mechanics or moments of the game for a free and online challenge from the comfort of the browser. Some of the best achieved and funniest are:
Cuphead: An adapted version that imitates the universe of the original game, facing different final bosses inspired by the original Cuphead. All the setting, the graphic level and the mechanics are brilliantly adapted. The soundtrack and the great care in the drawings stand out.
Cuphead – Brothers in Arms: Another excellent battle against final bosses inspired by the original title, adapting the shooting, jumping and platform mechanics. The keyboard control mechanics can be a bit less efficient, but the overall dynamics are very well suited.
Cuphead rush: This title takes the characters from the game universe as a reference, but provides a different mechanic. It is within the infinite race genre, where we will have to move forward and avoid obstacles to avoid being stopped while we escape. It is an excellent adaptation that allows you to explore the fantasy and cartoon settings.
Cuphead – Wally Warbles: The latest Cuphead-inspired game recommendation pits you against different final bosses from the original title. It rescues the shooting and gun & run fighting mechanics and adapts them to online and free control.
Conclusions
Cuphead marked a before and after in the world of cartoon-inspired video games. It allowed us to approach the cartoon aesthetic of the 1930s in a different way, and it continues today. It is a bit terrifying as well as tender, and that mixture of sensations is what guarantees its high level of adoption by the public.