REVIEW: Cuphead (2019): A game that is hard but at the same time fair

Cuphead and Mugman are here to save the day. The Devil is a trickster.

The last game I finished was this one several months ago. I took my time as I usually do playing an hour or so here and there. This is the perfect game for time constrained folks like myself. As with most games I'm playing on my Nintendo Switch with the Pro Controller with the Switch docked on my tv. I've heard people can use the standard controls ie. the joy-cons and actually finish this game.

Kudos to them. Those things are unusable in my opinion and my hand cramps in about 10 minutes if I try to play the Switch as a portable. Luckily, you can play either way. The design of the Nintendo Switch really leaves a lot to be desired in the handheld department for me at least. That's a tale for another day.

Cuphead was a Microsoft exclusive for at least a year before it was apparently ported to Mac? The Switch ended up getting their port 2 years later in 2019. As for me, I started playing it three years after that!

The crazy carnival had its moments. Watch out for that rollercoaster Cuphead!

The game is a run-and-gun so you'll need some good reaction times and attempt to prepare yourself for the onslaught of enemies on the screen. Thankfully the developers have also included different variations on the theme.

The standard run-and-gun is the bulk of the gameplay. Furthermore there are straight boss rush modes where the entire level is you versus a multi-stage boss. On top of that you also have shooter modes where you're in your own little plane shooting down enemies while attempting to reach the end boss of the level. Lastly, there are stages to test your parrying ability that helps you earn power ups over time.

I remember reading about the game back when it was first announced. Run-and-gun games can be a very difficult genre to do well and I can say Cuphead has nailed it. What caught my attention first and foremost was the animation.

Those rubber ducks are killer.
I love the look to the animation. They nailed the era.

The animation is hand drawn in a retro 1930's style that I never knew the name of before this game appeared. Rubber hose style animation is the name and you'll know if you're ever seen it before. The character limbs actually look like wobbly hoses. Tack on a jazzy soundtrack reminiscent of the time with original music and you're halfway to an excellent game.

The other half is gameplay design and controls. They deliver in spades here too. The controls are tight and responsive. You start off with your pea shooter that you shoot out of your finger. As with any good title in this genre you can upgrade your shots and your abilities.

The standard jump and a welcome parrying ability are present at the start. The jump is self-explanatory, you will need to do platforming and evade enemies. The parry ability adds another level of enjoyment as you can block projectiles coming at you if you time it correctly. Upon a successful parry you also build up your super meter on each successful hit. Max that meter out and you can release your special ability and deal mucho damage.

The plot is an interesting one. You are Cuphead and make a deal with the Devil after losing to him at the casino. You must wander the land and collect the debts of the Devil. In other words, you must repossess their souls like a repo man. You do have a brother named Mugman but I didn't play co-op and he's apparently the second player. Love those names!

Here we go again. You never know what to expect from level to level.

You'll be greeted with some nice cut scenes and be put on the overworld map. Here it's divided into run-and-gun, boss fights, an item store and some challenge levels. You walk around and choose what you wish to play. The world opens up with each successfully defeated opponent. Easy as pie right? Well not really.

World's hardest game ever? No, I wouldn't classify it as that but I would say this is a tough game that doesn't waste your time if you're up for a challenge.

I had some extremely rough times with certain levels. The last level throws a multi-boss rush at you that will put your skills to the test and this took numerous attempts over several days. The other big battle that eclipsed this was against Grim Matchstick, a platforming level that is constantly moving while you're battling a huge dragon. There are times when you think you'll give up and that last attempt seems to be the victorious one. This happened so many times.

At times I wanted to smash my controller, I don't do that anymore but I understand that sentiment. Developers rarely design a game that is unbeatable. On certain instances I was off to the internet to see if I could find any tips. As usual in a game of skill there are no easy responses.

Super Cuphead. In all honesty the special moves play second fiddle and might mess up your gameplay flow. Know when and how to use them at the right moments.

A quick search will often bring up the reviled answer.

"Git gud"

The annoying response often parroted as the default response. I believe this originated from Dark Souls, another punishing yet extremely rewarding game.

Once in awhile I found some tips that I wasn't aware of and I was surprised, they did help. Other than that it was a trial and error gameplay loop that was not annoying. There is a fine balance that a developer must tread here. Too difficult and you alienate your audience, too easy and your can also get the same response.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? You're half right, it's Cuphead and his brother in a plane. One of the several shooter levels throughout the game.
This was a tough battle.

Overall, I wouldn't say anything was easy. The first level will let you know what you're in for. I certainly got destroyed quickly and you know you have a different type of gameplay experience on your hands. For those that do stick to it you will have a very rewarding gameplay experience.

I finished this one in about a month in a leisurely pace. This is a great pick up and play title. You can sit down for an hour and feel like you're making real progress even if you do not finish a single level. Pattern recognition is paramount here. How the level flows along with the multi-stage bosses will always keep you on your toes.

You will die. You will die a lot.

This is part of the game and you better get used to it. You'll need to learn the patterns, weak spots and the general flow of the game. For me, this works well when done well. In this case it is. Similar games with similar mechanics sometimes don't click. For whatever reason this works and works well for me.

One of the many multi-boss levels. This one is near the end of the game and you'll be seeing plenty of this guy. Trust me.
Yes, he is a giant cigar.

The game is gorgeous and you can tell when you first start this up. The visuals and the music will draw you in initially. The gameplay and level design is what keeps you coming back for more.

While I played this on normal difficulty and did beat it, I noticed there is a hard mode. I can only imagine the challenge this must bring. The fact that it's there is a nice bonus, I might have to start all over knowing an even more difficult challenge awaits.

This one is highly recommended by me. Enjoy those visuals and jazzy tunes while attempting to figure out how to beat this darn thing.

Thanks for the read 🙂

All media courtesy of Nintendo. Thank you very much.