Cuphead

A potent cocktail of authentic 1930s aesthetics, jazzy tunes, ingenious boss designs, and gameplay founded on the fundamentals inherent to the best 2D shooters. Cuphead sure is swell.

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In "Cuphead," a run-and-gun indie game, players control Cuphead, a cup-headed character, fighting through various levels and bosses in a classic 1930s cartoon style. This adaptation is a research project, aiming to create a playable version for the retro PSP console, using Game Maker 8. The latest version, Alpha 0.8.2, is available for testing, featuring numerous fixes since the initial release of Alpha 0.6. Note that this is not an official adaptation, and purchasing the original game supports the official developers.

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Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 62,851 reviews

graphics4,758 positive mentions

grinding167 negative mentions

graphics
7,780 mentions
61 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
Cuphead's graphics are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style, which captures the charm of 1930s cartoons with meticulous detail and vibrant colors. The game's visuals, combined with a jazzy soundtrack, create an immersive experience that enhances the challenging gameplay, making each boss encounter feel rewarding. While the aesthetic is a major draw, some players note that the visual clutter can occasionally hinder gameplay clarity, but overall, the art style is considered a masterpiece in the gaming industry.
- “Cuphead features a stunning hand-drawn art style that perfectly captures the charm of 1930s cartoons, making it a visual feast for players.”
- “The game boasts a unique art style inspired by classic cartoons, with vibrant colors and fluid animations that create an immersive experience.”
- “The art style, music, and gameplay come together to form a unique experience that is purely brilliant, showcasing the developers' dedication to their craft.”
- “The graphics are so bad they look like something from the f*cking 1930s or something; the controls are too responsive and the game overall is too good.”
- “The graphics are very dated and the gameplay is not engaging enough to keep me interested.”
- “The graphics are charming and unbelievably intricate, but the gameplay is frustrating and not enjoyable.”
music
7,015 mentions
64 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in *Cuphead* has been universally praised for its exceptional quality, featuring a lively jazz-inspired soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's 1930s cartoon aesthetic. Players appreciate the unique compositions for each boss and level, which enhance the overall experience and keep the gameplay engaging, even during challenging moments. The hand-drawn visuals and meticulously crafted soundtracks create a nostalgic atmosphere that resonates with fans of classic animation and music, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The soundtrack alone justifies the purchase.”
- “Its charming atmosphere, paired with exceptional jazz-inspired music design, creates an immersive and unforgettable experience.”
- “The jazz-inspired soundtrack is also phenomenal, setting the tone for each fight with its lively rhythms and catchy melodies.”
- “The lack of variety in gameplay mechanics means that after a while, the novelty of the beautiful art and music can’t compensate for the repetitive nature of the gameplay itself.”
- “The music could get grating at times because a) it’s not my favorite kind of stuff to listen to and b) at times I ended up listening to the same thing for hours on end until I finally managed to get through a specific fight.”
- “I wasn't getting sick of the music even for the bosses that took me hours to complete.”
gameplay
5,705 mentions
51 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
Cuphead's gameplay is characterized by its challenging, fast-paced mechanics that require players to master intricate patterns and strategies to defeat a variety of uniquely designed bosses. The game combines classic run-and-gun elements with a bullet-hell style, offering a rewarding experience that balances difficulty with fair mechanics, making each victory feel satisfying. While the stunning 1930s-inspired visuals and jazzy soundtrack enhance the overall experience, the gameplay can be frustratingly difficult, demanding patience and skill from players.
- “Cuphead offers a unique art style and challenging gameplay, making every victory feel rewarding and fun!”
- “The art direction is some of the best I've seen in games, and the gameplay is as addicting as it is challenging.”
- “The gameplay is simple but the bosses are unique and appropriately challenging.”
- “Waste of time, gameplay is boring and controls are whack.”
- “The gameplay is extremely repetitive and you mostly progress through levels by luck/repetition.”
- “The gameplay is flawed, but i love still this game because of how much personality this game has.”
story
1,710 mentions
33 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "Cuphead" revolves around two brothers, Cuphead and Mugman, who lose their souls to the devil after a gambling bet and must collect the souls of others to reclaim their own. While the narrative is simple and serves primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay, it is presented with a charming 1930s cartoon aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. Many players appreciate the whimsical yet dark themes, though some feel the story lacks depth and engagement, focusing more on the challenging gameplay and artistic style.
- “The story of Cuphead and Mugman’s deal with the devil is a timeless fable of temptation and redemption, rendered with a playful yet sinister edge.”
- “The story is simple but concise and always on point, plus there are some charming NPC chats happening at the overworld map, yet every other minute is dedicated solely to pressing buttons.”
- “The art style looks amazing and compliments the tone of the game and story really well.”
- “While Cuphead offers a charming premise with its vintage cartoon style, the story itself is surprisingly thin.”
- “Instead, the plot serves primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay, lacking depth or engagement.”
- “The story is just too simple, predictable, and cliché.”
humor
521 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in Cuphead is a standout feature, characterized by its clever puns, whimsical character designs, and absurd boss battles that evoke the charm of 1930s cartoons. While many players find the humor delightful and engaging, some critiques point out that certain jokes can fall flat or feel repetitive. Overall, the game's blend of challenging gameplay and comedic elements creates a uniquely entertaining experience, especially when played with friends.
- “Cuphead is an amazing platformer with its outstanding art, innovative boss fights, and humorous dialogues.”
- “The game and DLC have a lot of funny and creative bosses.”
- “Cuphead offers a unique combination of art and sound, presenting one of the most funny and bizarre shows in the current game generation.”
- “Really, I’m all for lame puns and silly dad jokes, but 90% of these are just plain unfunny, and half of those presented as rhymes don’t even rhyme properly.”
- “Tons of boss battles, check (insert unfunny joke about Dark Souls here) level difficulty, check.”
replayability
338 mentions
50 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
Cuphead is widely praised for its high replayability, attributed to its challenging gameplay, multiple difficulty levels, and various modes such as co-op play and expert mode. Players enjoy the opportunity to refine their skills, achieve higher ranks, and explore different strategies, making it a game that encourages repeated playthroughs. However, some reviewers note that once the main campaign is completed, the replay value may diminish for those less inclined to pursue perfectionist challenges.
- “And the best part about it is that you can always go for harder challenges; the game has a lot of replayability value (simple mode, regular mode, expert mode, s&p ranks, peashooter only, speedrunning, etc.).”
- “The game provides you with many different types of weapons, abilities, and super abilities you can play around with, increasing the game's replay value and allowing for more strategies when fighting against bosses.”
- “Cuphead offers a surprising amount of replayability, like completing expert mode or getting P ranks.”
- “Just very limited replayability.”
- “Limited content: the game is relatively short, and while replayability is high due to the difficulty, some players might find the overall content lacking.”
- “The structure of the game is at the core of this problem: once you've mastered a boss, you may get a slight addition to the challenge in expert mode, but not a lot of replayability beyond that.”
grinding
273 mentions
1 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
61 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it both rewarding and tedious. While some enjoy the challenge and the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering difficult bosses, others feel that the repetitive nature of the gameplay can lead to frustration and monotony. Overall, the experience varies greatly depending on individual preferences for challenge and patience.
- “There are no micro-transactions, there is no grinding, etc. You get to play this game at your own pace, and it's fun for the whole way through.”
- “Cuphead is harder than Dark Souls because there is no grinding and becoming overpowered.”
- “It makes the game enjoyable and not tedious like the time I'm writing this review.”
- “This design choice can turn what could be a fun challenge into a tedious grind.”
- “The gameplay itself is actually very tedious.”
- “Grinding through the levels and bosses feels like an aggravating chore.”
stability
217 mentions
9 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
Overall, the stability of the game is mixed, with many players reporting a range of glitches and bugs, particularly during boss fights and in co-op mode. While some users experienced smooth gameplay with minimal issues, others encountered significant freezing and game-breaking glitches that detracted from their experience. Despite these problems, many still found the game enjoyable and praised the developers for their ongoing efforts to address stability issues through patches.
- “Flawless optimization; no glitches, no stutters, no bugs, and no crashes.”
- “I had no glitches or problems with the game, and that is saying something among today's games.”
- “There are almost no glitches or bugs.”
- “Not only is it infuriating to play due to its downright unfair difficulty, there is a wide array of bugs and visual glitches that make the game even more unbearable.”
- “The main problem is that the game opens and goes straight to a black screen and freezes!”
- “This game is just too buggy.”
atmosphere
205 mentions
59 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its vibrant, nostalgic charm, reminiscent of 1930s cartoons, enhanced by stunning hand-drawn visuals and a captivating jazz soundtrack. Players find the combination of art style, music, and immersive design creates a unique and engaging experience that keeps them invested, even amidst the game's challenging gameplay. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as delightful, infectious, and a significant factor in its appeal.
- “The hand-crafted, cell-shaded 1930s animation and excellent soundtrack work to provide the perfect old school atmosphere the developers attempted at recreating.”
- “The vintage atmosphere surrounding this game is amazingly nostalgic; remember when you were a kid on a Sunday morning and you would eat your favorite cereal and then rewatch your favorite taped cartoons for the 1000th time on VHS?”
- “The art style is stunning, and the music adds to the game's distinct atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere of the game absorbs you moments after beginning, transporting you back to the Popeye/Steamboat Willie era of moving art.”
- “This surreal, almost-elegiac atmosphere pairs remarkably well with the relentless difficulty; this is a world where every inanimate object has angry eyes, gyrates constantly like it's busting for a piss, and desperately wants you dead, which is just as well, because you'll have obliged them several hundred times before the game is done.”
- “The atmosphere, reminiscent of classic Disney, is wonderfully cheerful, and this is the first game I have been happy to have with film grain.”
emotional
178 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is overwhelmingly intense, with players frequently expressing feelings of frustration, sadness, and nostalgia, often leading to tears. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions, from joy and relief upon overcoming challenges to deep emotional pain during difficult moments. Overall, it is described as an emotional rollercoaster that combines challenging gameplay with heartfelt storytelling and nostalgic visuals, making it a memorable experience for players.
- “This game makes me want to cry, but I love it.”
- “Amazing emotional roller coaster.”
- “This game has made me feel so many things I wouldn't have felt.”
character development
138 mentions
54 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is primarily expressed through its stunning and imaginative character designs, which draw heavily from the 1930s cartoon aesthetic. Players appreciate the unique and whimsical designs of both the main characters and bosses, noting that each character is imbued with personality and charm, contributing to an immersive and visually delightful experience. However, some players feel that while the visuals and character designs are exceptional, the narrative depth and character development could be more substantial.
- “The character designs themselves are splendid, from the main characters to the large boss enemies, right down to the background characters.”
- “From character design to animations, environments, the effort to recreate the cartoon world of the 30's pays off, and Studio MDHR delivers a coherent, colorful, frenzied universe which totally fits the cynical but funny story of the main characters.”
- “The aesthetic style perfectly replicates the 1930s era of cartoons with the character designs, the fluid animations and rubber-band effects, and even the grainy filter.”
- “Players might expect a deeper narrative or character development given the charming visuals and unique world.”
- “Despite the 1930s aesthetic being unique, the character designs themselves are not very captivating or interesting; usually just a generic character drawn in the 1930s way of having an exaggerated smile or sneer.”
- “Also the visuals are terrible; lazy animation and uninspired character design.”
optimization
105 mentions
42 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance even on lower-end systems. However, some users noted issues with keyboard controls and occasional stuttering, particularly in co-op mode, indicating that while the game runs well, there are areas that could benefit from further refinement. Despite these minor drawbacks, the game's technical performance is largely considered excellent, with few bugs and a stable frame rate.
- “Cuphead runs smoothly on its custom engine, designed to faithfully replicate the feel of classic animation.”
- “Amazing unique hand-drawn platformer with an immersive soundtrack, plays beautifully with seamless gameplay and no performance drops.”
- “The game is incredibly optimized and works great with any controller.”
- “The controls on keyboard aren't super optimized, and you can't bind any input to mouse.”
- “Leave it a three star for now, 5 stars after the game is optimized for ARM Macs.”
- “Having performance issues on a PC that should be able to run ten instances of the game also leaves a bad taste.”
monetization
32 mentions
9 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is highly praised, with users emphasizing the absence of microtransactions, DLC, and other monetization tactics commonly found in modern titles. Reviewers appreciate the game's commitment to providing a complete experience without the pitfalls of cash grabs, highlighting it as a refreshing alternative in an industry often plagued by exploitative practices. Overall, players commend the developers for prioritizing gameplay and player experience over profit-driven models.
- “In an era where microtransactions, unfinished products, and ridiculous crowd-sourced titles rule the video game landscape, it’s always refreshing to see an indie title that throws all the corporate gibberish out the door and releases a fun, complete product.”
- “This game is a breath of fresh air in an age where lousy paid DLC, loot boxes, and microtransactions are rampant in gaming.”
- “Just like the good old days, there isn't any DLC or microtransactions for additional content.”
- “In a world where video games are disposable and triple-A titles are cash grabs, it is so refreshing to play something with so much heart.”
- “This game puts triple-A games to shame and you won't have to subject yourself to microtransactions and numerous DLCs.”
- “It's refreshing to see a game oozing with passion and care amidst a sea of cash grabs and shovelware.”