Cuphead has all the style of ’30s cartoons
The much-anticipated game, created in Oakville, is finally available to challenge gamers
It is safe to say that no locally made video game this year will carry the excitement that surrounds Cuphead, the long awaited, hand-drawn fever dream that launched Friday for Xbox and PC.
Announced more than three years ago to instant acclaim and anticipation, the debut game from Oakvillebased Studio MDHR has created a very specific vision: incredibly difficult run-and-gun action in a 1930sinspired cartoon that hearkens back to the ’80s in its challenging game play.
It’s dressed up in a Max Fleischerinspired animated world of darkly designed characters who are all out to get the titular character or, if you are playing with someone, his buddy Mugman.
The vision of brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, the game was delayed several times — and mortgages refinanced — so they could achieve their grand vision, one they admit was incredibly hard to pull off. “If we knew how much work had to go into it right when we started, we definitely would have passed,” Chad said.
“It was a simple thought, ‘What if a game looked like a cartoon?’ And the crossover just seemed like a natural thing,” Jared chimed in.
“It started out as a laugh, because we knew we wanted to make this run-and-gun game, but we didn’t have a full art style in mind. So we were throwing ideas out there and we both love the golden age of cartoons, because we grew up watching a ton of them,” Chad continued. “We were always attracted to the creepy old feeling of these cartoons and we did a few mock-ups, and when we did it, it looked way too good to pass up.”
From that idea to reality was a long way, as they had never animated anything before. But once the decision was made, they learned how to animate and started to build the team to create their vision.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to look very far. While the brothers are the core, the 14-person team behind Cuphead is also a family affair, with several family members — Chad’s wife Maja Moldenhauer inked some part of all of the 50,000 frames of animation in the game and has the carpal tunnel syndrome to prove it — and close friends — such as composer Kris Maddigan, who created the original vintage jazz soundtrack for the game — in key roles.
“There have been many days where I had to sleep with a brace on or icing it. It was long hours every single day, but it’s neat to be able to have touched every frame of animation in this game, because it all had to be inked,” Maja said.
The result is a beautiful looking game that will definitely draw people in; there hasn’t been a game animated like this since perhaps Dragon’s Lair.
The other key to Cuphead is just how difficult it is. Of course, for the guys who made it, it has become easy enough to warp their perceptions.
“I can complete it very easily and can beat some bosses with my eyes closed,” Jared said. “But all developers get too good at their games.”
“I do find some of it a little too easy,” Chad said, “but we do have an expert mode that unlocks.”
“We’re not aiming for that much of a challenge, but it just feels like that in people’s heads because they haven’t seen something like this in a long time,” Jared said. “I think as a generation, things are slowly changing. With things like Dark Souls, there are a handful of games that have brought back to this generation the feeling that losing is OK, and difficulty does not mean that your game is good or bad; it’s just simply one aspect of the game.”
I started playing the game and tried to keep track of how many times I died. I lost count somewhere around 80. That said, I want to go back for more. The joy of beating the challenge is innate to the game.
The story is pretty simple: Cuphead and his buddy Mugman go to the wrong side of the tracks and end up playing dice at the Devil’s Casino. Cuphead rolls badly and loses both of their souls in the bargain. The Devil says if the pair collect other outstanding souls, he may offer them a reprieve.
They set out on Inkwell Isle, looking to find souls to capture, only to encounter all kinds of enemies and elaborate boss battles. While it’s important to take out enemies, it’s just as important to not get hit, as pretty much any touch from an enemy will deplete your hit points. The levels are either run and gun or elaborate boss battles, which require precision timing, excellent hand-eye co- ordination and a good memory for where enemies pop out.
More than that, Cuphead looks to be a work of singular vision, a piece of playable art that will illicit strong reactions. Because it hearkens back to two revered periods — ’80s gaming and ’30s animation — it has already inspired think pieces and other controversy.
VentureBeat games reporter Dean Takahashi uploaded a video of his first attempt and was criticized by many online, spurring a number of “should game journalists be good at games” articles.
Rolling Stone recently wrote a piece called “Cuphead: Why 1930s Animation Continues to Grip Contemporary Culture,” citing Jay Z’s recent “The Story of O.J.” as another example.
As the game finally gets into players’ hands, there will only be more strong reactions to come.