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Cuphead: Don’t Deal With The Devil
Cuphead is a run-and-gun, side scrolling style video game that was released this year by
StudioMDHR for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One (“Cupheadgame”). IGN, Metacritic, and
Polygon along with many other game review sites and myself have safely rated the game
excellently. I rate Cuphead well and recommend it to other video game players because it revives
the 1930’s cartoon style and music very well, offers a challenging but enjoyable story for players
to experience at a great price, and brings the nostalgia of playing an old school video game back
to life.
In the story of Cuphead, you play as the main character, Cuphead. The exposition of the
plot begins in the lands of Inkwell Isles with Cuphead and Mugman (Cuphead’s brother) playing
peacefully while under the “watchful eye” of the wise Elder Kettle. The two boys managed to
wander a little far from home and wound up in the Devil’s Casino. They manage to earn
themselves a hot winning streak at the “Craps” table. Before the boys leave, the casino’s owner,
the Devil himself, appears and makes a deal with them. If Cuphead and Mugman manage to win
another round, they get all the riches in the casino, but if they lose, the Devil gets their souls.
Cuphead rolls the dice before Mugman could stop him, resulting in snake eyes for the brothers,
losing them the bet. As the Devil approaches them for his half of the deal, Cuphead and Mugman
plead for their lives and ask for any other possible way to repay their debt. The devil negotiates
with the boys and tells them that they can keep their souls if they go and run down all of the
Devil’s runaway debtors (soon to be bosses that the boys will fight), which creates the games
plot line.
One of the most popular details that Cuphead has been
noticed for is its graphical in-game design. The developers of the
, 2
game stated that the main inspiration of the 1930’s cartoon style originated from cartoon artists
such as Max Fleischer from Fleischer Studios (Skrebels; Plante). Along with the visual appeal of
the 1930’s theme, the developers kept the audible appeal of the theme in mind as well. The
game’s soundtrack offers over fifty tracks to listen to and enjoy (Fallon). The notes in the tracks
are of the same 1930’s style as the graphics, complimenting each other in a very superb and
vintage fashion. As the player travels through the game, they experience the pictures and sounds
of the game as if they were playing it in the 1920’s and 30’s on an old television produced by
John Baird, or Charles Jenkins.
Cuphead has also caught the attention of gamers through its pure nature as a video game.
When Cuphead was released, it was released as a full and finished product, unlike many other
popular games developed by bigger known titles such as Ubisoft and Activision. Games from
these developers have the tendency to continue adding content over time, whether it be from
large updates, the production of multiple games for the same experience, or through add-ons and
DLC (downloadable content). Part of what players experience while playing these popular,
modern games (especially first-person shooters) is dedicating most of their “game-time” to this
content. Some of the content involves tasks offered daily, weekly, and perhaps major events
posted monthly or yearly. The main conflict in layering tasks after tasks in a game is that players
cease to see a game as a fun pastime, but instead as a to-do or chore list, which deters the player
from enjoying the experience that the game has to offer. Gamers know that when they have
finished Cuphead, they have played all there is to offer.
Another problem that Cuphead players do not have to worry about is falling behind.
When modern games implement excessive content into the experience or message that they are
trying to convey, it almost requires a commitment to the game to stay ahead with everyone else
who is trying to do so. Players who want to stay ahead often find themselves stuck playing that
Cuphead: Don’t Deal With The Devil
Cuphead is a run-and-gun, side scrolling style video game that was released this year by
StudioMDHR for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One (“Cupheadgame”). IGN, Metacritic, and
Polygon along with many other game review sites and myself have safely rated the game
excellently. I rate Cuphead well and recommend it to other video game players because it revives
the 1930’s cartoon style and music very well, offers a challenging but enjoyable story for players
to experience at a great price, and brings the nostalgia of playing an old school video game back
to life.
In the story of Cuphead, you play as the main character, Cuphead. The exposition of the
plot begins in the lands of Inkwell Isles with Cuphead and Mugman (Cuphead’s brother) playing
peacefully while under the “watchful eye” of the wise Elder Kettle. The two boys managed to
wander a little far from home and wound up in the Devil’s Casino. They manage to earn
themselves a hot winning streak at the “Craps” table. Before the boys leave, the casino’s owner,
the Devil himself, appears and makes a deal with them. If Cuphead and Mugman manage to win
another round, they get all the riches in the casino, but if they lose, the Devil gets their souls.
Cuphead rolls the dice before Mugman could stop him, resulting in snake eyes for the brothers,
losing them the bet. As the Devil approaches them for his half of the deal, Cuphead and Mugman
plead for their lives and ask for any other possible way to repay their debt. The devil negotiates
with the boys and tells them that they can keep their souls if they go and run down all of the
Devil’s runaway debtors (soon to be bosses that the boys will fight), which creates the games
plot line.
One of the most popular details that Cuphead has been
noticed for is its graphical in-game design. The developers of the
, 2
game stated that the main inspiration of the 1930’s cartoon style originated from cartoon artists
such as Max Fleischer from Fleischer Studios (Skrebels; Plante). Along with the visual appeal of
the 1930’s theme, the developers kept the audible appeal of the theme in mind as well. The
game’s soundtrack offers over fifty tracks to listen to and enjoy (Fallon). The notes in the tracks
are of the same 1930’s style as the graphics, complimenting each other in a very superb and
vintage fashion. As the player travels through the game, they experience the pictures and sounds
of the game as if they were playing it in the 1920’s and 30’s on an old television produced by
John Baird, or Charles Jenkins.
Cuphead has also caught the attention of gamers through its pure nature as a video game.
When Cuphead was released, it was released as a full and finished product, unlike many other
popular games developed by bigger known titles such as Ubisoft and Activision. Games from
these developers have the tendency to continue adding content over time, whether it be from
large updates, the production of multiple games for the same experience, or through add-ons and
DLC (downloadable content). Part of what players experience while playing these popular,
modern games (especially first-person shooters) is dedicating most of their “game-time” to this
content. Some of the content involves tasks offered daily, weekly, and perhaps major events
posted monthly or yearly. The main conflict in layering tasks after tasks in a game is that players
cease to see a game as a fun pastime, but instead as a to-do or chore list, which deters the player
from enjoying the experience that the game has to offer. Gamers know that when they have
finished Cuphead, they have played all there is to offer.
Another problem that Cuphead players do not have to worry about is falling behind.
When modern games implement excessive content into the experience or message that they are
trying to convey, it almost requires a commitment to the game to stay ahead with everyone else
who is trying to do so. Players who want to stay ahead often find themselves stuck playing that
