Mugs are faces here. A brief set of thoughts on MDHR and their game, "Cuphead"

My partners and I have been playing Cuphead together recently, and I just couldn't help but write a few words about this charming little game! I'll be writing this set of thoughts with the comfort of knowing that the reader likely knows about the game already, but it's worth going over some of the basics of what Cuphead is.

The most striking aspect of the game, and what it's ultimately most well-known for, is its hand-drawn, Fleischer/Disney-based art style. Every frame of animation for every character and scenario was drawn by hand, save for the coloring, which was done digitally. Its characters, enemies and boss scenarios all take inspiration from characters and expressions from Fleischer and Walt Disney cartoons, while also incorporating some spin on tropes that any classic "sh'mup" fan will be familiar with.

Its gameplay is challenging, but abandons the notion of outright sadistic punishment; you'll never be forced to a Game Over screen, for example, but you will have to contend with having one less health if you aren't careful about your distance from danger. The items available to Cuphead, as well as his cautious and careful pal, Mugman, takes and twists items that sh'mup fans will, again, be familiar with. In one instance, the "lobber" item could be compared to the "Drop Shot" from the Metal Slug series of sh'mups, in that both items involve a low, bouncing trajectory, with Cuphead's version being adjusted in range for balancing purposes.

The end result for an avid player of run n' gun retro video games is an atmosphere where everything is both overwhelmingly familiar while being intensely surreal and new, and this is immediately striking when one either plays or watches the game. But you knew that already, didn't you? Cuphead was nominated as the best action game of 2017, and it was also the recipient of an award for best visual design and best art direction in 2017 at the 2017 Game Awards, alongside many other categories. Despite being the first game developed by MDHR, it stands alongside Senua: The Sacrifice and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and others as having received the most awards at the 2017 Game Awards, both coming from larger, more well-established game studios. Besides producing an experience that gently plays with the player's sense of nostalgia, MDHR has shown that they can stand alongside larger companies in notoriety and in recognition for their accomplishments. This is particularly relevant in a world where the tools of creating interactive entertainment are becoming more generally available to the average person.

So much has been said about Cuphead already that it's difficult to find new ground, but there's nothing wrong with treading some of these old paths, and just exploring some of those memories. But I'd like to share at least a couple of the references noticed by my partners and I, and are sure to have been noticed by others, too.

Cala Maria, a somewhat popular character from the game who appears in some of the promotional screenshots, takes some elements from Betty Boop's design, while also being an expansion on boss ideas that appeared in Konami's "Parodius" series of games.

Cala Maria, Cuphead

One of many Parodius boss fights.

Betty Boop sinking gracefully in "Betty Boop's Lifeguard"

Meanwhile, Grim Matchstick seems to take place in a sort of western fairy tale, and the floating platforms and constant movement calls to mind the "Mecha Dragon" from Megaman 2:

Grim Matchstick

Mecha Dragon

I highly recommend Cuphead to anyone interested in a playful, well-tuned gaming experience that's rightly been recognized for its contribution to gaming and electronic entertainment.

A good day for a swell battle...

And begin!!