Cuphead

It is platforming greatness at its very best, and proves just what can be achieved when the necessary time is put into fine tuning a game before release.

If you have any interest at all in platformers, 2D shooters or both, Cuphead is an absolute must-play. It is the pinnacle of the genre, and deserves to go down in history as an all-time classic.

The artists and animators, those working on the dastardly enemy AI or scripting, the musicians that contributed to this game should all take a bow. The wait was long and now it’s easy to see why, but Cuphead is most certainly a must play title in a year full of must play games.

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.

Cuphead is going to be one of those games that many people recognize, even if they don't know its name or if they had played it or not, simply for its amazing artistic style; it’s that unique and should be applauded. It is one of those games that you can tell has been a labor of love, and by a very small team none the less, which makes it even more impressive. Stick with it and you’ll experience one of the most enjoyable titles in years, constantly challenging you but always a delight to play. I’m really hoping it does well, as I want a sequel one day, and hopefully by then I’ll have finally mastered Cuphead and bested every boss.

Cuphead not only sounds and looks perfect, but also brings nostalgia for classic run and gun games and even older cartoons.

Although I speak very highly of Cuphead, I do think the game can be a little too unforgiving in enemy attack patterns and their ability to hit from offscreen without much warning. Regardless, the game’s tight controls, fun boss fights, and pleasing aesthetic make it a must have.

Cuphead is a rare case where the long development cycle didn’t ruin the final product. This game matches its incredible look with stellar game play. In the sea of games releasing this year Cuphead stands tall as one of the best. There is little reason to skip this gem, it even comes with an outstanding value price and plenty of replay. Don’t sleep on Cuphead. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to listen to the soundtrack one more time.

Cuphead is an addictive mix of fun and frustration that will constantly keep you coming back for more. It’s amazing combination of terrific gameplay, tremendous style, and an original concept immediately catapults it into every game of the year discussion.

Cuphead is the marvel we've been looking for. A tittle that surpasses all expectations, one of the best games of 2017, and definitely, the most beautiful. The wait has been worth it. Cuphead is here. And it's big. Really big. Deal with the devil.

A gorgeous and incredibly satisfying action-platformer, with awesome art and sound, flawless gameplay and a perfectly balanced difficulty. Definitely one of the best games of the year and an absolute must buy for any platform/shooter lover.

Instant classic.

Cuphead has had a long journey, and it’s great to see StudioMDHR’s efforts pay off. It does a superb job of capturing the essence of the early days of animation with fantastic art and a jazzy soundtrack. Its challenging difficulty provides some heart-pounding moments and an immense feeling of satisfaction once a boss is defeated. Although it suffers a bit in co-op and platforming levels, Cuphead is more than worthy of your time.

Studio MDHR’s Cuphead is going to be one of those game you’ll either totally love or hate with a fury hotter than the fires of hell. This is a really, really hard game. One of its oddities is the inclusion of a Simple mode for bosses that make the battles significant easier except you cannot advance to the next world unless you've taken out their Regular forms. And because the Simple variants aren’t particularly helpful, there’s no reason they should exist. The platformer minded Run ‘n Gun stages are nice diversions but at their worst, you can tell they were added for wider appeal. As someone who absolutely love what Cuphead is, I learned to take these issues in stride. This is a game that made such a huge splash on arrival and has more personality and charm than anything launched this year.

Cuphead is the kind of game that you only need to play for 10-minutes to realise the attention to detail Studio MDHR has poured into it. It looks incredible, sounds wonderful and is a pleasure to play… then the difficulty kicks in and it turns you into a quivering mess. It’s a game that can evoke frustration one minute and pure elation the next. Cuphead will go down as a classic, that's for sure, and it's quite possibly the hardest game I’ve ever played, but you just have to try it. If only for a short-while. Just get out before that blood pressure rises!

Cuphead is the kind of game that you only need to play for 10-minutes to realise the attention to detail Studio MDHR has poured into it. It looks incredible, sounds wonderful and is a pleasure to play… then the difficulty kicks in and it turns you into a quivering mess. It’s a game that can evoke frustration one minute and pure elation the next. Cuphead will go down as a classic, that's for sure, and it's quite possibly the hardest game I’ve ever played, but you just have to try it. If only for a short-while. Just get out before that blood pressure rises!

The art is something the videogaming landscape has never seen before and is, arguably, worth the price of admission alone. But we come for the art, and stay for the challenge. And boy, does Cuphead have challenge in spades. If you’re used to modern gaming, this is going to take you to absolute breaking point and might even push you away, but if you grew up on the more arcade-centric 8 and 16-bit games of the past, and love the challenges those games served up, then Cuphead is absolutely for you. Art and design combine, but with the sole purpose of crushing you -- what’s not to love?

Cuphead is a tribute to the Technicolor cartoons of the 30’s. It’s a hard game as well, with old school mechanics that will bring you tears of frustration.

Cuphead impressed me in every facet, from its beautiful art style to its challenging gameplay. Studio MDHR clearly put a ton of love and time into every little detail in this game, and the entire package pays off that effort in a fantastic and challenging experience.

Outside of a few nagging flaws, namely the frustrating run and gun levels, Cuphead represents the shoot 'em up genre at its absolute best. The boss battles are consistently exciting and just the right amount of challenging, while the 1930s cartoon visuals amaze in every regard.

Cuphead offers a great deal of amazingly designed levels and bosses. You will have many days of fun and frustration: a combination that will make you love Cuphead till the bitter end.

Every detail in Cuphead speaks of the love its creators have for perfectionism, from the beautiful visuals to the refined gameplay mechanics. The commitment of Studio MDHR goes beyond a tribute to classic 30s cartoons, it pays homage to the best platforming in videogames and feeds the hunger of those who pursue a genuine challenge.

Truly, Cuphead is a game which will give victorious gamers a sense of satisfaction that few modern games manage to accomplish. The nostalgic visual prowess supplied by the game’s hand-drawn animations are second to none, and its period-appropriate soundtrack will force its way into gamers’ heads. Precision gameplay is key here, and the mechanics behind it – aside of an improvable control scheme – deliver a delightfully challenging title that doesn’t hold your hand through the process.

Cuphead is a brilliant homage to the run and gun genre as much as it is to the 30's cartoons. This retro experience is a though challenge that will reveal its true potential only to those brave enough to endure thousands of deaths by the minute. Cuphead is not accessible to everyone, and it is fine like this. Beautiful and diversified as any other, Cuphead is such a rewarding game; it reminds us the true taste of victory.

Cuphead is a small, wonderful gem (albeit not a long one), with a truly unique art direction and a real challenging difficulty. It's not for everyone, but it will be an absolute joy for whomever is willing to take up the challenge.

Cuphead is a real tip of the hat to the 30's cartoons like Fleischer and Tex Avery offering a very good die & retry gameplay and it's awesome OST. A very good small game overall.

With some of the most breathtaking visuals of the year, Cuphead opened fire with graphics that seem made back in the 30s by Fleischer Studios itself, an OST of pure, swinging ragtime Jazz and gameplay so damn hard that we were in Heaven every time we have conquered a level. You definitely have to have some skills to play this game, to overcome its amazing Final Bosses, to pass through its impossible run & gun levels. But boy, what a feeling on the victory screen, and what a great game to begin October with. Studio MHDR, we salute you.

Studio MDHR’s game is an arcane spell that raises Ub Iwerks and Max and Dave Fleischer from the dead to take over your screen with a psychotropic vengeance, right down to its glorious down-and-dirty ragtime score.

Cuphead is a game that not only has an audiovisual section with overflowing personality and unique appeal, but also a title with practically flawless gameplay and with challenging final bosses of the first order that give us some of the most intense, crazy and fun battles that we have played in recent years...It took some time, but it's been worth the wait. Cuphead is amazing from start to finish, and unless you hate shoot 'em ups, you have to play it. It's definitely one of the best games of the year.

Cuphead has an amazing and incredible art style that's not only breathtaking, but also features gameplay that's going to test your skills. Even though some may find it beyond its skill's reach, if you're looking for a challenge this is exactly the game you should pick...The difficulty really lies (beyond the game mechanics) in the bosses, who usually add random elements that you just can never read, as well as the timing that you have to measure based on your mistakes. That is, in our view, what really makes Cuphead difficult.

StudioMDHR transports players back into a 1930s cartoon with Cuphead, A stunning yet difficult title.

An exquisite work of craftsmanship in almost every aspect. You will recover your faith in classic gameplay. Be careful, though, it's not a game for the impatient.

Beautiful and difficult as hell, but as rewarding as you can imagine. Cuphead is one of the best indie games on 2017 and if you love run-n-gun games you should not miss it.

Cuphead is a tremendous achievement that will probably go down as one of this year's most beautiful and creative titles. Each level, each song, and each boss character is a meticulously crafted work of art in its own right, that you won't soon forget. The gunplay mechanics might feel a little dated, paying homage to 8-bit shooters of yesteryear, but they're well executed overall, and come with some modern flair in the form of super attacks and other powerups.

The animation alone is nearly worth the price of admission, but if you want imaginative bosses to fight as well, you're in luck with Cuphead. Just make sure you're prepared to die - a lot.

Cuphead made me feel more good and more bad than any other game I’ve played in the last several years. I swore, laughed, and hollered with delight. I hated it (and my own fingers) for long stretches but, having finished, I realise that’s more or less the point – I emerged from all that pain smiling. Rather than simply offering the player what they want, Cuphead makes them earn that right – the rewards, if you can hack the tests, are absolutely worth it. Cuphead is incredible for more than just its looks. But before you dive in, make sure you actually want a game that plays like this, and not just a game that looks like this.

Going in, there was a real fear that Cuphead was going to be style over substance. You’ll likely feel the same as you punish yourself over and over through the first few stages. That feeling disappears once you start reading the enemies’ tells, and get a good understanding of when specials should be used. Eventually you come to understand what you’re about to partake in, and in the moments of quiet as the enemy gets knocked into its next phase, you’ll stare at the backgrounds, or the over the top animations, and you’ll wonder why a game like this hasn’t been made before. A good bullet-hell game doesn’t need amazing graphics to hook you into its gameplay, but it’s certainly nice to have one that makes every frame look gorgeously unique.

Cuphead is a challenge with an impressive technical section. Difficult and challenging, with very fluid mechanics.

A crazy journey back in time with side-scrolling shooter mechanics thrown in for good measures. It's really one hell of a ride.

Tough, but never unfair. The smart people at Studio MDHR have created a tremendously difficult yet genius game with a unique style that you have to see to believe.

Cuphead is a must have for hardcore gamers who love cartoons. It looks like Popeye or Mickey Mouse from the '30s, but don’t let it fool you: the game is very hard. It's a pity that you can't finish the game on easy though, but still you should pick it up.

If you love those old-school games that rewards practice and patience through trial and error, Cuphead will likely delight. Yes, Cuphead is brutal and death is a regular occurrence, but it packs in that old-schoool arcade ethos that makes you want to keep trying.

Cuphead ought to handily quash any lingering questions as to whether video games should be considered works of art.

Cuphead is a hardcore game with a beautiful art design that recalls the classic cartoons of the '30s. Based on splendid boss fights and with some "run and gun" levels, MDHR Studios' game is challenging and satisfying.

As a lifelong fan of classic cartoons Cuphead is a dream come true. The artdesign and its execution are out of this world. And while I can appreciate a steep learning curve and a decent challenge, the high concentration levels needed can get tedious at times.

It may not be the deepest experience around, but in terms of pure gameplay quality, Cuphead is a must-play for those seeking a challenge thanks to excellent controls and a unique visual presentation.

The unique audiovisual elaborating and uncompromising playability beat a few freckles on the beauty of the game. Cuphead is a title that has mistakes, but you just cannot get it from the head. [Issue#279]

Microsoft's true standout exclusive for 2017. [Issue#194, p.70]

I wish I could recommend Cuphead to everyone purely on its amazing animation and the sheer amount of work that was obviously put into it, but I can't. The game behind the cartoony visage is finely tuned, well-rounded and (mostly) fair, but above all, it's incredibly hard. It starts off challenging and gets absolutely relentless by the final act. This is the kind of game that asks for a lot of patience and dedication from the player, but if you're into this type of challenge, you're in for an absolute blast.

Come for the gorgeous bygone ragtime jazz, Porkrind’s shop and an evil carrot; stay for the thrill of defeating a boss you’ve spent hours attempting. It’s painful, but you won’t find many games with such a moreish, satisfying sting.

Cuphead's running and gunning is strong enough that it would have found an appreciative audience even with more video gamey art, but it's the perfectly executed 1930s animation style that makes it something special. From terrifyingly transforming beasts to the occasional fully-voiced character song, every element here makes it obvious Studio MDHR really knows and loves its source material.

You can already find videos on YouTube of people who have bested all of the game’s bosses in no-hit runs, but that’s like saying that you can find videos of someone running a mile in under 4 minutes and fifteen seconds.

Cuphead is just the game for those who want a challenging Platformer. It may not bring anything groundbreaking to the table, but it's still a uniquely artistic and a memorable experience.

The great visual style and the hectic gameplay makes Cuphead a game everyone should at least try.

Cuphead is a stunning game. And a cruel one. You have to find out if it's more entertaining or frustrating, and that's not an easy task.

There's definitely a point where it all becomes a bit too much, but Cuphead will best most games in how it looks and sounds, and defeating that boss that you once deemed unbeatable is glorious.

Cuphead is a singular experience. Studio MDHR knew what it wanted to make, then went ahead and made it. A tough boss-rush game based on classic animation archetypes? It shouldn’t work, but here we are. It’s fun to play, and possibly even as satisfying to watch, since you can fully absorb what’s going on screen.

A stunning work of imagination, with a collection of high quality boss battles to rival any other in gaming – and a difficultly level that’s equally hard to beat.

Cuphead is a love letter to not just the decades-old cartoons it apes, but also gaming’s classic boss battles that have fallen to the wayside, as well. It’s far from easy, but don’t let that spook you out of playing this wonderful work of art. You’ll need patience and a steady hand, but you’ll absolutely be able to win out in the end.

The Cuphead experience is consistently wonderful. The nostalgic visuals, energetic soundtrack, and jubilant writing make this feel unlike anything you’ve played before. Some of the mechanics and gameplay tropes will be familiar to anyone who has played modern indie platformers, but the unique quirks presented here are among the best in recent memory.

A stunning visual feast that belies an intense level of difficulty. Cuphead won't be for everyone, but it's still a very good game.

It’s almost needless to say that the visuals are incredible, creating a stunning run-and-gun boss battler that looks straight out of 1930s ‘toons. In fact, the presentation, the audio, the music and the general vibe are unbelievable. Cuphead will be too tough for some players, and you’d have to look to the likes of Nioh or Dark Souls to find something as brutal and unforgiving. It’s going to take some serious skill and experience to beat those bosses, but Cuphead keeps on bringing you back for more until you do.

Cuphead is likely to reveal its deliberate frustrations too late for some people. It's hard not to become infatuated with the game's visuals, leaving uninformed buyers lured in by those blatant strengths to discover only then that it revels in its own relentlessness. This, in turn, could leave some wanting a refund and needing a new controller or two. However, for those that go into it with a co-op partner and with the knowledge that its design is as unforgiving as it is beautiful, it will be a unique and rewarding game. Always unabating but never unfair, Cuphead is tough to overcome but even tougher to put down.

[Recommended]

The best part about Cuphead is that the challenge feels attainable. It's the right kind of frustration, the kind that makes a person feel like they can prevail if they just try one more time. It's easy for this type of game to feel cheap, but it never feels impossible. It's a gorgeous piece of work and a cup that feels better on repeated sips.

Cuphead has been a longtime coming, and it's great to see that it lives up to its initial promises. It's beautiful to look at, and with a pitch-perfect soundtrack, it flawlessly captures the era its developers so clearly revere. It's also an intense action game that pulls no punches. It could benefit from a few tweaks, and two-player co-op doesn't feel like the valuable addition you might imagine, but Cuphead remains a rare, unique game that truly stands out.

Cuphead proves to be everything I wanted it to be — challenging, stylised and fun. It’s a tough, tough game — but unlike Dark Souls, my failures in Cuphead made me want to keep playing. Bring it on.

A staunch challenge for boss fight obsessives, but for many it'll simply be too frustrating. [Nov 2017, p.74]

For players that appreciate classic run-and-gun combat, punishing difficulty, constantly learning from failure, and breathtaking art, Cuphead’s experience will not disappoint.

Cuphead isn’t so much of a case of style over substance, but rather style over accessibility. The art is simply astonishing, and so too the music, but the gameplay is frequently too frustrating to make Cuphead a totally enjoyable experience. Essentially a boss rush game, its pacing allows for no relief. There are no moments of downtime to come down from the frustration or elation of your battles, it’s just long bouts of tension and stress that, for the most part, outweigh any joy that’s felt.