Cuphead

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JaySevenZero
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Cuphead

Post by JaySevenZero »

Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions for Cuphead for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

A friendly reminder that where the feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but keeping it brief is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mostly reading out essays. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.
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DaMonth
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by DaMonth »

This game is a game I constantly say I hate as I'm playing it, getting creamed with attacks I felt like I should have dodged over and over again. But nothing else gives me the satisfaction of seeing that KNOCKOUT! I absolutely love the feeling of slowly understanding attacks that seemed impossible to dodge an hour ago. Barring all the BS: attacks that you need to die to first to know they're coming, telegraphs that are way too subtle to see, etc.

And man, still wanna pour out one to color blind players. Seems almost unplayable.

Still, good game as long as you ignore the Run n' Guns and pretty stellar to look at. I just wish I could actually look at the animation and not be too busy fighting for my life. Oh and do yourself a favor and do a run without the Smoke Bomb.

UPDATE: Saw the show. It's pretty boring.
UPDATE AGAIN: DLC came out. Chalice is a fun Funky Mode. And it's amazing Isle 4 is a 1/3 the size of the normal game but it feels like it's had twice the amount of effort put into it.
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markfm007
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by markfm007 »

Cuphead’s been on my radar since E3 2014, but I hadn’t picked it up until I saw it on the list of upcoming episodes. The art style grabbed my attention. It’s absolutely wonderful and a reward in itself, where each new level, boss and map is beautifully coloured and full of expressive, creative and hilarious animations. Along with the brilliant big band soundtrack it makes the game a joy to behold and five years on still feels like a breath of fresh air.

Cuphead feels great to control, and the chaotic gameplay fits the animation and music perfectly. At its best it’s a very absorbing experience that will put a huge smile on your face and push you to your limits in a good way. However, big however, after the first island I found there was an element of randomness that wore my patience pretty thin. I don’t mind a challenge if I feel like it’s in my hands, but repeatedly getting hit and not really seeing how I could’ve avoided it winds me up. I’m not saying it’s totally random, I’m sure there are people that can avoid everything, that’s just been my experience.

That said I’m still enjoying it, I’m a glutton for punishment and the good outweighs the bad. I’m red green colour blind and haven’t had too many issues, only with a few of the smaller projectiles. Not sure if I’ll finish it but I'm glad I gave it a go. Maybe buy a backup controller if you’re the type to throw them!

Edit: I've decided not to finish it. In the end the irritation outweighed the fun. It's a shame as I like a lot about this game, but the randomness left me feeling like I was getting angry at something outside of my control, something I'm trying to cut out of my life. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and admit when the bad is outweighing the good.

Three Word Review: Brawl surely brewing
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Alex79
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by Alex79 »

Cuphead is a gorgeous, magnificent, brutal delight of a game. I played it through on Switch and had nothing but admiration and respect for a game which kicked my ass over and over again. Like a playable cartoon from the depths of hell, it tortured me and invaded my mind in a way that not many games do. I loved bashing my head against it until, through sheer bloody-minded determination, I saw the end credits roll. Some of those bosses took me far longer than anything in a Fromsoft game, but I didn't mind because it looked, sounded and controlled perfectly. The recent Netflix series has spurred me on to have another playthrough soon, and I'm really looking forward to it.

As for a sequel? I'd change only one thing. Get rid of the run and gun sections. They felt superfluous and the game wouldn't lose a thing were they not there. Before that comes though, I'm looking forward to the eventual release of the DLC.

THREE WORD REVIEW: Beautiful boss rush.
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stvnorman
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by stvnorman »

When The Cuphead Show arrived on Netflix recently and was as good as it was, it was inevitable that I’d be going back to the sadistic, surreal and absolutely stunning game that spawned it, and I still hate it just as much as I love it! The brutal difficulty is just how I remembered, but I was a bit surprised at how quickly the perfectly responsive controls became second nature again, allowing you to focus on the relentless trial and error then repeating over and over before you can beat the bit you’re on and do it all again on the next. I didn’t need to see the end again to get my fill this time around, but this thing is timeless and won’t be going anywhere if my masochist stubbornness ever wants more!
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NZGamerDad1
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by NZGamerDad1 »

I first stumbled across Cuphead when looking for recommendations for couch co-op games to play with my wife who is a casual gamer. I quickly skimmed the reviews (which were very positive), and somewhat foolishly brushed off the references to the game being difficult and purchased the game.

After 5 minutes of playing, I quickly realised we'd bitten off more than we could chew!

Almost every level we couldn't help but say "This is impossible!" or "We'll never be able to do this!". Slowly but surely we'd learn the patterns and after every failure, see that we were getting a little bit further along the progress meter that appears when you die. In fact, without that progress meter, I don't think we would have finished the game! It's such a simple, yet ingenious feature that, time after time, gave us a glimmer of hope.

Our darkest moment was when we reached King Dice. That really did feel too impossible - having to beat multiple bosses in a row felt overwhelming. Especially when coupled with the dice roll mechanic on that level which determined which boss you would face. Then there's also the terrifying 'Start Over' space, which would see you having to fight more bosses than necessary! We eventually made it passed him and his minions.

We were stuck on the Final boss (the devil) for a couple of weeks, and found ourselves just trying a handful of times each night before doing something else. The moment finally came when I made it to the devil's final form. My wife had died, it was all down to me. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating, but I was in the zone! I don't know how I did it, but I beat him. I honestly don't think I have ever felt such elation at finishing a game! It was pure joy. Without a doubt one of my most memorable gaming experiences!

Three word review: Brutal, yet addictive.
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Alex79
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by Alex79 »

NZGamerDad1 wrote: April 25th, 2022, 9:17 am I first stumbled across Cuphead when looking for recommendations for couch co-op games to play with my wife who is a casual gamer...
Good to see you on the forum!
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Tolkientaters
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by Tolkientaters »

I got this game because it looks incredible, but quickly realized my intense lack of skill at games, 2D ones in particular was going to be an obstacle to me seeing the game through. Realizing I wasn't get much other than frustration from the gameplay. I used one of several easy mode mods and focused on enjoying the incredible art and music, so I can't really say much about the gameplay other than I suck at it. The art and animation is absolutely worth checking out even just via a playthrough if you have any interest in animation.
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NoMoreSpearows
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by NoMoreSpearows »

Typically I play Cuphead in the "safest" possible method, by which I mean I equip the Smoke Ball and Chaser and focus more on avoiding enemy attacks than going for high damage and fast times. This method doesn't always work, since they don't apply for the airborne bouts, but it's the one that allows me to enjoy the game's obvious highlights in terms of its aesthetics and music to its fullest.

This carries over to the Run 'n' Gun levels, what I view to be the most underappreciated aspect of the game. To be more precise, this comes from aiming for the Pacifist bonus, letting the understandably sore denizens of whichever drinkware-headed hero is roaming go unharmed. It's like a puzzle game in a sense, figuring out where you can plan your next move saely, how to navigate across a pit while avoiding enemy fire, or what the secret is to getting past each stage's mini-boss. It's a welcome reprieve from the hectic nature of the boss fights proper, and I'm still a little sore that The Delicious Last Course didn't include any.
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ErikBergman
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by ErikBergman »

This game looks amazing. But I'm pretty sure that even if Cuphead had used a really generic artstyle, people would have considered it a fantastic game.
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Toon Scottoon
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Re: 533: Cuphead

Post by Toon Scottoon »

I mentioned on the Obra Dinn show that the reason I played that game was because I told one of the high school students I teach that I'd rolled credits on Cuphead. I mention this now for the same reason I mentioned rolling credits on Cuphead to that student back then, which is because… I rolled credits on Cuphead! Call me vain. Call me immature. I don't care. I rolled credits on Cuphead! I know thousands of people have done it. I assume thousands of people have done it better than me. I expect the checkout guy who worked at my local Trader Joe's and had a Cuphead tattoo on his forearm did it a whole lot better than me, but this game, and in particular King Dice punished me for being too slow, too unfocused, too unobservant over and over again, but in the end I kept coming back, and I rolled credits on Cuphead!(And the DLC. I beat the DLC. The DLC is great.)

There's a lot of reasons why myself and so many others have willingly allowed tentacular sea witches and anthropometric cigars to kick us while we're down, and I'm sure there will be many other contributors who will do a better job describing the the reasons the animation and character design are perhaps best in class, but I want to focus on one small design decision that really sings. When you die in Cuphead a graphic appears showing a silhouette of your character running towards a flagpole, and depending on how close you were to conquering the stage, the closer you appear to this flagpole. It is such an elegant way to encourage the player with wordless criticism and praise, and I wish more and more games would use it, but if they don't it's fine…I rolled credits on Cuphead!


Three Word Review: Dishy Action Achievement
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Taz
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Re: Our next podcast recording (20.8.22) - 533: Cuphead

Post by Taz »

When I was five or six years old, the kid next door showed me World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse on the Mega Drive. We didn’t have a Mega Drive at home and seeing this cartoon come to life was a really magical moment for me. We played through that game together over and over again.

I played Cuphead at the slightly older age of 33 and when I first booted it up it took me straight back to those memories of playing World of Illusion, just because it’s just this really magical, joyous, vivid cartoon that pops off the screen. I always have a big smile on my face when I’m playing it. Cuphead is such a feel good game for me and takes me back to a much simpler time, even though it has this ghastly, sadistic level of difficulty. I’ve still not finished it.

I was surprised to find the game was a boss rush and didn’t have many run n gun style levels. I get that the bosses are the main event but I personally would have preferred more of the run n gun levels. It’s interesting to read other people’s comments and see that we’re divided on that.
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raisinbman
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Re: Cuphead

Post by raisinbman »

haven't played cuphead, not completely finished w/ the pod, and normally i'd leave a comment on the patreon feed, but i'm super swamped as a teacher, so i'm not sure if they've already put it on the monthly or what have you

Interesting sub-discussion about racism, and gives me a similar vibe to when Multiversus removed the cop car from Velma's kit due to the bad taste it left in people's mouths.

So A), you can do something about bad connotations, and B) it doesn't have to 'ruin' the medium. Though I imagine there's enough folks around here who understand that.
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ThirdDrawing
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Re: Cuphead

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