Dear sweet Cuphead. I hate you. I don’t want to hate you. I love the 1930’s cartoon vibe you got going on. Your visuals, your audio, the way characters bounce up and down have me calling up memories of Steam Boat Willy before he became the Mouse that Rules the Universe.
I’m in my living room with Cuphead downloaded for pc, some hot jazz rocking its way into my ears from the soundtrack and a colossal boss tormenting me endlessly.
I love action filled adventure games. I do have to admit though, I have grown weak. Years of my life have been spent playing games. I do mean playing games. It was easy. I slap a couple of buttons on my controller, answer my phone, send a few text messages, cook Peking duck and still never die once. I was literally “playing” at a game.
Then you entered my life. Cuphead is not a game that can be played. This is work. I was confused when a video game was not easy. It’s like your bosses literally want to destroy my soul. I was disturbed. I was done. No more Cuphead for me. Ok, just one more try. Five hours later, I am still working on this game. The rhythms, the visuals and most importantly the game truly feels like it doesn’t want you to get a participation trophy for showing up. You work at this game, or you go home crying. There is no “showing up is winning” with this game.
Cuphead is punishing, maddening and beautiful all at the same time. A love letter to the long-lost pride of a generation of dreamers refusing to take things easy. A generation that genuinely believed if it isn’t tough, then it wasn’t worth their time. This is quite possibly the most excellent game of all time.
You deserve it.
