Currently, the pop culture sphere is looting the corpses of the past for any sense of nostalgia bait that could be used to create, at best, a mediocre replica of the original. Look no further than Disney as they parade out a caravan of live-action remakes that can’t even hold a candle to their animated counterparts. In fact, over the years, Disney’s seemed to relegate most of their animation to Pixar, demanding sequels to their biggest hits in case you forgot they own nearly every behemoth franchise that probably should have been put down years ago. The mouse that started an empire, along with his gang of equally iconic figures, only seems to show up in overly complex, cringy anime games or copyright law disputes as Disney seeks to prevent him from entering the public domain, despite them using that domain to create their beloved animated retellings. During the Golden Age of his career, Mickey and friends helped push the boundaries of cartoons and animation with beautiful art that created a world all its own. While that innovation has been lost by their parent company, that spirit lives on in Cuphead.
Cuphead is a run-and-gun styled after 1930’s cartoons with wonderful hand-drawn characters that features an anthropomorphic, gambling-addicted cup that has to collect souls in order to pay off his debt to the devil. Split across three zones, you’ll have to engage in unique skirmishes with each boss before moving onto the next area. The combat is simple, jump and dash around the stage to avoid attacks and shoot back, but that simplicity does not translate to the difficulty. This game can be a shithead, even though all you have to do is dodge and hit, but some of these attacks are reminiscent of bullet hells or require pin-point timing to evade. Each fight is only a couple minutes long, with multiple phases, but each second is racked with tension as you try to read the ensuing onslaught. Oftentimes, enemies will perform multiple attacks at once, so while you have to remain focused on the big baddy in front of you, you’ll also have to take stock of where projectiles or minions are on the screen.
The bright, energetic animation brings these battles to life with so much detail and creativity, that even while frustrating at times, this game is fun. Almost like visiting a theme park to experience the magic of childlike wonder, the rides are entertaining and encapsulate you in their environment. That is, until your momentarily ripped out of it by some bullshit. To continue the metaphor, part of the enjoyment of getting to experience an attraction comes from the anticipation as you wait in-line on a sweltering, muggy summer day. Just like waiting in that line, you’ll see the videos, paraphernalia, or sounds that draw you into the ride, except, that line is you dying repeatedly as you bide your time until everything just clicks. You get to the front of the group and strap in for the thrill. You’ll go into these fights again and again, getting a little further each time as it begs you to stick it out.
It’s fair, most of the time, but just like a theme park there will be rides with barely any line or ones where people cut in front of you. The people cutting in front of you are some of the cheap ass hits that a boss might deliver. Dr. Kahl’s Robot, in particular, stressed the limits of my patience and made me wonder if I would ever move to the front, but eventually I got there. It’s the challenge that makes it all worth it as you hold your breath just praying you can last another few seconds. Finishing ‘em off and feeling the relief as you pull into the station after being whipped around for the last few minutes.
Cuphead offers that payoff, asking the player to find joy in the difficulty, reminiscent of how the cartoons of the 1930’s tried to offer joy in the wake of a post-Depression America. I wouldn’t recommend making a deal with the devil, but in this case Cuphead let's me feel like a Charlie Daniel's song.