There's no arguing the fact that Cuphead, the punishing action game inspired by 1930's animation, is beautiful to look at. But how did the game's creators, Studio MDHR, achieve its uniquely distinct style? And, why does that style seem to work so well with the game's mechanics?
In the above video, Dan Crowd dives behind the scenes to take a quick look at some of Cuphead's cartoon inspirations. He takes a look at the traditional animation techniques they used in their creation, and how that process influenced some of the game's particular visual flourishes. He also takes a look at the limitations of these methods of creation, and how they inadvertently mesh perfectly with the genre of game Studio MDHR decided to make.
If this is the first time you've heard about Cuphead, be sure to check out our review. Peter Brown sums up its near universal praise by staying that it "flawlessly captures the era its developers so clearly revere" and that It's also "an intense action game that pulls no punches." If you're wondering how anyone could ever get overcome its incredibly difficulty, check out Joey Yee's guide on how to S-Rank all the bosses on Expert difficulty.
