Cuphead

 Switch
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 488 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 407 out of 488
  2. Mixed: 38 out of 488
  3. Negative: 43 out of 488

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  1. DaRedToad
    Apr 30, 2019
    8
    The bosses are memorable, and require you to learn their attacks. The art style is pretty appealing. Just all around fun. Can't wait for the DLC.
  2. The_LizardKing
    May 28, 2019
    8
    Cuphead is a visual masterpiece with beautiful hand-drawn 1930s style characters. The movement feels smooth and so does the combat. This game is also a super difficult, rage-worthy experience. While a little challenge is not a bad thing some bosses can feel impossible. You have to dodge tons of items and figure out a bosses pattern. The negative is that sometimes the difficulty is veryCuphead is a visual masterpiece with beautiful hand-drawn 1930s style characters. The movement feels smooth and so does the combat. This game is also a super difficult, rage-worthy experience. While a little challenge is not a bad thing some bosses can feel impossible. You have to dodge tons of items and figure out a bosses pattern. The negative is that sometimes the difficulty is very unfair and even unpreventable causing you to lose one of your precious lives without having a chance to save it.… Expand
  3. Cronno
    Jul 8, 2019
    8
    love the idea and the retro concept of the game the challenging of all bosses make the game fun and entertaining
  4. Nevermber
    Nov 26, 2019
    8
    I went through the game on the lowest difficulty and therefore did not fight the main boss, but I can say this - it is very beautiful, extremely complex and insanely dynamic.
  5. BEVASH
    Apr 25, 2020
    8
    Introduction

    This is without any question one of the best games that I played this year, it's frenetic, it's fun, and have amazing visuals. Graphics Like I said before, the visuals are amazing, that 1930 type of cartoon that the game have, it's such a good idea, give a other look to what Cuphead is. I can say that this game have one of the best visuals that I ever saw in a    Introduction

    This is without any question one of the best games that I played this year, it's frenetic, it's fun, and have amazing visuals.

    Graphics

    Like I said before, the visuals are amazing, that 1930 type of cartoon that the game have, it's such a good idea, give a other look to what Cuphead is.

    I can say that this game have one of the best visuals that I ever saw in a indie, not in terms of normal beauty, but yes how it joins the hardcore style of the game.

    Gameplay

    In the begging was hard to me adapt my self to the commands, because of my normal problem of not having a controller, that in this case is extremely needed. I'm mostly a RPG/FPS player and like in all the others indies that I play, the adaption it's kinda of hard, not saying that the commands are anything of special, but if you play mostly RPGs and FPS you will have some problems adapting in the beginning if you choose play with the keyboard.

    About the stages/bosses of the game, I will not say that I don't like the idea of Cuphead have mostly bosses and don't soo many stages, but I would like to see a litle bit more places that you don't have to be soo frenetic. Talking about the stages, we remember automatically about the coins, and the game shop, where we can buy different habilities and type of shoots, a think that I really liked in Cuphead, you can change your dash, like I said before your type of bullet and your special (PS: this one just completing extra stages).

    The game have great mechanics, that really make us (players) think about the best way to approach a boss, the dash in the air, change your bullet, thinks that with the time you will learn how to use in the right moment.

    Focusing now in the bosses, we have a big challenge right here, to be honest this was the game with the best bosses that I played this year, they are hard, unpredictabels, and other several adjectives that I could use to say that, they are fun, and they are a challenge that will not make you become extremely frustrated.

    Story

    It's interesting, the game dont have a really especial story, it's interesting the reason why the Cuphead and the Mugman are looking for the sools contracts, but while you are playing, your are soo focused in defeating the stages and the bosses that you almost forget why are you fighting.

    Fun

    Strong point of Cuphead, it's stupid how a hardcore game like this can continue being soo funny, interesting and exciting like it is, it's almost unbelievable what the desevolpers done with the game.

    Conclusion

    Cuphead it's a great game, have a good overall gameplay, the graphics are just (let's say again) amazing and the story is kinda of interesting, so why don't play Cuphead, you have 10€, don't know how to spend them, now you know.    … Expand
  6. INU4SH4
    Sep 15, 2020
    8
    Cuphead is one of the most delightful platformer games I've ever played. It's incredibly stylish and everything about its presentation is quite incredible. The voice-acting and the music were extremely fitting and really made this a great homage to last century's culture. The gameplay was very responsive and had enough powers to keep you inventing new fighting techniques based on the bossCuphead is one of the most delightful platformer games I've ever played. It's incredibly stylish and everything about its presentation is quite incredible. The voice-acting and the music were extremely fitting and really made this a great homage to last century's culture. The gameplay was very responsive and had enough powers to keep you inventing new fighting techniques based on the boss you're fighting. And of course, this one is made for players looking for a challenge. Definitely not a walk in the park but it does have an easy mode for those looking for a more relaxing run (although I never tried it so I can't comment how accessible it is).

    The story wasn't all that great, very straight-forward and simple to fit its 15 - 20 hours of gameplay until the final boss. Not really a negative point, but could be better since nothing really ties the bosses together. One issue I have with the gameplay is the way ground parries work. Having to jump to parry some of the obstacles made for a really frustrating time. Sure, they're optional but I'm a perfectionist and try to get the best possible score. And the last issue was the infuriating design of a few specific boss phases. Most bosses felt fair but there were a few instances where there was too much going on the screen.

    Overall, a very fun and challenging game. Definitely not impossible as a lot of people claim and it's just a matter of memorizing patterns (just like in most video-games, nothing new if you've been playing for a while) and timing your jumps, dodges, and parries. Personally, I found Celeste to be even harder and people cry a lot less about its difficulty. Just not an accessible game for newcomers at all.    … Expand
  7. CTAN
    Jan 19, 2023
    8
    I just beat this game last week. To be honest, I don't think the game system is fair, and it is quite difficult. I like challenging games but they have to be fair enough for gamers to challenge. Anyhow, it's art style and 30s' cartoon direction is really cool.
  8. IamSquid
    Jan 2, 2022
    8
    This game is Max Fleischer come to life! Strongly recommended for relentless masochists!
  9. BetaPlayer
    Aug 1, 2022
    8
    A short game, but only if you have the knowleddge and the skill, without it, the game feels eternal, an amazing artstyle and an outstanding ost. Marine Corps is my favorite song on the base game
  10. adpaskhughes
    Aug 25, 2023
    8
    Great game, which is very original and has a unique 1930s cartoon-style visuals. However, it is exceptionally difficult, even when opting to play through levels on 'Easy' mode.
  11. mixotic
    Feb 7, 2020
    7
    This game is weird, but the animation is amazing. It’s a very strange premise and the characters are even stranger. Not sure who this is for, but I did buy it.
  12. Swooping-Evil
    Sep 24, 2019
    7
    The game is quite beautyful and the music has a lot of charm but it loses some of this charm when the levels just become too difficult to complete. The level junkyard jive is just completely random projectile spam and does not seam fair at all. I do like challenging games but I like them when the enemies have a pattern that they stick to so that it is possible to learn the enemies movesThe game is quite beautyful and the music has a lot of charm but it loses some of this charm when the levels just become too difficult to complete. The level junkyard jive is just completely random projectile spam and does not seam fair at all. I do like challenging games but I like them when the enemies have a pattern that they stick to so that it is possible to learn the enemies moves and adapt to them(hollowknight for examples masters this perfectly).… Expand
  13. briiiz
    Aug 8, 2022
    7
    相当有趣的风格，和朋友一起双人打的乐趣会翻倍，单人打会发现基本上是在背板，但是仍然不妨碍他是个不错的游戏
  14. ZangBang
    Oct 24, 2022
    7
    77/100
    Cuphead is visually mesmerizing, with beautifully hand-drawn backgrounds and lively charmingly freaky characters that move around with fluid, elastic animations, paying a glorious homage to the "rubber hose" era of american cartoons while instilling its own unique flare to it, as the wacky colorful esthetic comically clashes with the twisted tone of the adventure.    77/100
    Cuphead is visually mesmerizing, with beautifully hand-drawn backgrounds and lively charmingly freaky characters that move around with fluid, elastic animations, paying a glorious homage to the "rubber hose" era of american cartoons while instilling its own unique flare to it, as the wacky colorful esthetic comically clashes with the twisted tone of the adventure. Contenutistically, the experience has a pretty barebones offering, mainly consisting of a simple marathon of boss fights, but the quality of these encounters is spectacular. They are erratic, unhinged battles that relentlessly throw at you a multitude of different attacks that can mesh in a myriad of different combinations, constantly challenging the player's adaptability and timing in new ways as the boss shifts and morphs through multiple phases, switching up or layering its offense. There are even two distinct kinds of battles, further strengthening the absurd sheer variety present as each battle feels decisively distinct both visually thanks to the fantastical characters and animations, and techincally thanks to heterogeneity of situations and attacks offered. The challenge is tough, but always fair as each attack combination provides a tight but definite window to avoid damage, or a clear visual/sound cue to alert the player. There are a couple of bosses with trickier attack patterns that can occasionally combine to lead to unavoidable damage just based on bad luck, but it's an extremely rare occasion. The game expands on its fights providing a variety of upgrades and new weapons, which aren't particularly deep but they allow to suit different playstyles and scenarios, giving a more meaningful progression to the experience. To acquire these upgrades the player will need coins, a collectible found within the "run 'n gun" stages, which are the absolute worst part of the experience. These stages are visually stunning just like the rest of the game, and provide some cute level design with unique mechanics, but the fun, fast-paced challenge offered by the bosses turns here into a tedious slog demanding hyper-precise execution as the continuous respawning of extremely fast enemies and overcrowded situations frequently leads to frustrating deaths, only worsened by the absence of checkpoints.    … Expand
  15. Bastrix
    Dec 19, 2020
    6
    Super original charming game but the excessive difficulty removes the fun IMO. Becomes seriously fustrating right at the start and makes me wanna track down the developers and kill them
  16. GameHunter
    Apr 24, 2019
    6
    I didn’t do much research and just bought the game based on all the rave reviews. I’m not going to say it’s crap, because it’s a well-made game. But I found the atmosphere rang far more hollow than I expected. And I’m not going to lie; the difficulty basically turned this into an expensive rental that I’ll probably never play again. I don’t have time or energy to drive myself this crazyI didn’t do much research and just bought the game based on all the rave reviews. I’m not going to say it’s crap, because it’s a well-made game. But I found the atmosphere rang far more hollow than I expected. And I’m not going to lie; the difficulty basically turned this into an expensive rental that I’ll probably never play again. I don’t have time or energy to drive myself this crazy anymore.
    It’s a solidly built platform shooter. Structurally I have no complaints. But the retro style look did not feel genuine in my opinion and like I also said earlier; the difficulty just takes all the fun away. So it wasn’t really for my tastes, but I do see how others may enjoy it.    … Expand
  17. b00lpr0p
    Oct 7, 2019
    6
    It has amazing graphics, sound, design, and what else, but it lacks an easy mode mainly for kids. My nephews loved the game, but it's frustating hard, which makes it impossible to them to play with me. Another con is, I don't know other versions, but the Switch version has too long loadings.
  18. Tyrant719
    Nov 27, 2020
    5
    If style was the only thing that mattered, this game would be great. Unfortunately, this game is the epitome of a celebrity with all the best effects in the world at their disposal yet they still can’t act to save their lives. This game is Ben Affleck.
  19. Xam
    Sep 3, 2020
    4
    FRANÇAIS
    Certes Cuphead a des graphismes et une musique magnifiques. Mais il est très court, et pour cacher cela on se fait pourrir par une difficulté punitive. Ne vous laissez pas tromper par son habillage : Cuphead va vous frustrer par sa suite de boss toujours plus pénibles, à peine interrompue par de rares niveaux de Run'n Gun.
  20. AngelStarr
    Jun 16, 2019
    4
    Oh god! if there was EVER a bloatingly overrated game, ever, in the full 4 decade history of videogames - cuphead is the one.
    Please, do NOT buy into the overrated exaggerations, this game is built on one simple element: give the player lousy controls, and thwart the player by creating levels at impossible angles - just downright annoying every step of the way!
    You will encounter a game    Oh god! if there was EVER a bloatingly overrated game, ever, in the full 4 decade history of videogames - cuphead is the one.
    Please, do NOT buy into the overrated exaggerations, this game is built on one simple element: give the player lousy controls, and thwart the player by creating levels at impossible angles - just downright annoying every step of the way!
    You will encounter a game that is extremely difficult, and the only reason is that, as I mentioned, the player's controls are hindered on purpose.
    I trusted all those amazing user reviews and bought the game, and every time I tried to give it a go, I wad annoyed and disappointed again, and again, and again.
    What on over-hyped, historical, outdated game. Like many things nowadays, it's the HYPE ALONE that makes people "like" this - just like, hypster beards: does anyone really believe it's just a coincidence that 85% of people all of a sudden like beards? They don't. They say they do, because others have them. They "go with the flow".
    Don't "go with the flow", this game is worthless. In fact, I'm betting if it had 16 color graphics, like for example (a true masterpiece) undertale - its popularity would plummet. Because other than a funky retro style - there is NOTHING on offer here.
    I can't believe I bought this. Don't do it. Waste of money.    … Expand
  21. Meeleepit
    Mar 2, 2022
    4
    Cuphead looks great but not fun at all. Repetitive to DIE over and over and over.
  22. ZoltanZero
    Mar 25, 2020
    4
    Yes, funny graphics, cool music, but too inaccurate.
    Sometimes in the same situation, same boss, you just get hit.
    Sometimes in the same situation, same boss, you just don't get hit. It's not perfectly clear what exactly hit you and when, so for some bosses you just have to count on your lucky stars, and not on your ability. The game is very short but dying continuously makes it very    Yes, funny graphics, cool music, but too inaccurate.
    Sometimes in the same situation, same boss, you just get hit.
    Sometimes in the same situation, same boss, you just don't get hit.
    It's not perfectly clear what exactly hit you and when, so for some bosses you just have to count on your lucky stars, and not on your ability.
    The game is very short but dying continuously makes it very long....
    There is a shop in the game but it is unnecessary, you can finish the game ignoring the coins or the purchases. It's a shame, there could be very good stuff in this kind of game.
    There are many more games in this category that are better.
    Cool idea yes, but sometimes (often) it is frustrating for the inaccuracy.    … Expand
  23. thirdeyedilated
    May 26, 2022
    4
    Game could have been absolutely amazing if they gave the player health and had checkpoints like all other videogames. they tried to hard to different and made some boss battles laughable. the art is very cool very stylish too bad they were mad at gamers when they decided to make it ridiculously hard.
  24. NMLevesque
    Apr 24, 2020
    3
    The controls are stiff. With the amount of stuff on screen vying for attention you can't really process the visuals let alone enjoy them. Patterns are random and jank is very common, causing repetition to be rewarded over skill.

    The game teaches players to guess not to react, because so much of what happens is unreactable due to the speed of the player character. It often found myself    The controls are stiff. With the amount of stuff on screen vying for attention you can't really process the visuals let alone enjoy them. Patterns are random and jank is very common, causing repetition to be rewarded over skill.

    The game teaches players to guess not to react, because so much of what happens is unreactable due to the speed of the player character. It often found myself waiting for an input to register only to get punished for how slowly the game responded.

    Instead of enjoyment after beating a level/boss I only felt spite because it's a frustrating experience. At no point was I finding ways to improve my playstyle for anything other than a specific section. You don't get good at Cuphead, you just memorize enough to eventually brute force your way through.

    As usual, people will overlook a lot when visuals catch there eye. That's really the only reason anyone cared one tick. It's a marketing gimmick for a masochistic experience, which anyone can beat with enough time When people who prefer fun were unable to articulate the issue they were simply told "git gud".

    The narrative became one where everyone willing to torment themselves long enough to beat it was a 'real gamer', not a 'filthy casual'. People got to feel as though they overcame a great challenge, instead of a poorly designed one. I didn't see that until I played it. Going in I assumed it was good based on what I heard and saw. What a disappointment.    … Expand
  25. Moderngamesucc
    Jun 30, 2022
    3
    Well, what a shame, a game with great music, great art, is stained by amateur gameplay design and terrible balancing (I say balancing, but there isn't any). They tried to market it as being hard like Dark Souls(lol) , but they just shoved a bunch of RNG and badly implemented movement mechanics in with low health to give it the veneer of "difficulty " which other game devs actually have toWell, what a shame, a game with great music, great art, is stained by amateur gameplay design and terrible balancing (I say balancing, but there isn't any). They tried to market it as being hard like Dark Souls(lol) , but they just shoved a bunch of RNG and badly implemented movement mechanics in with low health to give it the veneer of "difficulty " which other game devs actually have to WORK FOR, with great design and balance, with years of experience in game design. Let me put it this way, have you ever bought a game where your buying of 1 item can literally mean the difference between impossible and too easy? Thats this game, with roundabout. Buy roundabout, you win, if you dont, you lose. Period. The game says "Spike" has high damage. That is straight up not true. Lying in the item description. Wow. That seems fair. The default pea shooter does more damage( i tested it extensively). Unfortunately this game wasnt balanced at all, and yet they have the gall to release DLC for an unfinished mess. I guarantee its a greedy, unfinished cash grab. Mark my words. Also, read the user review for these "10/10" games, they are often bots bought by a deal between the publisher and the guys over at Metacritic.… Expand
  26. bladenight247
    Apr 22, 2019
    2
    Just No why this matter that game is good?
    Art 4/10
    Music 4/10
    Story Meh 0/10
    Development 0/10
    Gameplay 3/10
    Boss 1/10
    Overrall 2/10
    Cuphead may be weakest toons that no points care about them
  27. Dwideshrude1
    Feb 10, 2020
    2
    Wow, reloading level over and over to get a good RNG on the enemy attack locations is...reaalllly good design. I mean..its not like the creat undodgeable death zones with the RNG or anything. Oh wait.. yeah this games design is LAuGHABLE. But the animation is very good. I have played hard games, this isnt one of them. Its entirely based on luck.
  28. Germetik
    Feb 6, 2020
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Do not play it !!! I played dark souls like games but CUPHEAD is a trash.
    Unreasonably complex beautiful game, random boss attacks sometimes create an impassable corridor as a result of the loss of one life 100%.
    parrying attacks is useless from the word at all (only a set of cards), you can parry only pinks attacks.
    Developers owe me a new Nintendo Switch because I destroyed my switch in a rage.
    I love platform games, but there are only bosses, it’s very boring and enrages.    … Expand
  29. Vitalares
    Apr 21, 2019
    1
    Мне игра не понравилась. Первая такая игра в моей жизни и то не очень впечатлила.
  30. chrisvacc
    Nov 2, 2019
    1
    This game's difficulty is infuriating, not fun. The graphics are beautiful but by the first level you'll find yourself pisspummeled by bulls--t that you can rarely escape from. Like the first boss battle is a huge Bubble that take up about 1/3rd of the screen then backs you into a corner and punches you in the face leaving you no room to escape. The enemies attacks are cheap and nearlyThis game's difficulty is infuriating, not fun. The graphics are beautiful but by the first level you'll find yourself pisspummeled by bulls--t that you can rarely escape from. Like the first boss battle is a huge Bubble that take up about 1/3rd of the screen then backs you into a corner and punches you in the face leaving you no room to escape. The enemies attacks are cheap and nearly impossible to dodge. This game was obviously developed around the graphics, with almost not thought to the gameplay. I'd much rather play a game that's actually fun with crap graphics than this game that's not fun at all but beautiful. Getting a refund on this. I'll just play Super Metroid or something.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best Switch Game of 2019
13
#13 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019
21
#21 Most Shared Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Feb 27, 2020
    95
    Cuphead is such a masterclass in style and control that the few errant ink blots vanish in a Technicolor wonderland! [Issue #40 – July/August 2019, p. 30]
  2. Cubed3
    May 21, 2019
    90
    Visually stunning and difficult in all the right ways, Cuphead is a testament to the importance of thought out game design. Every facet of the run and gun parts is built around giving the audience an experience unique to the videogame medium. Although this borrows quite heavily from a very specific era of animation history, its aesthetic goes beyond homage, coupling masterfully with gameplay that encourages mastery on every level. With some of the best designed boss fights this generation, a beautifully rich animation style, and impeccably fine-tuned controls, Cuphead stands out as not only one of the best indie titles on the Nintendo Switch, but one of strongest releases this generation, period.
    Read full review
  3. Gaming Age
    May 13, 2019
    91
    That Studio MDHR were able to make an aesthetic that’s nearly a century old seem fresh and new at the same time as they made an enjoyable game is just a bonus.
    Read full review
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