Cuphead is an outstanding game and it has only improved with its updates, and its release on the Switch.
Cuphead
Developer: Studio MDHR
Price: $19.99
Platforms: Switch, Xbox One, PC
Cuphead, despite its universally appealing art style, isn’t a game that can be played by everyone. It offers a level of challenge, which requires an intense amount of dexterity, patience and repetition. Spencer Legace reviewed the original release back in 2017, and his words still hold true with this Switch release.
Perhaps the strongest aspect of Cuphead, and my main motivation for completing every challenging encounter, is the breathtaking, hand-drawn art.
It’s incredible how well Cuphead’s performance holds up on the Switch. Loading times are slightly longer than on a more powerful system, but it’s not significantly worse and load times are actually faster than when Cuphead first launched thanks to the various work that has been spent on updates and bug fixes. The game is locked to 60 frames a second and I never once experienced a dip in performance.
My biggest gripe with Cuphead on Switch is what it always has been, the controls. The default control scheme is wacky and uncomfortable. Luckily everything can be remapped, but it’s a bit of a slog to try out different button maps to try and find something that is just right. Additionally the controller that is used for the game makes a big difference. In handheld mode the Joycon are great, and almost as comfortable as a proper controller, however my greatest victories always came playing docked with a pro controller, which I normally don’t enjoy but with Cuphead it really works its best.
Developer, Studio MDHR added a few special things with the release of the Switch version, and made them available on PC and XB1 as well. New animation intros for Cuphead and Mugman as they enter a level, fully animated narrative cutscenes (as seen between worlds and major events) and the ability to play as Mugman in single player mode. These are very subtle details that if I hadn’t have played as much of Cuphead as I did when it first came out, I probably wouldn’t have realized were new to this release.
The Final Word
Cuphead on Switch is enough to hold me over until the DLC finally gets released. It is a beautiful game full of challenge and reward for overcoming the bosses. The details of the music and art are captivating and motivating to rise to the challenge and see it to the end. The Switch is a great platform, as good as any other with the added bonus of being portable. Unfortunately Cuphead isn’t for everyone, but if you meet the requirements the taste of victory is delicious.
