10 Things You DIDN'T Know About Cuphead

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Cuphead
 
 
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re diving into the wild, wacky, and often world of “Cuphead” to share some cool things you may not know about the game and its creation. Let’s get into it!
 
The Reality of Hand-Drawn Animations
 
 It’s no surprise that “Cuphead” uses an incredible hand-drawn art style to capture its iconic essence. However, many fans of the game might not realize just how gargantuan of an undertaking this was for Studio MDHR. To put things in perspective, every one second of animation for the game requires around 24 separate frames of art. Crazy! The studio has shared that, while they don’t have an official tally of every frame, there are likely more than 60,000 separate frames of art in order to achieve the gorgeous 1930s-esque cartoon style. Talk about a labor of love!   
 
 
Inspired by Super Meat Boy
 
 “Cuphead” is a brutally hard game, make no mistake about it. And, it’s not really a surprise given that Studio MDHR was inspired by 2010’s indie darling, “Super Meat Boy.” After seeing the incredible success of “Super Meat Boy,” the team decided to dive deep into the creation of “Cuphead,” seeing that it could be both successful and a worthwhile investment–not to mention super duper unique. “Super Meat Boy” and “Cuphead,” while two very different games, do share many gameplay similarities, especially when it comes to overall challenge. 
 
Devil May Cry?
 
 Sometimes the smallest details are the coolest ones, right? During the intense boss battle against the devil, there comes a time when the harrowing boss will actually start wailing and crying. This detail is a fun and cheeky nod to the beloved “Devil May Cry” franchise. Yes, it may be a bit on the nose, but it’s a great little reference that we are glad exists in the game. Perhaps we may see a “Cuphead” and “Devil May Cry” collaboration one day? Hey, we can dream! 
 

Art Style Inspiration
 
 The 1930s hand-drawn animations in “Cuphead,” as we’ve previously chatted about, was a crazy labor of love. But what inspired it? Many things, of course; but most notably, the animation stylings of Max Fleischer and Fleischer Studios. Fleischer Studios is responsible for the art style of Popeye, Betty Boop, and more. It’s quite easy to see the comparisons once you know this. The Disney animation inspirations are, of course, a bit more well-known and discussed regarding “Cuphead” but it’s a cool tidbit to know that Studio MDHR drew from many different animation sources.
 
 
All About That Gold
 
 Cuphead is joined by Mugman and Miss Chalice (if we include the DLC) on his adventure. Well, Miss Chalice actually has a really neat little secret where she can turn to gold during the Cala Maria boss battle. If you happen to have the gold chalice filter equipped during your gameplay, then when/if you get turned to stone, Miss Chalice will actually turn to gold instead. It’s such a small, fun little Easter Egg that many “Cuphead” fans might not see. By the way, to get that gold chalice visual filter, simply defeat every main game boss and DLC boss as Miss Chalice. Oh, and talk to the Cactus Lady on Isle 4. Easy peasy, right?
 
 
Color-Coded UFOs
 
 Like the majority of bosses in “Cuphead,” the one against Hilda Berg in the Threatenin' Zeppelin level can be downright brutal. So, any info you can glean about the fight to turn the tide in your favor will be most helpful indeed. You know all of those little colored UFOs that fly around the screen? Well the colors aren’t just there for visual flourish–they actually serve a gameplay purpose. The red ones only fire after you pass under them, the yellow and brown ones anticipate your proximity and fire at you as you get closer. Basically, it comes down to positioning. Once you know how each color works, you can better move about the play area.  
 
 
A Dark Deal
 
 If we are honest, there are a lot of classic platforming and platforming-adjacent games where the goal is simply to save the day and rescue the princess or rescue the hapless citizens, etc, etc. Well, Studio MDHR wanted to buck this trend and make a tough-as-nails platforming and boss rush game that, while looking colorful and cartoony to be sure, actually imbued a darker storyline. Thus, we ended up with Cuphead and Mugman’s harrowing deal with the devil that requires them to collect on soul contracts. Ya, pretty dark, right? Toss in some gambling, mobsters, loads of violence, and more and you have a game that looks light-hearted on the surface but bubbles with darkness just below the surface. Cliche this is not.
 

The Announcer Snail
 
 Most “Cuphead” players will even notice this small auditory detail during the Moonshine Mob fight from the “Delicious Last Course” DLC. But, once you do know about it, it brings a little smile to your face each and every time. Typically, there is an announcer who says things like “knockout!” during fights. However, at one point during this fight, a quirky snail with a bullhorn takes over the announcing duties for a brief period. After you wipe the floor with the Moonshine Mob and the snail calls the battle, you hear the traditional game announcer clear his throat in frustration. Good stuff!
 
 
Cuphead’s Soul
 
 So, you know that white sloshy liquid that you can sometimes see in Cuphead’s–well…head? Ya…that’s his literal soul. Studio MDHR confirmed as such, and once you know, it’s really hard not to think about it. I mean the character’s soul is just open to exposure, sloshing around, like it could just spill out at any moment, not to mention during all the chaos of the fights he gets into in order to collect on soul contracts for the devil. If all this is true about his soul, then why the heck is there a straw? Is it for the devil to suck out his soul if he fails his part of the deal? Okay, okay, I’ve asked too many questions…  
 

Cuphead’s Bizarre Inspiration
 
 Okay, this one is truly wild but it certainly makes sense for how Studio MDHR came up with the cartoony concept for the Cuphead character. You see, there’s a 1936 Japanese propaganda animated short called “Evil Mickey Attacks Japan.” In this animated short, there’s a scene where a character with a literal teacup head morphs into a powerful tank. Apparently the brothers found it to be so odd and crazy that it inspired them to create the Cuphead character we all know and love. When you think about it, it’s pretty darn wild that a cartoony propaganda film from almost a century ago inspired a beloved video game character. As they say, art begets art. Actually, I don’t know if they say that…but it sounds lofty and cerebral.  
 

So, what did you think of these cool facts about “Cuphead?” Are there any things you think others should know about the game? Let us know in the comments.