Cuphead

Overview

Cuphead is a 2D co-operative shooter/platformer that consists solely of one-on-one boss fights. The game's unique visual aesthetic draws directly from classic 1920s, 1930s animations by Disney, Fleischer Studios and Ub Iwerks. Not only does the game use animation film techniques but also marries it with an anachronistic history of video games, from Street Fighter and Contra to Space Invaders.

Cuphead is slated for a PC release, with an Xbox One version announced at E3 2014. The developers also hope to create a version for the Sega Master System if the game is successful enough.

Story

Cuphead and Mugman were gambling the Devil, having lost everything and their heads as well, the Devil makes them a deal. Retrieve some items for him and they're square.

Production

Brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauser had spent quite some time experimenting with how it would be possible to achieve the look of an animated cartoon from the 30s. Three whole months were spent just on developing the aesthetic 'old-timey' feel. For the majority of the process most of the art and animation is painstakingly done frame by frame by hand. On a regular basis the pair had to draw, ink, color and animate 200-350 frames a week, eventually hiring a small staff of nine to help.

Initially the pair had tested hand painting animation cels, which would then be scanned in and animated with the filters effects added. When they realised that with the multiple filter layers applied, they couldn't tell the difference between hand painted and digitally coloured. And due to the already lengthy production of the game they decided to go with digitally colouring them with Photoshop.