Some games look like cartoons, and some end up becoming real cartoons. In July 2019, Studio MDHR, the small Canadian developer run by brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, delivered two pieces of news at once: Cuphead had passed 4 million copies sold, and Netflix had approved an animated series based on the game. The announcement came out exclusively at The Hollywood Reporter.
The number is impressive given the game’s trajectory. Cuphead was released in September 2017 for Xbox One and PC as an independent project made in the two brothers’ homes, and reached the Nintendo Switch on April 18, 2019. Almost two years after launch, the game was still selling well, something rare for a run-and-gun shooter known for its boss difficulty.
What stands out in Cuphead, and explains why it suits a series so well, is its art direction. The Moldenhauers drew inspiration from the rubber hose style of the golden age of American animation in the 1930s, with references to the Disney and Fleischer studios. A nice detail: Chad drew the animations by hand and painted the backgrounds in watercolor, coloring everything afterward on the computer, and deliberately left the small imperfections of the line work. The jazz soundtrack completes the old-cartoon feel. The series promised to follow the same humor and satirical tone as the game.
What came next
The Cuphead Show! premiered on Netflix on February 18, 2022, with 12 episodes. The second season arrived on August 19, 2022 and the third and final one on November 18, 2022, for a total of 36 episodes ordered. The game grew too: the PlayStation 4 version came out on July 28, 2020, when Cuphead already had 6 million sales, and the expansion The Delicious Last Course, with a new area, new bosses and the playable character Ms. Chalice, was released on June 30, 2022. The game’s awards include three trophies at The Game Awards and a games BAFTA.
Where to buy
Source: The Hollywood Reporter.
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