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Get a glimpse of the music behind ultra-hard platformer ‘Cuphead’
Cuphead will probably be equally remembered for two things: Its already-infamous punishing difficulty and its gorgeous hand-drawn look. But folks shouldn't count out its delightful big band/swing soundtrack, which pairs perfectly with the game's 1930s-esque animated style. Studio MDHR released a teaser video showing a "making of" look into recording the title's breakaway hit, "Floral Fury."
'Cuphead' is as wondrous as it is difficult
Cuphead is a flashback in many ways. It hearkens back to the classical, hand-drawn animation style of the 1930s. And it's reminiscent of 2D, 8-bit-era platformers that were so tough, they wanted to make you throw your controllers against the wall. Those are both reasons I can't wait to play the rest of the game when it finally hits the Xbox One and Windows PCs on September 29th.
Hand-drawn side-scroller 'Cuphead' arrives on September 29th
The development of Cuphead has been prolonged, to put it mildly (we first saw it back in 2014), but it's finally here... almost. Studio MDHR and Microsoft have announced that the 1930s-style side-scroller will be available for Xbox One and Windows PCs on September 29th. The release date isn't shocking when the developers had already pushed the game to 2017, but it's still a relief for those who've wondered whether the title would ever exist outside of trade show demos. Given the nature of the title, though, it's almost surprising that it's arriving as quickly as it has.
'Cuphead' and its deal with the devil pushed into 2017
Chalk up another high-profile indie game being delayed. This time it's Cuphead, the platformer styled after 1930's animation (think: Steamboat Willie and Betty Boop). The Steam and Xbox game was scheduled for a 2016 release, but that simply isn't feasible anymore according to developer StudioMDHR. "We wanted to finish our game 80 years after 1936 but it will now be 81," a blog post reads. "Throughout this year we discussed reducing the scope to make a 2016 release, but we made the difficult decision to delay the launch in order to ship with our vision intact."
An influx of Xbox One indies: Superhot, Goat Simulator [UPDATE: Many trailers added!]
Microsoft's indie development initiative, ID@Xbox, is bringing in a bunch of games to launch first on console on Xbox One, including Superhot, Goat Simulator, Dungeon of the Endless, No Time to Explain and Smite. Peek the full list of games ID@Xbox head Chris Charla announced during the Xbox Gamescom press conference below:
Weekends with Engadget: DARPA's mad science projects, Google's 3D-mapping tablet and more!
This week, we dove into the history of DARPA, explored the hand-drawn world of Cuphead, took an in-depth look at Google's 3D-mapping tablet and interviewed two people who managed to cut ties with technology. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last seven days. Oh, and be sure to subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Engadget Daily: Google's 3D-mapping tablet, Cuphead's hand-drawn world and more!
Today, we take an in-depth look at Google's 3D-mapping tablet, virtually tour Adam Savage's man cave, explore the hand-drawn world of Cuphead and learn about a potential new purpose for plain copper wire. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Cuphead: Bringing 1930s style to 21st century games
Every June, the game industry descends upon the Los Angeles Convention Center for its blockbuster-focused trade show: the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). And traditionally, just ahead of that show, the big three console makers -- Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo -- hold press briefings focused on the Call of Dutys, Assassin's Creeds and Halos of the world. They're big, blustery affairs aimed mostly at the 18-35 male demographic. And hey, that's totally fine: We dig shooting aliens just as much as the next 18- to 35-year-old. But this year, we didn't come away from Sony's or Microsoft's presentations talking about the next triple-A title from some huge studio. With Sony, the most important game on stage was from a small group of British devs: No Man's Sky. With Microsoft, you're forgiven if you missed the highlight of the presentation: Cuphead, a gorgeous game from a small Canadian studio, was only briefly teased during a clip of indie titles headed to the Xbox One. So, let's fix that!
Report: Classically-animated Cuphead roughly '40 percent done'
Brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, the developers better known as Studio MDHR, are making gradual progress on Cuphead, a run and gun shooter that borrows its novel aesthetic from the era of early Disney cartoons and the works of Fleischer Studios. According to an upcoming Killscreen feature, the duo have completed "about 40 [percent]" of the game's art, and gameplay development is lagging just behind that. Though Kill Screen warns players that the game began development in 2010 and could be in the works for a long while to come, a tweet from Studio MDHR points out that proper development actually began in 2013, which bodes well for the game's late 2014 debut. Though Cuphead is still far from complete, the Moldenhauer brothers are already plotting ways to bolster the action game. One idea involves expansion packs that alter the weapons and gameplay concepts found in the initial release to offer a wholly new gameplay experience, though the developers admit that any potential expansions for Cuphead will be a very long way. [Image: Studio MDHR]
Cartoonish Cuphead fills up on new trailer, has hopes for Master System port
Cuphead, the first game from StudioMDHR, received a stylish new trailer and screens last week that puts its 1930's-inspired design on display. The "run and gun action game" was pushed back to 2015 thanks in part to the developer's decision to switch from the XNA framework to Unity. It also "totally scrapped the original world map in its rough state" and began re-envisioning a more minimal GUI to focus on Cuphead's classic cartoon feel. When the game was announced in January, it was originally planned for PC. That's since changed, as the developer now expects to launch Cuphead on Xbox One as well as Steam. StudioMDHR also mentioned a "dream idea" in its latest press update: The developer hopes "we can at least be successful enough to port it to Sega Master System with cartridge, instructions and box" one day. [Image: StudioMDHR]
1930s cartoon-inspired Cuphead targeting late 2014 on PC
Indie developer StudioMDHR's introductory game Cuphead will launch in late 2014 on PC. The game's graphics are turning a few cup-heads, as they are inspired by 1930's-era cartoons from Fleischer Studios, "old Disney" and particularly artists like Mickey Mouse co-creator Ub Iwerks, Grim Natwick (Betty Boop) and Willard Bowsky (Popeye). Cuphead is a run-and-gun game with a world that includes branching pathways and bosses, as well as weapons and power-ups. StudioMDHR, which consists of brothers Jared and Chad Moldenhauer, said Cuphead is a "retro game" at its core, "meaning it leans heavier on gameplay and not as much on story." The game's basic premise surrounds our hero Cuphead gambling with the devil, losing, then having to find a way to pay the devil back. "We wanted to avoid the classic save the world/princess and make the story/theme feel more comparable to 1930s cartoons," Chad told Joystiq. "This is why it is about Cuphead's deep-seated inability to stay out of trouble versus a hero destined to overcome a pre-existing obstacle. Even though he creates his own problems you can't help but root for his success." While StudioMDHR said the game will be difficult, Cuphead will have infinite lives and won't lose his weapons if he falls in battle, though there will be harder difficulty modes to challenge strong-willed players. Cuphead is confirmed for PC and StudioMDHR said it is "pursuing a console release." The developer shared a few more screens that show some of the game's behind-the-scenes design changes, which we've included in the gallery below.
