Cuphead is one of those throwback releases that you either love or hate. It is a callback to the “good old days” of gaming. Back when things were tough, tutorials were rare, and you were on your own most of the time. Couple that classic with one of the first portable platforms for an interesting mix. That is what we have with Cuphead: Game & Watch Edition.
For those that have not read my review of Cuphead, it is a run and jump action game. You are not defenseless as you can shoot as well. Where things go awry is level design and enemies. They will eat you alive if you are not careful and skilled in your attempt to progress.
The games were quite limited as the screen only had so many places anything could be. This meant absolutely no animation as everything popped in and out as needed. You could cheat somewhat by holding these LCD games at a certain angle to a light source. This would give you a look at all the possible placements everything in the game could possess.
Tiger Electronics would use the same tech to milk their customers for even longer. The tech was no longer impressive, and releases were dismissed by everyone but the most broke gamers.
What they have created here is an interesting take on the original game. You have three platforms you can stand on. Cuphead can jump and move to an adjacent platform. The enemy can send up plants onto the platforms and shoot projectiles from its mouth. Your job is to avoid all that stuff by moving left, right, and jumping.
Go ahead, give Cuphead: Game and Watch Edition a try. It is free to play in your browser. Now, I wonder if someone will make this a physical release like Hasbro is doing using Tiger Electronics style tech?
This article was originally published on Retro Gaming Magazine.
