With the recent release ofCupheads Delicious Last CourseDLC, players canonce again enter the frayas Cuphead, Mugman, or newcomer Ms. Chalice to help Chef Saltbaker with his secret quest. Featuring a brand new cast of uncanny and powerful bosses, returning gamers can look forward to spending hours trying to beat these bosses to a pulp.
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Most fans of the game will noteCuphead’sdistinct visual design, modeled after the Rubber Hose animation style of the 1920s and 30s but many may not know the original cartoons that the game took inspiration from. Thus, fans of the game should take a trip down memory lane andwatch some of these classic toonsto get into theCupheadspirit.
5Popeye The Sailor Man
Most gamers will be familiar with this title and many might have caught an episode or 2 in their formative years. The original show was brought to the screens back in 1933 after having a successful cameo inBetty Boop.As brilliant as it was, 1936 saw a spinoff special calledPopeye meets Sinbad the sailorwhich is considered to be amongst the50 greatest cartoons of all timeaccording to a book by animation historian Jerry Beck.
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Gamers will recognize an uncanny similarity between Bluto (Sinbad) andCaptain Brinybeardas well asWally Warblesand the big menacing bird from the show. Other standalone specials likePopeye meets Ali Baba’s forty thievesandAladdin and his wonderful lampmay have inspired certain boss segments includingDjimmi the Great.Cupheadgamers should check out these seminal pieces that heavily inspired the various segments of the game, for entertainment and itshistorical significance.
4Betty Boop
Now here’s a show that goes back even beforePopeye.Betty Boopwas created by a team of animators including Max Fleischer back in 1930. Whilst Betty maintains her image as a caricature of a Jazz Age flapper, she has undergone several transformations over the decade, some for the better and some for the worse. However, the designers have claimed to be heavily inspired by her character design, especially for one of themajor bossesfeatured in the game -Cala Maria.
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The designers likely modeledCala Mariaafter the animation episode -Betty Boop’s Life Guard(1934) which depictsBetty Boopas a mermaid after being swept away by the sea.
3Swing You Sinners!
Released back in 1930,Swing You Sinners!is an animated short created by the Fleischer Brothers. The cartoon is most notable for its surreal, abstract visuals, and dark tone, and is perhaps the single biggest influence as a show onCuphead.The game’s art director, Chad Moldenhauer himself has admitted thatSwing You Sinners!has had a huge influence onCuphead’sstyle. Thein-game achievementfor defeating the game’s final boss is even called‘Swing You Sinner’,what more can be said.
The cartoon follows Bimbo (a favorite recurring character amongst Cuphead’s directors) and his misadventures at a cemetery in which Bimbo eventually meets his demise (talk about family-friendly). Players will likely see a connection between several of the featured characters within the animation and some ofCuphead’sbosses.One such example is the Bearded Ghost andCagney Carnationas both of them have the same signature movements. Another is the Strange, Crazy Frog at the end of the animation and theRibbet Brothers.Regardless of the similarities, players should watchSwing You Sinners!for their surreal, viewing pleasure.
2The Cookie Carnival
Making its way onto the screen back in 1935,the Cookie Carnivalis aCinderellastory about a young cookie girl who wants to be queen at the cookie carnival. The show pays homage to the early pageants of the 20s and 30s (that will later become the Miss America pageants people know today).
Whilst not specifically mentioned by the creators,the Cookie Carnivaldoes make a mark within the game. This is apparent with the boss segment featuring theBaroness Von Bon Bonwho bears an uncanny resemblance to the Gingerbread Woman.
1Hell’s Bells
Probably the earliest animation on this list,Hell’s Bellsis a 1929 animation by Ub Iwerks that depicts Satan and life in Hell. The story focuses on Satan and a rebellious devil that eventually revolts against him, kicking poor Lucifer off a cliff into a fiery demise.
Players will easily see the connection between the devils depicted in the animation andThe Devilfeatured inCuphead.From the movements to the signature evil smile, the similarity is just too hard to miss. Moreover, the Devil’s transformation into a spider is indeed based on the spider that first appears at the beginning ofHell’s Bells.
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Courseis available now, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
