Don’t let the graphics fool you.
Cuphead mobile looks like a Mickey Mouse cartoon from 1930. The animation is hand-drawn. The music is a banger jazz soundtrack. The characters are cute cups with straws.
But this game is mean. It is violent. It wants you to fail.
Cuphead is famous for being one of the hardest games of the last decade. It is a “Boss Rush” game. There are no easy levels to walk through. It is just boss fight after boss fight.
Each boss has phases. Take the “Root Pack” (a giant potato, onion, and carrot). The potato spits dirt. The onion cries tears that rain on you. The carrot shoots psychic beams. You have to memorize every single move.
You have three lives (HP). If you get hit three times, you restart the whole fight. There are no checkpoints.
The feeling of finally beating a Cuphead boss fight after dying 20 times is unmatched. You feel like you learned a dance. You entered the Matrix.
How to Play Cuphead
Your fingers need to be fast. Here is your survival guide.
The Controls:
- Move: Arrow Keys.
- Jump: Z key.
- Shoot: X key. (Hold it down. Never stop shooting.
- Dash: Shift.
- Lock: C key (Keeps you standing still so you can aim diagonally).
Pro Tips:
- Parry the Pink: This is the most important mechanic. If you see anything pink (a bullet, a balloon, a tear), you can jump and press Jump again to “Parry” it. This destroys the object and builds your “Super Meter.”
- Don’t Stop Shooting: There is no ammo limit. Tape down the X key if you have to. You should always be doing damage.
- Watch the Tells: Every boss gives a hint before they attack. The potato stops spitting before he shoots a ffastball The carrot widens his eyes before the laser beam. Learn the tells.
- Dash Through Damage: Your dash gives you a tiny fraction of a second where you are invincible. Use it to dodge through waves of bullets.
It’s a lot like Hollow Knight-expect to die a lot. If the rage gets too high, switch to Geometry Dash… wait, that game makes you rage too. Maybe just play Cookie Clicker for a bit.