Retrotopia Talks Cuphead

Welcome to another episode of Retrotopia: Another Video Game Podcast. This is a show where we, Alan, Brian, and Sam, get together to discuss video games from years gone by. We like to look at video games from the perspective of lifelong gamers and how they hold up in the retro sphere.

This week we are discussing Cuphead, an Xbox One and PC game released in 2017 that blends punishing run-and-gun action with a stunning 1930s hand-drawn cartoon aesthetic. Inspired by the rubber-hose animation of Fleischer Studios and early Disney shorts, Cuphead follows the reckless titular hero and his brother Mugman after they lose their souls to the Devil in a high-stakes casino gamble. To repay their debt, they must traverse a series of surreal islands, battling a wildly creative lineup of screen-filling bosses to collect soul contracts.

Beneath its charming, jazzy exterior lies a brutally challenging experience built around pattern recognition, tight platforming, and precision shooting. Every boss fight feels like a playable cartoon short, complete with original big band music and painstakingly inked animation. It’s a love letter to vintage animation wrapped around an old-school difficulty curve that demands patience, skill, and maybe a second controller for co-op support.

You can join in on the fun FOR FREE over at patreon.com/retrotopia

There, you can participate in the 9-Bit Banter Box, comment on the Game of the week, take part in polls, and listen to the Patreon exclusive Quick Play or get RetroBytes 15 days early with an exclusive Patreon topic. You can also join The Hero tier for $2 a month and choose a host to play and review a game for Quick Play and listen to Retrotopia After Dark, where we start each week with a little warm-up and chat.

Find us on social media at linktr.ee/retrotopia

Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky, YouTube, and a link to our Discord can all be found here.

Direct Discord Link: https://discord.gg/Fn63vQ4CPc

Find Retrotopia Merchandise at https://retrotopia.dashery.com/

We have many designs and are continually adding more. Get T-Shirts, Hoodies, Mugs, Stickers, Magnets, Hats, and more.