Cuphead is a run n' gun shooter that riffs on the traditions of 90s side-scrolling shooters, albeit with a very unique twist. Cuphead is almost entirely hand-animated, using old-school techniques from 1920s classic-era cartoons. The uncanny creep factor of those ancient toons is dialed up to 11 in Cuphead, making it visually unmistakable in a very busy market.
Cuphead won piles of awards when it launched, for its unashamed fair, but unrelenting difficulty, restless creativity, and stunning art. Cuphead remains one of the best games on Xbox as well as one of the best games on PC, and should certainly be on your radar if it wasn't already.
If you already love Cuphead, I have a treat for you today. Now, you can commemorate your enduring Cupheadedness with this epic collab with iam8bit on their big Cuphead Collector's Edition, available with copies of the game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox.
A suitably devilish marionette
I was greeted with a large box, emblazoned with the unmistakable fire-proof asbestos stage curtain from the game. Inside was a bevvy of goodies, but the centerpiece was clearly this lovingly hand-painted marionette.
Built by the talented artisans at Rici Marionettes, this Cuphead puppet is a fully-functioning old-school marionette, with all the bells and whistles (and strings), for you to put on your very own Cuphead shows. The box itself functions like a mini theatre too, and doubles up as the ideal display cabinet for your pint-sized puppet.
The marionette is clearly of a high quality, with visible brush strokes where the paint has fallen. Sadly there are no pupetteering skills in the box, but after a quick YouTube tutorial or two, I find myself ready to quit blogging for good and go on the road as a ventriloquist. Maybe not.
The marionette carries Cuphead's signature uncanniness into the real world incredibly well, and luckily, it's not the only goodie in this bag of tricks.
My cup runneth over, with goodies
The full package from iam8bit contains a wealth of other content, including a Cuphead + Delicious Last Course DLC game package for your platform of choice.
- The box doubles as a display case, with a thick card bracket for holding the strings up for puppet display purposes.
- There's a lovely hand-crank music box, with music from the game's sound track.
- There are six hand-drawn comic panel cards included too, as well as a Cuphead Club Membership card.
- A large map of Inkwell Isles, ideal for framing.
- A classy leather-like card sleeve for your Cuphead game case.
The delicious last course
At $199 the Cuphead Collector's Edition isn't exactly a no-brainer purchase, but if you're a Cuphead mega fan (or know someone who is) this is a great way to celebrate the game.
Studio MDHR is working on an all-new game, although it's unclear whether or not that is, indeed, Cuphead 2. Cuphead has spawned a huge fandom after its launch, expanding to an entire TV show on Netflix as well. Cuphead has become an icon, and the iam8bit Cuphead Collector's Edition absolutely earns a place amongst that legacy.
