This interview was conducted by email.
More than 5 months separate us from the release of The Delicious Last Course on consoles and PC, which added even more different bosses to the already very varied cast of the main game. Do you have a boss fight you’re particularly proud of? Which is more memorable from a development perspective?
Jared Moldenhauer:: It is always very difficult to answer this kind of question. During development, when you work on boss fights and see them change and take shape, you become attached to each of them. Choosing a particular fight is not an easy task. However, I think the level that really challenged the whole team in a way never seen before was the Flying Cadors. There’s so much going on with this boss – from the player controlling space “on the ground” while standing on the wings of the plane, to the boss grabbing the sides of the screen and totally changing the level severity. This resulted in an even more iterative development process than normal, with months and months spent designing patterns attacks that took advantage of the level’s central gimmicks, to target animations that could give the impression of “moving in the sky”, and to deal with the difficulties incurred by character control changes imposed on the player. We’re really proud of the end result, but it certainly wasn’t easy.
There’s a real divide in animation complexity between Cuphead and The Delicious Lat Course, highlighted by Maja Moldenhauer herself during an interview last summer. What lessons did you learn from developing the main game that contributed to this massive improvement?
Maja Moldenhauer: I think for us, this leap forward in the complexity of animation between Cuphead and The Delicious Last Course was a natural step for the studio. From additional narration in character intros to smooth transitions between “hit reactions“, we had compiled a list of things that could be improved by analyzing the original game. Having already formed an incredible group of talented animators (many having returned to The Delicious Last Course), we knew everyone was ready to go the extra mile to hone their skills. Also, I think we approached the game as the swansong of the story of Cupheadstarted many years ago, and we wanted to make sure that if players were asked to return to the Inkswell Islands, the experience would be enriched and deepened in every way possible.
We now know that Cuphead was originally meant to be a pure boss rush. Was it the unanimous critical reception raised by its release that convinced you to shelve the levels run and gun in the DLC, honoring your original vision?
Chad Moldenhauer: Our choice to set levels aside run and gun in The Delicious Last Course was more of a result of highlighting King of Games challenges rather than honoring a specific vision of the game. We love Cuphead’s parry mechanic, and we’ve been looking for new ways to incorporate it into fights of bosses, and we finally returned to the idea of creating small confrontations revolving only around the parry. Since the DLC only takes place on one island rather than many, the idea of having these recurring boss fights felt like an appropriate way to distribute the gold coins instead of just one or two. platform levels. So it’s more of a happy coincidence of design between the needs of the game and our own desires.
While Chalice’s abilities as a playable character can make boss fights easier, the DLC still lacks a true easy difficulty mode, instead opting for the easier difficulty options. patterns inherited from the main game. Have you considered adding a real easy game mode, or even difficulty adjustment options for players discouraged by this barrier?
Jared Moldenhauer: Our philosophy on Cuphead was never about making the game deliberately difficult just for the sake of it, but rather about creating a game where overcoming a challenge confers as much merit as satisfaction. We spent a lot of time making sure the patterns boss battles are readable, challenging without being unfair, and players can enter that trance-like state where the game seems to be slowing down. That’s why we think the integration of Ms. Chalice – and her array of unique moves and abilities – was a great way to expand the options available to players. It’s also important to note that there is another way to help struggling players that hasn’t been mentioned yet. Let’s just say that spinning around on the game map can suddenly summon a certain Genie. [NDLR : Cette technique permet d’invoquer Game Djimmi, un PNJ octroyant 3 points de santé supplémentaires au joueur. Uniquement actif dans les modes Facile et Simple, ce bonus limite la note du niveau à B+ au maximum. Il reste cependant toujours nécessaire de terminer les niveaux en mode Normal pour pouvoir accéder au boss de fin, comme c’était déjà le cas dans Cuphead.]
While many of the scrapped boss ideas for Cuphead found their way into the DLC, can you tell us more about any other encounters shelved during its development?
Chad Moldenhauer: I think it’s almost universal that during every development of a game, ideas are dropped by the time it’s completed. In the case of The Delicious Last Course, one idea in particular comes to mind. In addition to the King of Games, we originally conceptualized a suite of optional “mini-games” to test and hone parry’s abilities, but ultimately found no place for him on an already crowded island.
After exploring the Golden Age of North American animation and the genre of run and gun, are you going to stray from retro sensibilities for your next project? Maybe something more contemporary?
Mada Moldenhauer: After a busy year for us with the release of The Delicious Last Course and of The Cuphead Show [NDLR : adaptation animée produite par Netflix], it is a bit too early to tell what the future holds. Nonetheless, we’re truly long-time fans of those so-called classic production techniques, meticulous craftsmanship, and retro design sensibilities. It is certain that future productions from Studio MDHR will rely on one or more of these traits.
What future for Cuphead? Do you already have plans for the license, whether it’s a new game or another iteration like your recent collaboration with Netflix?
Chad Moldenhauer: After so much time spent on the Inkwell Islands – years and years before even Cuphead to this day – we truly believe that Cuphead, Mugman, Mrs. Chalice and the entire cast are part of our family. One way or another, we will always love these characters. That being said, we have nothing to communicate for the moment on future adventures or stories involving the Cuphead universe.