Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW

After a few delays and the release of a TV show in-between, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is finally here. It’s something I’ve been eagerly anticipating, especially since I absolutely adored the main game, and I’m happy to report that it serves a slice of DLC goodness that delivers everything Cuphead fans could want: challenging but fun boss fights that look absolutely gorgeous in motion.

Check out some screenshots down below:

• 

• 

• 

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course takes place on a new island that Cuphead and Mugman have been summoned to in order to try and bring Ms Chalice back to life. How do they do this? By baking the Wondertart, of course, which has healing properties that can revive the dead. Unfortunately, the ingredients are being guarded by a selection of nasty baddies, so it’s up to you to bring them down and reunite the whole gang back together.

Whilst she might need rescuing from the astral plane, players can still play as Ms Chalice in Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course by equipping a special cookie in their charm slot. Whilst it might seem like a big ask to sacrifice using a charm, Ms Chalice’s unique move set of a double-jump, a parry dash, and a dodge roll more than make up for it (as well as having an extra health point). It feels both familiar and fresh to play as her, so she’s definitely worth taking a look at if you want to experience something a little different in the game. Oh, and she can also be used to play through the base game’s levels too, so now’s the time to dive back into the original adventure again (as if you ever need an excuse).

“Yes, it’s tough, and yes, you will die a lot, but it never feels ridiculous or unfair; instead, it’s offers a string of high-quality showdowns that’ll test your skills and perseverance and force players to simply adapt and learn.”

It’s worth noting from the get-go that Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course doesn’t feature any run ‘n gun stages, which is a bit of a shame. Whilst there’s no doubting that the boss encounters are the highlight of the experience, the more traditional platforming stages offered a nice bit of variety that gave the players something a little different to do in the base game. Fortunately, the bosses on offer here are top notch, with six super impressive baddies (and one secret boss) to battle that’ll test your skills in a variety of ways. I don’t want to go into too much detail about the ins-and-outs of them here to keep each battle a surprise (I even begrudged posting screenshots), but you can expect fun showdowns that are packed with variety and creativity as each unloads their repertoire of moves upon you.

Cuphead was already a really tough game, but The Delicious Last Course really ups the ante. It’s as if the team at StudioMDHR acknowledged that those who are playing it would be experienced with the original and ready for a stern challenge, and trust me, they delivered it. Bosses will cause players PLENTY of trouble with their myriad of varied and dangerous attacks, whilst you can expect the screen to fill up with an onslaught of projectiles and minions coming your way. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a bit overwhelming at times, but it’s through that challenge that Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course serves up most of its satisfaction. Yes, it’s tough, and yes, you will die a lot, but it never feels ridiculous or unfair; instead, it’s offers a string of high-quality showdowns that’ll test your skills and perseverance and force players to simply adapt and learn. It’s really hard, but the serotonin burst you’ll get with each success will leave you beaming with excitement and pride. Then you move onto the next boss and repeat the process…

Check out some screenshots down below:

• 

• 

• 

Outside of the boss fights, players will be able to participate in a Chess-themed challenge known as The King’s Leap, where they aren’t able to attack directly but instead have to parry their enemies to defeat them. It’s a fun little endeavour that challenges players to be creative in their approach, and whilst I’ll admit it doesn’t quite fill the gap left by the lack of new run ‘n gun stages, I still enjoyed playing through each one.

There are some new power-ups and charms to unlock in the game too, with each giving Cuphead and Mugman some new tricks to utilise in-battle. Admittedly, I didn’t spend a whole lot of time with them since I preferred to play as Ms Chalice, but it’s still nice that there’s something fresh for players to tinker around with when using the original heroes. And of course, it still looks gorgeous too, with some outstanding animation on show throughout that lives up to the old-school Fleischer-styling of the original. It just looks sublime, with it clear that StudioMDHR certainly haven’t lost their touch when it comes to artistic brilliance.

Developer: StudioMDHR
Publisher: StudioMDHR
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Website: https://cupheadgame.com/dlc.html