Cuphead is the 2016 game I'm super excited for on Xbox One

When it comes to gaming, there are always the big triple-A titles that we all can agree are thrilling. Whether it is a long-awaited sequel or the kickoff of a new property, those studio games get plenty of coverage.

More often than not though, I prefer the indie studios and their ability to re-invent the classic arcade games I played in my childhood. Studio MDHR, which is run by two Canadian brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, have created one the coolest games yet: Cuphead.

Cuphead is your typical 'run and gun' arcade style game. However, the artwork is meant to look like cartoons from the 1930s. It is surreal, hilarious, eye-catching and just amazing to see what look like cartoons as a playable game. Giant carrots fill the screen whose zany eyes command a bombardment of mini-carrots – it's a lot to take in.

What can I say, I love stylized games like Borderlands, Gigantic, Battleborn and Cuphead.

I should point out gameplay is a little odd as what I sampled is what can be described as 'boss rush mode'. Cuphead is not a traditional platformer, which I may have preferred more. What we saw instead is fighting two bosses at the end of a level. It is intense, but it can also be a bit grinding too as it is not an easy game. The diffuclity is on purpose as Cuphead gets its inspiration from Contra.

Cuphead is due sometime in 2016 because it originally had smaller ambitions. However, due to such positive feedback, the brothers are expanding the game to make it even more epic. Although I hate to have to wait until next year for the final version, I am more than okay with them taking their time to make it bigger and better.

Anyway, watch my interview with Jared Moldenhauer for more details about the game and what inspired them to make it! More information can be found on their website Cupheadgame.com.

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.