Cuphead, new run'n'gun with old-timey art

[Tregard]

They've nailed the art. The only other game I can think of that tried to emulate that look was the first level of Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse.

Parts of the latest trailer reminded me of Dynamite Headdy for some reason, though it looks like it might lack that game's mechanical finesse.

[Obscura]

I wouldn't hold your breath hoping for that.

It's a western indie 2D game. It's going to suck.

Noitu Love 2, Super Cyborg, Bleed, Shovel Knight, Rogue Legacy, Oniken, Aces Wild, Volgarr The Viking, and They Bleed Pixels are all pretty excellent western indie 2d games.

What they've shown so far looks pretty nice. Just needs a decent game structure behind it.

Only one of those that's decent is Noitu Love 2, and even it has a faaaaaar too easy default difficulty.

Aces Wild is particularly wretched, and I'm surprised to see you mention it as a positive example.

[Mischief Maker]

Aces Wild is particularly wretched,

News to me! Please elaborate.

[Squire Grooktook]

I wouldn't hold your breath hoping for that.

It's a western indie 2D game. It's going to suck.

Noitu Love 2, Super Cyborg, Bleed, Shovel Knight, Rogue Legacy, Oniken, Aces Wild, Volgarr The Viking, and They Bleed Pixels are all pretty excellent western indie 2d games.

What they've shown so far looks pretty nice. Just needs a decent game structure behind it.

Only one of those that's decent is Noitu Love 2

I disagree. They are all good to superb.

I've 1cc'd a number of them. Rogue Legacy on 3 lives was one of the greatest gaming experiences of my life, and that's saying something.

[Obscura]

Aces Wild is particularly wretched,

News to me! Please elaborate.

Fucking "dodge in place" and "homing dash" mechanics in a genre that's about movement and positioning on screen. Yeah, that's excellent. Why not just go play DDR instead?

(The reason 3D games tend to have invincible dodges is because perceived collisions are a bit wonky when you're translating 3D space onto a 2D monitor, so you can't really expect the player to have precise placement in the world. 2D doesn't have that issue, and whenever 2D action games get built around "do invincible move X to avoid attacks!", they always end up being garbage. See Alien Soldier for another example.)

[Squire Grooktook]

whenever 2D action games get built around "do invincible move X to avoid attacks!", they always end up being garbage. See Alien Soldier for another example.)

Except you will never survive Alien Soldier trying to rely only on the Zero Teleport (later enemies will both punish you and are nearly impossible to damage while teleporting around, forcing you to actually use jumps and normal movement to evade), and actually dodging things without it in the easier early game will help you kill everything faster and more efficiently (and with more fun!)

The Zero Teleport isn't even a true i-frame move, as its still a movement tool above all else. You have to use it at the right height and watch that you don't use it to teleport directly into enemies on the other side of the screen.

[Kiel]

Shovel Knight isn't even decent?? I've heard some crazy shit on this site and that is right up there with the craziest.

[Squire Grooktook]

It's not just decent, I'd say it utterly crushes the Nes Mega Man's. Great level design, brawlly combat, and the time/gold charting adds a measure of tension and replayability to the game that's not present in any Mega Man. Aces game.

[Obscura]

"t utterly crushes the Nes Mega Man's" isn't exactly high praise.

[Squire Grooktook]

To you. Nes Mega Man is solid. Not "greatest game ever" material, but good fun. Shovel Knight adds a Nes Batman/Actraiser 2-esque brawling combat style where socking bosses nullifies their hitboxes, and gives you actual incentive and a sense of tension in doing well in the way it tallies up your time and gold at the end of the game. Rad as fuck game.

[Lobinden]

I wouldn't hold your breath hoping for that.

It's a western indie 2D game. It's going to suck.

There are plenty of good western indies. I know most western indies suck, but that's Sturgeon's Law for you.

You'll find that the vast majority of doujin titles are trash too, it's just about finding the stuff you like.

[iconoclast]

New video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU9vHywsIBk

They added a shop and an easy mode. Maybe a dash mechanic too, I'm not sure if that was in the old builds.

Excellent aesthetics aside, the game looks like crap to me. It's a shame that it's going to make way more money than games that are way better, like Hard Corps: Uprising, Metal Slug XX, Assault Suit Leynos, etc. Maybe this is the Sine Mora of run & guns?

[boagman]

Excellent aesthetics aside, the game looks like crap to me. It's a shame that it's going to make way more money than games that are way better, like Hard Corps: Uprising, Metal Slug XX, Assault Suit Leynos, etc. Maybe this is the Sine Mora of run & guns?

In what fashion? Not that the games you've listed aren't great, but what about what you see in the video makes you think it's crap?

[iconoclast]

Boss fights seem to be the entire point of the game, but they all look bad. Every one they've shown so far repeats the same two or three simplistic attacks over and over, and the fight drags on and on due to their massive health bars. I get bored watching it before they finish, every time. Plus the overworld structure (with infinite lives) is never as good as a well-paced stage-based game.

The only thing that looks good to me is the art & animation.

[boagman]

Boss fights seem to be the entire point of the game, but they all look bad. Every one they've shown so far repeats the same two or three simplistic attacks over and over, and the fight drags on and on due to their massive health bars. I get bored watching it before they finish, every time. Plus the overworld structure (with infinite lives) is never as good as a well-paced stage-based game.

The only thing that looks good to me is the art & animation.

Well, they did mention (but did not show) some side-scrolling levels that were going to be a part of the final version. I was actually kind of impressed with the video. It could be better than I was thinking it would be.

[null1024]

The art is still way too pretty, I forgot this existed.
Bosses don't seem that bad, but certain attacks go on for a bit too long.

[Squire Grooktook]

Keep in mind they are probably still balancing HP and damage values. I've been working on my shmup for many month's, and some of the values are still totally fucked because I have much more pressing issues to work on.

I'm more worried about the whole map thing. But hey, if the levels and bosses do turn out to be halfway decent, it'll probably be worth suffering through that crap to give em a shot. Who knows, there might be a challenge mode for a more arcadey experience, or self imposed challenges to hit the bill. Hell, someone could even mod it on PC version if necessary.

[Stormwatch]

Noitu Love 2, Super Cyborg, Bleed, Shovel Knight, Rogue Legacy, Oniken, Aces Wild, Volgarr The Viking, and They Bleed Pixels are all pretty excellent western indie 2d games.

Don't forget Dust: An Elysian Tail, Freedom Planet, Gunlord, Broforce, Maldita Castilla, Gunman Clive, Frogatto, and Giana's Return.

[boagman]

Boss fights seem to be the entire point of the game, but they all look bad. Every one they've shown so far repeats the same two or three simplistic attacks over and over, and the fight drags on and on due to their massive health bars. I get bored watching it before they finish, every time. Plus the overworld structure (with infinite lives) is never as good as a well-paced stage-based game.

The only thing that looks good to me is the art & animation.

Well, they did mention (but did not show) some side-scrolling levels that were going to be a part of the final version. I was actually kind of impressed with the video. It could be better than I was thinking it would be.

Been watching more of this on YT and through IGN. I'm even more impressed than I was. Lots of different types of old school styles of play being used. Wish it would be available on Vita.

[soprano1]

Well, at least we know the LP's will be good to look at.

[OdiousTrident]

Guinness Record for most bosses in a run-n-gun? Doesn't Alien Soldier have 30?

[soprano1]

https://youtu.be/xy0bpSyeCuQ

New gameplay movie of a whole level.

[d3vak]

https://youtu.be/xy0bpSyeCuQ

New gameplay movie of a whole level.

I hope that's the tutorial...

[Immryr]

Yeah it seems a bit simplistic. Still, it looks incredible though.

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

Not nearly enough jumping piranha plants in the pits.

[Lord Satori]

That platforming level reminds me of the original Rayman but with more enemies and entirely horizontal level design.

Still looking forward to it, though.

[EllertMichael]

Listening to those sound effects I kept waiting for Gex to chime in with "Like the slime, boys. Nice Touch!"

[boagman]

So...2016's getting smaller and smaller by the day. They're using up the good will that people have had that are anticipating the game with all of this delay. At a certain point, you just need to get the game out.

[quash]

This game definitely looks the part, I just hope it plays the part, too. I'm trying my best to negate any expectations I have for the game in the hope of being pleasantly surprised.

[BulletMagnet]

Delayed to mid-2017.