The first footage of Cuphead came from an “Xbox Exclusives” sizzle reel at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014, taking up no more than 10 seconds in a steady showing of games. Even from that small amount of footage, it was clear that Cuphead was something special.

The combination of run-and-gun gameplay and 1930s cartoon art seemingly pulled from a Fleischer Studios production would not be ignored. The colorful, expressive characters and blistering difficulty in the vein of Contra and Gunstar Heroes mesmerized fans and journalists alike.

Three years later and after many delays and monetary setbacks, Chad and Jared Moldenhauer’s independent studio MDHR have set Cuphead upon the gaming world. We should all consider ourselves lucky, as Cuphead is a breath of fresh air in an already-fantastic year for video games and one of the most original titles I’ve played this decade.

The hand-drawn art of Cuphead borrows from the World War II-era golden age of cartoons, when the likes of Disney weren’t afraid to let their art style veer into unconventional, maybe even unsettling territory. The world of Cuphead leans into that aesthetic with impressive dedication, utilizing a level of animation detail not seen since 2013’s Rayman Legends.

Cuphead’s look is unique, eye-catching, and a perfect match for the controller-throwing amount of difficulty involved. The concept of Cuphead is simple: The titular Cuphead and his brother Mug Man lost a bet in the Devil’s casino, putting them in the horned one’s debt.

This sets our naive heroes out across Inkwell Isle on a frantic race to collect the souls of all the poor saps the Devil has tricked already, lest they lose their souls. From fire-breathing dragons, boxing glove-adorned frogs, and German rats in makeshift tanks, the bosses of Cuphead take center stage.

This game is almost all boss fights. Sure, there are a few scant levels where you’re platforming, but the main draw about Cuphead is that the bosses are the game. This kind of boiling down of a genre is brilliant and simple, as I’ve always thought that beat ’em up-style games live and die by their boss fights.

MDHR must agree, because this change to the order of operations highlights how soul-crushing it is to beat this eccentric cast of colorful, fantastic felons. Each fight has multiple phases, which includes changes in the visual style. One of my favorite stages involved a spooky ghost train that requires you to battle the conductor, un-dead riders, and even the train itself to win.

The difficulty stems from pattern recognition and hand-eye coordination, as Cuphead will need players to be on top of their game. Our heroes can only take three hits of damage before death, and using a swath of powers, parries, and special attacks are the only way to survive.

The juxtaposition of steep difficulty curve and happy, even downright whimsical art is a fascinating combination, and even an appropriate one. Given that the style of Cuphead is emulating an era of animation that was far more carefree and haphazard than what is made today, it makes sense that the cheerful aesthetic hides something sinister underneath.

The attention to detail is what makes the world of Inkwell Isle stand out while in motion. A fight against a trio of drunken, anthropomorphized bar glasses features olives shooting pits while a mustachioed highball glass sloshes an attack of scotch in your direction. Each character is animated with personality to spare, and though you may not always be able to focus on those details while trying to stay alive, it’s this dedication to hand-drawn art that never grows old.

And trust me: You’ll see each boss quite a bit if you want to win. Some fights took more than an hour of dying nonstop while I tried different strategies and weapon combinations. Each time I felt like I was turning the pieces of a puzzle and snapping them into place, scratching that problem-solving itch that we all possess.

A lot of love and effort went into Cuphead, and this painstaking attention to detail shows in every seam, shot, jump, and level retry. Microsoft needed a win, and this exclusive release is a must-buy for anyone who wants to appreciate the wonder that is an evil flying waffle trying to kill a walking, grinning coffee cup.

Video games are great, and Cuphead is a welcome reminder of that.

Contact William Harrison at: DoubleUHarrison@gmail.com or on Twitter @DoubleUHarrison

First Published October 26, 2017, 4:00 a.m.