A novel idea through and through, 2017’s indie title Cuphead soared as a smash success that continues to impress with its homage to 1930s-era animation married with challenging difficulty. Evoking the timestamped stylings of the days of rubberhose animation, artist Daniel Cortes via Twitter has been sharing his own renditions of Cuphead inspired designs of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster, proving no small feat.
Weighing in at 78 fighters at this time of writing, the vast cast of characters Super Smash Bros. Ultimate lets players throw down as some of their favorites from Nintendo and increasingly further beyond. Characters borrowed from Konami, Bandai-Namco, and most recently Square Enix stretch the possibilities of who or what will be added to the game, representing all sorts of different art-styles.
The magic of adapting such a diverse collection of designs into a uniform cel-animation cartoon style lies in the nostalgia Cortes’ reimaginings evoke, borrowing design staples such as the shiny eyelids of a cartoonified Duck Hunt or the fluffy eyelashes of Samus Aran’s eyes behind her visor. While some characters seem like an obvious fit for the Cuphead inspired style, some of the most surprisingly authentic renditions come from characters who look as far from the source material as possible. Case-in-point being a decidedly rounded-looking Simon Belmont flawlessly toeing the line between goofy and intimidating, or an unexpectedly adaptable Ridley who looks right at home as a regular boss in Cuphead.
Being such a nexus of interest in all things gaming and the culture surrounding it, the Super Smash Bros. community has proven to be not only one of gaming’s largest, but also one of gaming’s most creative. Fan-art is quite obviously in high supply, though particularly tech-savvy fans have gone as far as designing mods for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate including the addition of fan-favorite character Geno of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, albeit spiritually. Besides these avenues for fans to express their love for the game and its characters, even something as infectious as the memes that surround the community serve to keep interest alive as players eagerly await further DLC announcements.
Daniel Cortes’ labor of love in bringing two beloved properties together further integrates fans of both Cuphead and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, realizing that there exists less distance between the two than one might think. Creative efforts like these often serve to inspire at the developer level, possibly paving the way for the addition of some of Smash’s most requested characters from indie titles as more than just assist trophies or costumes.
Cuphead is now available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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