Cuphead Developers Studio MDHR Show Footage of the Prototype

As part of the celebration of Cuphead being released one year ago, Studio MDHR decided to show off a few assets of what could have been. The company sent out a series of tweets showing off sketches and prototype footage of what the game was designed to look like at one point, including some very weird video of a pickle fighting a walking hand. Enjoy!

To celebrate this first anniversary, we'll be sharing some never-before-released concept art and prototype footage of Cuphead throughout the day. And giving away some keys too, because every birthday needs some gifts! pic.twitter.com/EwPA1cIgrD

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) September 29, 2018

Here's a peek at the first Not-Yet-Cuphead Flash prototype that we called "Jay & a Slushie." We didn't have a character or even game concept yet, but we still had giant bosses! Let us know which of The Hand's attacks you like the most for a chance to win a game key. pic.twitter.com/zwJtIOdOZi

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) September 29, 2018

As we continued to refine our Not-Yet-Cuphead prototype, the boss was slowly developing into what would become Goopy Le Grande. Of course, we still hadn't found our main character yet. Should we have kept the vomit attack? Tell us below for a chance to win a game key! pic.twitter.com/cS7Ltqr5hZ

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) September 29, 2018

Fresh from the archives! Here are some of the very first drawings of the character that would become Cuphead. It took hundreds of sketches to really find his personality (and remove any superfluous ears). Pick your favorite sketch and we'll be giving away one game key! pic.twitter.com/fJyAAJ8tu2

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) September 29, 2018

We always knew we wanted to use physical media for our game aesthetic. Here's a look at the transition from the original pencil crayon concept to the water colour and animation cel look we decided on. Come up with a name for these grassy plains for your chance at a game key! pic.twitter.com/bAjmtj9sND

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) September 29, 2018

One final fun fact on what has been a wonderful first birthday! Cuphead and Goopy were the first characters animated and were left basically unchanged in the released game. For one last chance at a Cuphead game code: are two slimes more fun than one? pic.twitter.com/8xo2O7e0NS

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) September 30, 2018

About Gavin Sheehan

Gavin is the current Games Editor for Bleeding Cool. He has been a lifelong geek who can chat with you about comics, television, video games, and even pro wrestling. He can also teach you how to play Star Trek chess, be your Mercy on Overwatch, recommend random cool music, and goes rogue in D&D. He also enjoys hundreds of other geeky things that can't be covered in a single paragraph. Follow @TheGavinSheehan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vero, for random pictures and musings.