Just a few months ahead of its physical release in Japan,Cupheaddeveloper Studio MDHR announced a collaboration with a famed Japanese artist known for their work on theFinal Fantasyseries and other JRPGs over the years. When the collaboration was announced on social media by Studio MDHR, excitement was had from bothCupheadandFinal Fantasyfans alike at the news.Released in 2017 for PC and Xbox One,Cupheadis a challenging 2D action game similar to theContraseries in gameplay but with an art style directly inspired by Disney’s early animated cartoons. The game was later ported to PS4 and Nintendo Switch in the following years and releasedThe Delicious Last Courseexpansion in 2022. Thanks to a collaboration with iam8bit,Cupheadreceived a physical releasefor $39.99 in December 2022, with a Collector’s Edition due in the first quarter of 2023. The Collector’s Edition retails for $199.99 and will feature theDelicious Last Courseand a batch of physical goods. Japanese fans will be getting something special with physical copies of Cuphead, thanks to the newly announced collaboration.RELATED:Cuphead Nendoroid Figures Are Now Available for Pre-OrderFinal Fantasyseries artist Yoshitaka Amano, known for his contributions to the series from the beginning, was announced as the guest collaborator forCuphead’s Japanese release. With character designs forgames such asFinal Fantasy 6, and his work on the series' logos, including the upcomingFinal Fantasy 16, Amano’s distinct art style has stood out for decades. In Studio MDHR’s Twitter post, the art from Amano depicts Cuphead, Mugman, and Ms. Chalice in a style similar toFinal Fantasyprotagonists, such as Cecil fromFinal Fantasy 4and Terra fromFinal Fantasy 6. With the trio wielding dishware-shaped weapons, they stand ready to face a horde of enemies led by The Devil himself, who is posed likethe iconic Behemoth enemy. The Devil’s arms also depict subtle references to Chaos, the final boss of the originalFinal Fantasygame, which Amano drew in the 1980s.
The Japanese release ofCupheadis slated for June 20, 2025, priced at around 4,000 yen. It will feature the base game andThe Delicious Last CourseDLC,and Amano’s art will be included in the game’s soundtrack, which will come with first edition runs of the physical release. Preorders are available now on Amazon Japan.
With a slew of challenging levels, unforgettable character designs, and a catchy soundtrack, fans that will soon experienceCupheadfor the first time will get a chance to see why many think it is one ofthe best 2D games availabletoday.
Cupheadis available now for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.
