Today, Nintendo released its Nindies Showcase, a video presentation dedicated to indie games coming to the Nintendo Switch. Aside from a couple of smaller, lesser-known titles, the Nindies announcements usually come with a couple of heavy-hitters that help bolster the Switch’s already impressive library. This time, it doesn’t get any bigger than one of the most prominent indie titles to come out in recent memory, the universally acclaimed, previously Microsoft-held exclusive, Cuphead.
The gaming community is already ablaze with hype over the announcement, as Cuphead is not only arguably the best Microsoft exclusive to have come out in years, but was also one of the highest rated titles of 2017. Since its release, many have been hoping for an eventual Switch port due to the portability, co-op accessibility, and convenience of the hybrid console; the dual-color joy-cons are also a perfect fit for couch play, and even give off the vibes of the game’s titular characters, Cuphead and Mugman.
Chances of this port happening had low expectations, since Cuphead was published by Microsoft. However, recent rumblings surrounding Microsoft looking to launch its Game Pass service on the Switch ignited new rumors on Microsoft indie stalwarts Cuphead and Ori and the Blind Forest coming to Nintendo’s platform. While this recent development does not confirm the collaboration between the two companies, a Microsoft title launching on a rival’s flagship console indicates a huge first step in breaking down the walled garden of strict console exclusivity.
For a bit of context, Cuphead is a side-scrolling action platformer with aesthetics based on 1930s-era cartoons. With chaotic and notoriously difficult run-and-gun mechanics along with an art style meticulously replicating the techniques of the past era, Cuphead set itself apart from the rest of the indie pack with “traditional hand drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings.”
Cuphead arrives April 18, 2019 on the Nintendo Switch.