NOTE: There may be spoilers ahead for the games included in this feature, so if you see us beginning to discuss a game you don’t want spoiled, turn back.

SILENT HILL 2 REMAKE

Bloober Team’s remake of Silent Hill 2 was on the receiving end of plenty of skepticism, which, given the developer’s spotty track record up to that point, wasn’t hard to understand. It’s fair to say, then, that the game turned out to be far, far better than the overwhelming majority of us anticipated. Bloober Team and Konami’s Silent Hill 2 remake has been compared to the likes of fellow horror remakes in Resident Evil 2 and Dead Space– and yes, it is that good.

Resident Evil 2 (2019)

Like the original, the time required to beat the Resident Evil 2 remake can be deceptive for first-time players. You can easily breeze through a single character’s story in ten hours, six if you’re good enough. However, getting the entire story requires playing as Leon and Claire, complete with exploring both routes. Still, if you want an incredible survival horror with great gunplay and visuals, this is more than a given.

Signalis

Known for its cryptic story-telling, Signalis from rose-engine is a survival horror throwback, with players investigating a strange facility for answers. Despite the overhead perspective, it has manual aiming, plenty of back-tracking and a retro aesthetic that’s gorgeous to behold. Perhaps best of all, you can finish it in less than 10 hours, though there are some additional extras and endings.

Sunset Overdrive

Before Insomniac Games became the Marvel’s Spider-Man game studio, it released Sunset Overdrive. The bombastic art style, the approach to movement and style over straightforward third-person shooting, and best of all, the enjoyable setting all made for an incredible experience. You’ll want to complete the story for its set pieces and boss fights, but there are tons of optional challenges, side quests, and collectibles in Sunset City.

Cuphead

Studio MDHR’s Cuphead is the perfect mix of challenging and run ‘n’ gun action, replete with memorable bosses. Each has unique hooks and mechanics, whether you’re fighting Grim Matchstick through the skies or experiencing Sally Stageplay’s lethal drama. It’s all brought to life by the rubber hose-style visuals rife with details and an incredible old-timey soundtrack. Even if you ignore all the secrets and Expert Mode, it’s a tough but worthwhile action platforming journey.

Mafia Definitive Edition

The Mafia series faced scrutiny when 2K Games released Definitive Editions for the second and third games, effectively introducing new bugs and worse performance. However, Mafia Definitive Edition is a proper remake that added motorcycles, a rebalanced difficulty (and Classic for those who wanted it closer to the original), and Free Ride Mode. Don’t go into this expecting a Grand Theft Auto-scale adventure, and the narrative should more than carry you through.

Metro: Last Light Redux

Before Metro Exodus offered bigger levels with crafting on the go, Metro: Last Light Redux built on what the first game did best: A post-apocalyptic setting with tout pacing, terrifying mutants and excellent gunplay. As Artyom, players are caught up in a civil war weeping the metro and must sneak, assassinate and slay their way to survival. Be careful, though, as a morality system will influence the ending.

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

MachineGames’ sequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order has some nagging concerns with its level design, but the story-telling, characterization and gunplay are fantastic. The campaign sees B.J. Blazkowicz on a journey, once more, to battle the Nazis by unloading copious amounts of bullets into their foot soldiers (whether you play stealthy or not). From Manhattan to Venus, there’s much to see in this epic campaign. Perhaps the only real downer is that it’s followed by Wolfenstein: Youngblood.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

You can complete Nintendo’s acclaimed Super Mario Bros. Wonder within 10 hours or so, and that’s very much intentional. The side-scrolling platformer is rife with incredibly designed levels and excellent new power-ups like Elephant Form and the Drill Hat, while the Wonder Flowers dramatically change levels in trippy and exciting ways. Still, those who want more can collect all the Flower Coins, Wonder Seeds, and more while experimenting with different Badges.

Gears of War 3

Gears of War 2 was beloved but came dangerously close to jumping the shark at many points. Gears of War 3 brought things back on track while introducing new mechanics, weapons, enemies and impressive set-pieces to set up the potential end of the world. If you’re only in it for the story-telling, there’s more than enough great content. However, the revamped Horde Mode and its tower defense-like mechanics also provided plenty of reason to stick around.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

From a confused project under Kojima Productions to one of the most beloved hack-and-slash titles under PlatinumGames, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is unmatched in many ways. The boss battles, the characters, the story, the memes, the parry mechanics and Blade Mode allowing players to dismember enemies – it all came together so well. Its length was criticized, but those who want more nowadays can pick it up with all the DLC and armor sets for even more fun.

Dishonored

Dishonored is Arkane Studios at its finest. An imaginative setting with astounding visuals rife with political intrigue and betrayal, not to mention a plague threatening to overtake it all – perfect for a supernatural assassin. As Corvo, the framed bodyguard to the slain Queen of Dunwall, players were tasked with discovering the truth. It meant lots of sneaking and slaying, but you could get creative with your approach, acting chaotically or bypassing missions without ever being seen. It’s an essential title for stealth fans that’s as tightly paced as they come.

Ori and the Blind Forest

As beloved as games like Hollow Knight can be, it’s nice to have options that don’t demand around 30 hours to experience the story, like Ori and the Blind Forest. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that the aesthetics and music are simply awe-inspiring or that the level design is meticulous and the controls responsive. Whether on a mission to restore the forest or going out of your way to unearth all its secrets, Ori and the Blind Forest is a tight-knit journey.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

With Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 being about as long as the first game and promising a focused narrative, it’s easy to forget just how great Senua’s Sacrifice is. Roughly six years later, it still boasts cutting-edge visuals and facial expressions with an emotional narrative centred on Senua’s tortured state. Hellblade is precise, unforgettable and powerful, telling its story without overstaying its welcome.

Batman: The Enemy Within

Before its bankruptcy and eventual reformation, Telltale Games’ titles varied in quality. Batman: The Enemy Within is a standout though, improving on the first season’s writing, narrative and decision-making. Its take on the Joker is surprisingly refreshing as he works with Batman as a vigilante, depending on the player’s choices or against him. The gameplay may still feel more rigid compared to some more contemporary narrative adventures, but Batman: The Enemy Within is still worth playing.

Quantum Break

Will a standard playthrough of Quantum Break offer all the answers for its time-bending adventure? Probably not, but it’s an enjoyable journey regardless, backed by Remedy Entertainment’s penchant for gorgeous graphics and an immaculate presentation. Opinions are mixed on the TV side of the story, yet the third-person combat and abilities are on point. It’s not Remedy’s finest work, but it still provides an intriguing narrative with some solid performances by Aiden Gillen and Shawn Ashmore.

CUPHEAD

Let’s start with one that’s actually always been cheap. Studio MDHR’s Cuphead is a modern run ‘n gun classic, boasting stellar art and animations, devilishly punishing yet brilliantly designed boss fights, and a healthy amount of content, with the entire package setting you back just $20. Throw in another $8, and you can also purchase its excellent expansion, The Delicious Last Course.

MONSTER HUNTER WORLD

Capcom sells its back catalog titles better than most other companies out there, and just as responsible for that as their enduring quality is the prices they drop down to. Monster Hunter World, Capcom’s highest selling game of all time, is currently prices at $20, which, for a game as good as it is and as much content it has, is a ridiculously good price.

RESIDENT EVIL 7

Another relatively older Capcom title that has lost none of its luster in the years since its launch, Resident Evil 7 is a game that also keeps on selling, and looking at its price, it’s easy to see why. Sure, it may not be the hundred-hour romp that Monster Hunter World is, but can you really turn your nose up at one of the best survival horror games of all time being sold for just $20?

THE EVIL WITHIN

We’ll stick with the survival horror genre here, and turn our attention to a nearly-decade old game that perhaps doesn’t get the sort of love it deserves. For fans of the over-the-shoulder Resident Evil formula, The Evil Within is an absolute must-play, thanks to its incredible atmosphere and relentlessly tense combat. At just $20, the game’s an absolute bargain, and one that any genre fan should be pouncing on.

STARDEW VALLEY

Indie darling Stardew Valley has never really been a costly game, given the fact that it’s, well, an indie game, which means it’s always been an absolute steel. Being sold at $15, this is a game that you can pour literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours into. Want to manage and expand your farm? Want to hang out with cool characters and deepen your bonds with them? Want to go exploring caves? In Stardew Valley, you can do all of this and more.

HOLLOW KNIGHT

You may have heard Hollow Knight being called one of the greatest games ever made by many, and trust us, that’s not an exaggeration in the slightest. This grueling Metroidvania masterpiece is an astounding piece of art, representing game design, music, art, and everything else in between at their absolute zenith. Again, by virtue of being an indie game, Hollow Knight has always offered incredible value for money, as it does right now for a price of just $15.

UNCHARTED: THE NATHAN DRAKE COLLECTION

The original Uncharted trilogy is pretty old at this point (he said while setting down his walking cane), but Naughty Dog’s action-adventure games are still worth going back to, not least because of the excellent remastering work that Bluepoint Games did with The Nathan Drake Collection on PS4. The collection can be bought for the price of just $20, which gives you access to not one, but three riotously enjoyable games, making it a pretty sweet deal all in all.

THE LAST OF US REMASTERED

Naughty Dog loves going back to The Last of Us, but even though we do have a full-fledged remake as an option on PS5, the PS4 remaster that launched in 2014 is still an excellent deal. It looks excellent and still plays great (not to mention the fact that it runs at 60 FPS), and can be purchased for $20. For that price, you also get access to the widely beloved Factions multiplayer mode, so in many ways, it’s actually a better option than the PS5 remake for those looking to go back to this modern classic.

GOD OF WAR

A much more recent entry than some of the other games we’ve spoken about on this list, 2018’s God of War is a game that people are going to keep going back to for years- something that is price is only bound to make easier. For a price of $20, you can dive into the action-adventure game’s rollercoaster, emotional journey, which combines narrative and action gameplay in one of the best PS4 experiences ever.

HORIZON ZERO DAWN

Speaking of landmark first party PS4 titles, Horizon Zero Dawn is another stellar game that you can dive into for a surprisingly low price right now. Guerrilla’s post-apocalyptic open world action RPG is retailing for a price of just $20 on PS4 right now, which is more than a reasonable price for a game that you can clock dozens of hours in. On PC, however, it’s priced at $50, so there’s definitely some disparity in its cross-platform pricing.

GEARS OF WAR 3

Yes, Gears of War 3 is more than a decade old, but it still remains one of the best third person shooters we’ve ever played, to the extent that even many much more recent ones can’t hold a candle to it. With an excellent campaign and addictive multiplayer offerings, at a price of just $12, the Xbox 360 title is almost unreasonably cheap right now. On Xbox Series X, in fact, it even benefits from visual and technical boosts, so if you haven’t played this masterpiece, now is the time to jump in.

GRAND THEFT AUTO 5

Nearly eleven years on from launch, Grand Theft Auto 5 keeps selling better than most games do instantly upon release, and doubtless, its reasonable pricing has had a hand to play in that. Currently being sold for a price of $20 on Xbox and PlayStation, the open world game is one that you can pour countless hours into without even the hint of boredom. We’re about a year away (and hopefully no more than that) from Grand Theft Auto 6, so if somehow you still haven’t played GTA 5, now’s the time.

BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT

Rocksteady Studios’ Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League might not be what so many wanted the studio’s next game to be, but you can always go back to its older releases to remind yourself of why the studio is as beloved as it is. Batman: Arkham Knight has had some pretty rough luck with its platform-specific versions on PC and Nintendo Switch, but on PlayStation and Xbox, it’s still an incredible game to go back to- not least because you can do so for just $20 right now.

BLOODBORNE

Whether or not we’ll ever get a Bloodborne remaster, port, or even 60 FPS patch (much less a sequel) is anyone’s guess (though signs point to a big, fat no), but thankfully, FromSoftware’s eldritch horror action RPG is a stellar game even in its original form, even today. Like a number of other first party PlayStation titles we’ve mentioned here, it can be purchased for just $20, which, for what’s irrefutably one of the greatest games ever made, is a shockingly good price.

METAL GEAR SOLID 5

Metal Gear Solid 5’s legacy will always be a complicated one for so many reasons, but one thing that’s hard to dispute is that, for all its flaws (of which it has many), it’s somehow still an absolute masterpiece in more ways than one, from its timeless emergent stealth gameplay to the incredible design it sports across its many missions. Diving into all of that and more for a price of just $20 is more than a fair deal, to say the very least.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons comes from Josef Fares, the mastermind behind popular co-op games like A Way Out and It Takes Two. The game tells a heartwarming story about two brothers working together through a vast world, and the mechanics do a good job of encouraging synergies between the player in new and interesting ways. Between this and the charming art style on offer, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons becomes a great game to play with a loved one.

In fact, it’s continuing to sell well even now, several months from its launch. Developer Studio MDHR recently took to Twitter and announced that Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course has now sold over 2 million units worldwide across all platforms since coming out in June. That’s up from the one million units it had sold within roughly two weeks after release.

In our review of Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course thankfully doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It takes the already-phenomenal gameplay of Cuphead, and just adds more Cuphead on top. Miss Chalice is also a great new character, making going back to the base game fun, even if you’ve already finished it.” Read the full review through here.

Cuphead and its DLC are available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Much to our amazement, we can announce that The Delicious Last Course has gone Double Platinum, selling 2 million copies across all platforms!!

We are so grateful to everyone who joined Cuphead, Mugman, and Ms. Chalice on this new adventure. Your support means the world to us. pic.twitter.com/nsfpSFiw4Z

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) December 13, 2022

Studio MDHR recently took to Twitter and announced that, on the occasion of Cuphead’s fifth anniversary, it will release a physical edition of Cuphead for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in partnership with iam8bit. While details such as its release date and exact contents are currently unknown, the indie studio confirms that it will include the base game as well as the meaty expansion The Delicious Last Course, which learned earlier this year.

In our review of Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course thankfully doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It takes the already-phenomenal gameplay of Cuphead, and just adds more Cuphead on top. Miss Chalice is also a great new character, making going back to the base game fun, even if you’ve already finished it.” Read the full review through here.

Shortly after the expansion’s launch, Studio MDHR announced that it had sold over a million units in less than two weeks.

On Cuphead’s 5th anniversary, we’re overjoyed to say: the game is Coming Soon to retail stores everywhere!! It will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 & Nintendo Switch…including The Delicious Last Course!

Sign up now to be the first to know more: https://t.co/FAs05ii86R pic.twitter.com/xz2OClBpwq

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) September 29, 2022

Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil Village is like a rollercoaster ride that takes the player through different types of horrors. The game’s many different levels feature different kinds of spooks and scares that never fail to keep a player at the edge of their seats, and it’s all punctuated by surprisingly good boss fights – especially when compared to its direct predecessor Resident Evil 7. The fight against Heisenberg is especially bombastic, and so is the rooftop encounter against Lady Dimitrescu. It’s all capped off by a multi-phase boss fight against Mother Miranda, which is an excellent palate cleanser after the arduous journey of Ethan Winters through this village of horrors.

1 – King Dice (All Bets Are Off)

There’s just something brilliant about the King Dice boss fight. Of course, it certainly helps that King Dice has been around as a character since the very beginning of the game, and finally beating him is definitely one of the best experiences Cuphead has to offer. Despite being the second-to-last boss fight in the base game, King Dice steals the show quite handily thanks to his unique design, general presence throughout the game, and fun fight. And yes, I am a sucker for a good boss-rush styled encounter.

2 – Grim Matchstick (Fiery Frolic)

Grim Matchstick is my pick for the second best fight in Cuphead because it’s quite easily one of the first fights where Cuphead’s difficulty has the potential to reach a player’s frustration threshold. Not only is a fall instant death, there are also a lot of projectiles to dodge while staying on the tiny cloud you’re allowed to stand on, all while trying to deal as much damage to Grim Matchstick as you possibly can. This is the fight that most people think about when Cuphead comes up.

3 – The Root Pack (Botanic Panic!)

Talk about first impressions! The Root Pack is likely the first boss most players will face, and it does a wonderful job of teaching players just what it is they can expect from the rest of the game. It tests several skills—avoiding attacks, keeping up with your damage, parrying—but in a relatively safe environment. The Root Pack isn’t a particularly tough encounter, but it’s a brilliant teacher.

4 – Ribby and Croaks (Clip Joint Calamity)

Right after The Root Pack, you’ll get access to Cuphead’s first dual boss. Once again acting as a sort of soft tutorial, Ribby and Croaks teach players that they have to pay attention to more than one thing at a time. Again, not a particularly difficult encounter, but the way Cuphead teaches its players how to play the game with expertly-designed encounters is just plain old brilliant.

5 – Captain Brineybeard (Shootin N’ Lootin)

Who doesn’t love pirates? Captain Brineybeard has a great design, but more importantly, Brineybeard’s also a pretty fun fight. Considering that this fight is fairly deep into the base game, Brineybeard doesn’t hold back any punches. Keeping a handle on Brineybeard while dodging attacks, avoiding the barrel, and even dealing with various sea creatures can get hectic, but it certainly makes for a fun fight.

6 – Moonshine Mob (Bootlegger Boogie)

And here’s where we see one of the first encounters from The Delicious Last Course. Having no time for yet another tutorial, one of the few fights available at the start of Cuphead’s DLC throws you right into the thick of it. Moonshine Mob has you pay attention to three different layers, all while avoiding bombs, goons, and a random enemy that shoots lightning. The Moonshine Mob is definitely a great way to kick things off with a bang in Cuphead’s DLC.

7 – The Devil (One Hell Of A Time)

The Devil doesn’t really need much of an introduction; he is the primary antagonist of Cuphead, after all, and this fight definitely puts players to the test. The Devil is an intense fight with four phases to go through, and interestingly enough, varies things up by transforming into various beasts right from the first phase. It certainly helps that finally getting to the final phase of the fight gives The Devil a mental breakdown, which is always great to watch happen to a story’s main villain.

8 – Baroness Von Bon Bon (Sugarland Shimmy)

I’ll admit, Baroness Von Bon Bon is so high in these rankings purely because of her design. In a game filled to the brim with wonderfully-designed characters and enemies, Baroness Von Bon Bon’s entire encounter is truly a sight to behold. And if fighting the Baroness by herself wasn’t enough, players will also have to deal with her castle fortress, which has a mind of its own, of course.

9 – Angel and Demon (One Hell Of A Dream)

Acting as a capstone to finish off Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course—and by extension the entire game—is the Angel and Demon fight. It is worth noting that Angel and Demon is a secret encounter that can only be accessed once you figure out a major puzzle in The Delicious Last Course. I won’t go into details here to avoid spoilers, but I’ll still talk about the fight, and what a glorious fight it is. Having to deal with both bosses at the same time is intense, since when you’re dealing with one of them, the other’s going to be affecting the fight in its own ways, be it by creating a wall of fire, or a wall of water.

10 – Cagney Carnation (Floral Fury)

And once again, we’re at a tutorial fight. Cagney Carnation teaches players an incredibly important skill: how to effectively read the enemy. Like I mentioned higher up in the rankings, Cuphead’s approach to tutorials is one of the best things about the game, since it teaches players by just throwing them into fights where they have to learn the skill, or die trying, and Cagney Carnation teaches players how to keep an eye on an enemy’s tells so that they can watch out for specific attacks.

11 – Gloopy Le Grande (Ruse Of An Ooze)

Maybe I just have a strange preference for earlier fights in Cuphead for some strange reason, but Gloopy Le Grande is right up there with Ribby and Croaks and The Root Pack as an effective way to teach players the necessary skills to survive in Cuphead. Gloopy teaches players how to constantly be on the move, how to figure out positioning, and most importantly, how to have patience. Of the tutorial fights, Cagney Carnation and Gloopy Le Grande are quite possibly the hardest ones on the first island.

12 – Chef Saltbaker (A Dish To Die For)

Chef Saltbaker’s sudden but inevitable betrayal would likely sting a lot more if it wasn’t such a fun fight. Acting as the ending of Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course’s story, Saltbaker throws just about everything he has at you. Using and abusing various ingredients as part of his different attacks, Chef Saltbaker is definitely a worthy villain to a fun story, but more importantly, his post-fight redemption makes beating the crap out of him all the sweeter.

13 – Glumstone The Giant (Gnome Way Out)

Another potentially wonderful first impression, the Glumstone The Giant fight is one of two available at the start of The Delicious Last Course. Unlike the Moonshine Mob, however, Glumstone keeps it relatively simple. I am also a fan of the fact that, after spending the first phase fighting off gnomes from his beard, Glumstone gets frustrated enough that he looses all of his facial hair. If that’s not great design, I don’t know what is.

14 – Hilda Berg (Threatenin’ Zeppelin)

Here we have the first flying encounter of Cuphead—essentially a tutorial for the concept—and as you might have noticed, there aren’t any other flying encounters higher up in the rankings. While great in design, flying encounters tend to be less interesting to me because they disregard your equipment, shoehorning you into a standard moveset for the entire fight. Hilda, however, gets a pass because, ultimately, it’s still a fun boss fight that teaches you all the ins and outs of how to handle flying encounters. Hilda’s use of zodiac motifs is also quite interesting, providing her a lot of possibilities for different attacks.

15 – Phantom Express (Railroad Wrath)

Who doesn’t like a good train encounter? The sheer weirdness of the Phantom Express encounter is truly a sight to behold. Players will have to dodge eyeballs, deal with the Conductor, and even fight off ghosts. Phantom Express definitely earns its place in these rankings.

16 – Cala Maria (High Seas Hi-Jinx!)

Not only does Cala Maria’s name make for a wonderful pun, but Cala herself is a pretty fun boss fight. Despite being a flying encounter, Cala Maria manages to be an interesting fight owing to her wide variety of attacks, which among other things include the use of sea creatures, and a head full of eels.

17 – Sally Stageplay (Dramatic Fanatic)

The Sally Stageplay encounter is involves having to deal with quite a few attacks, even in her first phase. As the fight goes on, Sally likes to use more and more of her acting chops, including background actors that will deal damage.

18 – The Queen (The King’s Leap)

Acting as the final test in The King’s Leap in Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, The Queen will push your parrying abilities as far as they can go. Dealing with a boss by using nothing but the parry ability is an interesting idea, and while the entirety of The King’s Leap series of encounters tests your parrying skills, The Queen is the ultimate challenge.

19 – Dr. Kahl’s Robot (Junkyard Jive!)

Another encounter where the design alone puts it above and beyond most of the other bosses of Cuphead, Dr. Kahl’s Robot is a fun fight where players will have to deal with quite a few attacks, and ultimately dismantle the giant robot.

20 – Djimmi the Great (Pyramid Peril)

One of the first potential bosses on Cuphead’s second island, Djimmi The Great uses weapons like scimitars, weaponizing jewelry, and even using cats in his attacks. The Djimmi encounter is a generally grueling fight, with five phases, and a secret sixth phase that will put your flying to the test.

21 – Chips Bettigan (Inkwell Hell)

Quite easily the most memorable of all the encounters leading up to King Dice in Inkwell Hell, Chips Bettigan makes clever use of his design by having players dodge poker chips, all the while trying to keep up the damage. Like the other Inkwell Hell mini-bosses, Chips Bettigan isn’t a particularly long—or difficult—encounter, he’s memorable thanks to his design and the general motifs.

22 – Tipsy Troop (Inkwell Hell)

The Tipsy Troop is yet another example of just how wonderful the design for some of the enemies in Cuphead can get. You’re invading a den in hell. Again, Inkwell Hell bosses aren’t particularly long or memorable, but with designs like this, they don’t have to be.

23 – Mr. Wheezy (Inkwell Hell)

Keeping up with Inkwell Hell’s general motif of vices, Mr. Wheezy is a sentient cigar that loves teleporting all over the ashtray. While the fight itself is quite fun, what makes Mr. Wheezy so memorable is his death; on defeat, Mr. Wheezy is crushed by King Dice’s shoe.

24 – Pip and Dot (Inkwell Hell)

The sentient domino Pip and Dot is a duo that has a couple of interesting things going on in its fight. Alongside having to deal with Domino Birds throughout the fight, players will also have to keep avoiding various hazards in the level, and even avoid 20-sided dice. The whole encounter is topped off with platforming challenges throughout the fight.

25 – Hopus Pocus (Inkwell Hell)

The crazy magician Hopus Focus is yet another encounter King Dice throws in your way. Throughout the fight, players have to avoid rabbit skulls, and playing card-based attacks. Hopus Pocus also puts your parrying skills to the test, especially with the card attacks.

26 – Phear Lap (Inkwell Hell)

In a series of fights basically meant to slow your progress down before the finale, Phear Lap is here to test your aerial battle skills. Phear Lap is an especially intense flying encounter owing to his omni-directional horseshoe attacks, and a ghost that likes to attack you for no reason whatsoever.

27 – Pirouletta (Inkwell Hell)

After fighting a sentient domino, a sentient roulette wheel is the obvious next choice. Pirouletta’s fight isn’t particularly memorable, all things considered, but her fight’s still quite fun. Dodging boomeranging poker chips and Piroletta’s dance moves can be quite the challenge.

28 – Mangosteen (Inkwell Hell)

Mangosteen ends up feeling like one of the weaker encounters in the line-up of Inkwell Hell mini-bosses. Mangosteen only has one real attack that ends up being quite easy to dodge. The real challenge in the fight comes from having to deal with billiard chalks dropping from the sky.

29 – Mr. Chimes (Inkwell Hell)

Mr. Chimes ends up being last in our rankings amongst the Inkwell Hell encounters because it’s a flying encounter, and not a particularly memorable one at that. The only worthwhile mechanic in this fight is having to deal with cards; picking the wrong cards makes Mr. Chimes faster, but not picking any cards for a few seconds slows Mr. Chimes back down. Thankfully, Mr. Chimes has a great design, and there’s something about a mechanical monkey with cymbals that always manages to bring a smile to my face.

30 – The Pawns (The King’s Leap)

The first encounter in The King’s Leap quite handily sets the tone for the rest of the series of encounters. Revolving around getting you to practice your parrying skills, The Pawns is an encounter where you have no other tools but jumping and parrying. Having to deal with an army of small pawns running all over the place is quite hectic, especially when you have to perfectly time your parries to win the fight.

31 – The Knight (The King’s Leap)

The second King’s Leap fight revolves around dealing with an enemy that can actually attack. The Knight is a fun fight because it has a number of attacks to deal with, all with you only being able to use your parrying skills.

32 – The Bishop (The King’s Leap)

The chess motifs continue with The Bishop—the third Kings Leap encounter. The Bishop likes to make use of diagonal movement and sending his extra heads out to attack you. Once again, armed with nothing but your parrying skills, players have to deal with The Bishop’s variety of attacks to progress further in The King’s Leap.

33 – The Rook (The King’s Leap)

Quite easily the most personality-filled encounter in The King’s Leap, The Rook’s introduction alone was enough to make me like the fight; he’s spending his time dreaming of a female guillotine to spend his life with, after all. The fight itself is also the most intense test of your parrying abilities aside from The Queen. Ultimately, however, it is still just a test of your parrying skills. If you’ve been practicing, The Rook goes down just like any other boss.

34 – The Howling Aces (Doggone Dogfight)

Make no mistake—The Howling Ace is a fun fight. Sadly, however, it isn’t particularly memorable. The fight is mostly held up by its excellent art design, and when it comes to actual difficulty, The Howling Ace isn’t all that bad. Sure, there are quite a few things to deal with throughout the fight’s 3 phases, but they’re all surprisingly manageable. The Howling Aces is an excellent reminder that even when the fight’s fun, in a game like Cuphead, it is easily overshadowed.

35 – Rumor Honeybottoms (Honeycomb Herald)

As an encounter, Rumor Honeybottoms features some clever ideas. The general insanity of the fight, coupled with the fact that it’s a vertically auto-scrolling level leads to a fair bit of stress in the fight. But overall, the fight ends up feeling like you’re spending more time fighting smaller enemies rather than the boss itself. Phase 2 and 3 get better about this, having you fight  the boss head-on, but considering the nature of the game means that you’ll be fighting through the first phase more times than any of the other phases, fighting worker bees just isn’t all that fun.

36 – Beppi the Clown (Carnival Kerfuffle)

In a game filled with unique and memorable boss designs, Beppi the Clown sure feels like a bit of a disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, though, the fight is still quite fun. Having to dodge a bumper car, dealing with cardboard ducks, and then seeing the boss turn into a helium balloon is exactly the kind of insanity I love Cuphead for. But Beppi’s overall design really brings down this fight in the rankings for me.

37 – Mortimer Freeze (Snow Cult Scuffle)

Mortimer Freeze’s biggest problem is that, after having dealt with fights like Glumstone and the Moonshine Mob, Freeze ends up feeling surprisingly manageable. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of insane attacks to avoid, all while having to keep up your damage. But ultimately, from a boss that’s supposed to be a cult leader, Mortimer Freeze just doesn’t do enough to set himself apart from some of the other, more interesting fights in the game.

38 – Wally Warbles (Aviary Action)

Have you noticed I don’t like flying encounters yet? It’s a real shame that Wally Warbles is a flying encounter, because I generally love the idea of a bird stuck in a bird house that’s also a cuckoo clock for some reason. Wally Warbles is also quite a difficult fight, with attack patterns rivaling some of the easier bullet hell games out there, but it doesn’t matter how much you dress it up, I just don’t think the flying encounters are particularly fun in this game.

39 – Werner Werman (Murine Corps)

Werner Werman’s army motifs feel like a bit of a downgrade when it comes to the design and general art direction for the encounters in Cuphead. Oh, they definitely manage quite a few jokes along with a generally decent fight, but after having dealt with a dragon, a pirate, and even a sea siren, dodging attacks from literal cannons just doesn’t scratch the same itch.

40 – Esther Winchester (High Noon Hoopla)

Unfortunately, we weren’t done with the flying encounters in The Delicious Last Course. As a boss, Esther Winchester is a great visual gag on the idea of a cowgirl, and thematically, the fight is still pretty great. But I only wish it wasn’t a flying encounter. With the sheer number of cool equipment, and even the unique moveset offered by Miss Chalice thrown out the window in this fight, Esther Winchester is a pretty big let down in an otherwise phenomenal DLC.

There are about 12 new bosses and they’re all incredibly well animated. Take a look at all of them below (spoilers follow so beware):

• The Pawns
• The Knight
• The Bishop
• The Rook
• The Queen
• Glumstone The Giant
• Moonshine Mob
• The Howling Aces
• Mortimer Freeze
• Esther Winchester
• Chef Saltbaker
• Angel and Demon

Check out all of the boss fights in the video below by AbdallahSmash026. The best way to overcome most of them is by memorizing their patterns, knowing the right moments (and timing) to parry, and choosing the weapon most comfortable for you. If things are especially tough, try knocking down the difficulty. This will take out some phases in the fights but allows for feeling out the fights at a more relaxed pace.

How to Access and Defeat the Secret Boss

It wouldn’t be Cuphead without a secret boss battle and The Delicious Last Course packs one heck of a fight. First, you’ll need to progress through Inkwell Isle 4 enough to unlock the graveyard and airplane hangar.

Go to Porkrind’s shop and purchase the Broken Relic Charm for one Coin. Now venture towards the three mountain climbers standing on the podium. Each will have something to say that includes a direction, like “downright.” Head back to the graveyard and with the Broken Relic, you can activate the tombstones. A blue ghost will pop out when one is activated.

Pay attention to the podium position of each climber and the corresponding direction in their dialogue. This pertains to which tombstones need to be activated. If one says “right up” for instance, then you need to activate the one on the top-right. If one says “looking up”, then it’s the top-middle tombstone. “Downright” indicates the bottom-right one and so on.

These are randomized for each playthrough so keep that in mind when looking up the solution. If you do this correctly, then the middle tombstone should light up. Interact with it and the prompt “Take a little nap?” will come up. Answer “Yes,” and you’ll immediately fight the secret boss, Angel and Demon.

The gist of this fight is that there are two bosses – the Angel and the Demon – that will swap places with each other quickly. The Angel fires empty projectiles and a non-damaging column of energy. The Demon, on the other hand, deals damage with its projectiles and fiery energy columns. A cloud platform also moves back and forth through the arena with lightning underneath, which will damage you while periodically rising and falling.

Naturally, falling off the stage reduces your health by 1. Try going with Ms Chalice since she can use her dodge roll to duck under the cloud’s lightning. Be super careful when parrying projectiles. When an empty projectile approaches, a pink outline will indicate if it will eventually turn into a parryable projectile. However, parryable projectiles could also just as easily turn into empty projectiles, leaving you open to atttack.

There’s only one phase to this fight so once you’ve got the rhythm down, it’s all about survival. Winning will reward the Cursed Relic Charm. It sets your HP to one, reduces the amount of Super charge with each parry and randomizes your weapons. This is truly the ultimate challenge for a Cuphead fan and also provides a nice little randomizer mode to mix up your boss fights.

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is available for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review for it here.