Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course Review: Party Like it’s 1939

Cuphead returns for a grand finale!

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is the long-awaited conclusion to Cuphead’s content run. Over four years after its announcement, players can finally return to the Inkwell Isles for a final mission with Cuphead, Mugman, and Ms. Chalice. With so much time to hype up the title, can Studio MDHR measure up to the anticipation, or does Cuphead crack under pressure?

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is studio MDHR at its finest. This DLC not only lives up to expectations but exceeds them. If you loved Cuphead’s base experience, you’d find even more here to appreciate. This expansion reiterates why Cuphead is a masterpiece and one of my favorite games of all time.

Ms. Chalice’s Quest

When The Legendary Chalice comes to Cuphead and Mugman with a request, the boys travel to the mysterious Inkwell Isle IV. Here, they learn that Chef Saltbaker can revive their mystical friend, and the Astral Cookie he gives brings her back temporarily, making her playable. To make her return permanent, however, they need to craft a Wondertart. This creation compiles ingredients only the meanest monsters on the isle possess. With a dozen new enemies to battle, players will have to use new weapons, charms, and Ms. Chalice to overcome these trials.

Cuphead Mugman Ms. Chalice Saltbaker
Screenshot by Tai Hofmann

Though their goal is simple, these boss battles are anything but. Studio MDHR’s trademark challenge returns in The Delicious Last Course. Thanks to tight controls and excellent designs, you’ll appreciate these strenuous encounters, even when you die (which will happen often.) Players can even bring a friend along and enjoy the cooperative play. Just make sure your partner is ready for sweaty palms and hair-trigger responses.

Good Day for a Swell Battle

Ms. Chalice is an incredible addition to the cast, with a move set all her own. Unlike her counterparts, she uses double jumps, dodge rolls, and her unique dash parry to change how you approach battles. I couldn’t get enough of her simple but noticeable tweaks, and she may be my favorite character to play after getting the hang of her moves.

While the story centers around Cuphead, Mugman, and Ms. Chalice, the true stars of the DLC are the new bosses. Each adversary offers a challenge above the base game’s baddies. Not only this, but they’re all wildly unique. Glumstone The Giant summons geese and gnomes to attack players, while bosses like The Moonshine Mob call bootlegger bugs to shoot smoke and wallop our ceramic characters. You’ll need to adapt to dethrone these titans and grab the ingredients they hoard.

Cuphead Delicious Last Course Glumstone  Ms Chalice
Image via Studio MDHR

It wouldn’t be Cuphead without a stellar soundtrack and the iconic Jazz and Ragtime style music returns for The Delicious Last Course. Each boss gets a new track that’s outright addictive. As soon as the Studio MDHR team uploaded this soundtrack to YouTube, I added it to my playlist, and yes, it is that good.

Not only is the soundtrack phenomenal, but each frame of the game’s 12 new bosses is also animated by hand in the beautiful Rubber Hose art style. That is almost incomprehensible, given the time necessary to create these incredible levels. The team behind this title settled for nothing short of perfection. It’s the final piece of a fantastic puzzle, and this quality level took almost half a decade to implement.

My Kingdom for Coins

With a new Isle to overcome, it only makes sense for Porkrind’s Emporium to improve its stock. The greedy shopkeeper returns with several unique charms and weapons players can mix and match at leisure. My favorite addition is the Crackshot, a strong projectile that breaks off into a homing beam if it misses its target. You’ll have to beat the King of Games’ Champions to get money for these new weapons. During these fights, you’ll have your gear stripped. The only way to hurt the enemy is by parrying their weak points.

Cuphead Mugman Ms Chalice The Knight
Image via Studio MDHR

The King’s bosses are a great way to keep things fresh, offering tests for different skill sets. Each boss in this catalog represents a separate chess piece. A standout for me was the Knight, a horse that lunges at players with a sword and shield while they parry his mane. There’s even a gauntlet at the end for those who want to test themselves further. Try to beat each chess piece in rapid succession without dying to earn the King’s Admiration.

Related: Cuphead DLC: All new weapons/charms

Brutal Battles Old and New

While the new content is the main draw in The Delicious Last Course, players can also take their new weapons and Ms. Chalice into established content. Tackle the bosses from Inkwell Isle I-III with these new tools, and see how you do! I’m going back to see how fast I can beat old bosses in a Crackshot-only run. Fans of the original release will undoubtedly return to see how these items stack up.

Cuphead Delicious Last Course Ms Chalice Phantom Express
Image via Studio MDHR

Once you conquer the DLC and the base game, Expert Mode awaits those hungry for an extra challenge. Fight more rigid variants of each boss with new moves and mechanics. If you’re a glutton for punishment like I am, you’ll go for the S-Rank cards, getting perfect scores in each Expert battle. It’s a challenge even the best players will need a while to overcome.

Cuphead Ms Chalice Mortimer Freeze
Image via Studio MDHR

Beating the DLC will take some time, especially with one of the most brutal boss battles I’ve ever played as the final encounter. This last fight surpasses The Devil with ease, and you may pull your hair out in the process. Despite this challenge, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course is the most fun I’ve had with DLC in recent memory.

Verdict

If you’ve got the stomach for a challenge, you’d be hard-pressed to find a title more impressive than Cuphead in any genre. This masterpiece only gets better, thanks to The Delicious Last Course. Cuphead remains my favorite indie game for the amount of love and dedication that goes into each level. Animation, music, and boss designs are all impeccable, somehow outdoing the base game’s offerings. Considering that the expansion only costs $7.99, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t one of the best DLC packages of the last decade.

Press SPACE To jump Review score 10

Masterpiece

ProsCons
12 Incredible new boss battlesYou’ll die (a lot)
Exciting new abilities and charms
Phenomenal animation and music
Ms. Chalice feels fresh and unique
High replay value thanks to letter grades and Expert Mode

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For more on Cuphead, including boss guides, please stick with us at Press SPACE to Jump!

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Tai Hofmann
Tai Hofmann

Writing Lead and Editor for Press SPACE to Jump. My first memory is forcing my parents to play 50-round games of Mario Party on the N64. Now I love games on all platforms and hone in on new releases. Some of my favorite titles include Cuphead, Final Fantasy XIV, God of War, Persona 5, and Super Smash Bros.

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