Cuphead Developer Reveals How the Character Was Added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features some of the most enduring icons from the gaming industry, but the Nintendo Switch title also includes a number of more recent characters. In 2020, Nintendo surprised fans when it added the eponymous star of Cuphead to Smash Bros. Ultimate. The character does not appear as a full fighter, but is available as a deluxe Mii Fighter costume accompanied by a music track. In a new interview with Nintendo Everything, Studio MDHR's Maja Moldenhauer revealed new information on how the collaboration came to be, and how honored the Cuphead developers were to get the request from Nintendo.
"The short story is they invited us. There really isn't a long story, but yeah, they had reached out to invite us into that partnership and collaboration. That was a milestone in our careers. We have aspired and looked up to Nintendo our entire lives, so when that happened, it was a moment where we stopped in our tracks," Moldenhauer told Nintendo Everything. "I remember the day – we were in like the kitchen cooking dinner and feverishly being like, who has to go to what exercise? When that email came in, I was just like, oh my god, this is incredible. It was definitely just like a 'wow' moment for us."
While Studio MDHR may have been surprised to get the invitation, the developer had been publicly lobbying for Cuphead's involvement in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In a 2019 interview with Game Informer, co-creator Jared Moldenhauer told the outlet that he dreamed of seeing Cuphead and Mugman appear in the Super Smash Bros. series. Cuphead was announced less than a year later, so Moldenhauer's comments likely caught Nintendo's attention!
Unfortunately, Nintendo does not plan on adding any additional fighters to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so fans will have to wait for another game to see which video game characters will be the next to join the fight. Until then, readers can check out all of our previous coverage of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate right here.
Were you happy to see Cuphead added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? Are there any other indie characters you'd like to see added to the roster? Let us know in the comments or share directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!