I gotta say, I have a friend who is very good at these kind of 2D shooting games. He was constantly telling me how he completed his first run in 4 hours and then did an S-rank Pacifist run (A run where you get an S on all levels and don't kill any minions on any run & gun stages which if completed, allows you to play the game in black and white). After I began playing the game (and struggled A LOT), knowing how often i play games I just couldn't believe him. But after seeing others play Cuphead It seems like if you have previous experience with similar 2D games, you'll have a much more easier time. I wonder, if you had this similar experience, and didn't have to struggle as hard, how would your thoughts have changed about the game? A few weeks ago i completed the game, after many, many hours of trial and error and hundreds of deaths. I however add that pain and struggle to my experience. For me, this difficulty adds to my enjoyment of the game (Then again, I'm a fan of the Dark Souls series and more difficult games). IMO, the fact that the game is so hard just makes it that much better. And the fact that the amazing music and art style never gets old even after the 100th attempt compliments the try-again gameplay. The only gripe I would have with the game are the inconsistencies in difficulty. I mean the final boss fight, Sally Stageplay (The Female Actor), and the Cala Maria (The Mermaid) just do not compare to the Dragon boss fight. I mean He was just ridiculous, it took me hours to beat him. I was especially disappointed with Cala Maria. She's definitely my favorite boss, but she's just so easy compared to all the others. Just a few thoughts on the game.
You have very valid points. I'm from the age of Spectrum and Amiga platformers, with some of them being hard as hell, but lately I've been enjoying mostly games with deeper storylines or hidden meaning (Oxenfree, Life is Strange, Inside, Little Nightmares). Playing Cuphead feels like playing a classic, as nothing looks like it, but I really find human nature extraordinary - what seems incredibly difficult for some, turns out to be easy for others. Persistence and skill are things that not everyone has.