One of the most popular games of the year is Studio MDHR’s Cuphead, a 2D action platformer that replicates the 1930s cartoon art style as well as emulating the gameplay of 1980s run-and-guns, such as Contra. The game is quite a departure from the full 3D adventure and first-person shooter games most gamers are accustomed to seeing from AAA companies. Recently, Studio MDHR’s founders stated that they don’t plan on shifting to 3D any time soon.
In a recent interview with IGN, Studio MDHR’s founders, the Moldenhauer brothers, assured fans that future games made by the studio will continue to implement 2D, hand-drawn graphics. Jared Moldenhauer states, “A large part of [Studio MDHR] is the love of 2D animation… So many talented people out there don’t have the opportunity to use their talents in any which way, and most of the companies that used to have switched to 3D. And times do change, but I want to always be a part of [2D].” Chad Moldenhauer says, “The triple-A studios never pushed this anywhere, so the fact that we can do something that looks like a cartoon is just the best thing ever. So we’re going to make sure we continue down this traditionally classical animation, traditional media.”
It was stated during the interview that it would be “weird” for Studio MDHR to switch to 3D, given how many talented 2D artists it currently employs. It is not yet clear if future projects will implement the 1930s cartoon art style seen in Cuphead or if the company plans on implementing a different 2D art style in future games. The Moldenhauer brothers also recently confirmed that fans have not seen the last of Cuphead.
