No one knew a game about two guys with cups for heads meant to invoke a bygone era of animation would be so popular these days, but that’s just how it is with the 2D action-platformer Cuphead. Its distinct visuals, snappy gameplay, and challenging difficulty have managed to endear it to countless fans. As such, it’s starting to turn up on platforms one might not expect, like Tesla vehicles.
Because the Nintendo Switch version of Cuphead that came out earlier this year was apparently not portable enough for some tastes, it’s now possible to play the game directly from a number of models across Tesla’s selection of electric cars. These have come with the ability to play games for a while now thanks to the Tesla Arcade system introduced this year, but with this Tesla latest software update, Version 10.0, the Arcade receives its highest-profile title yet.
Available on Tesla’s Model S, Model X, and Model 3 vehicles, the car-based edition of Cuphead isn’t the full version of the game. Rather, it’s a shortened version that limits the available content to the first section of the game’s world. Other than that, though, it’s the same run-and-gun boss-rush gameplay that fans are familiar with, complete with the option to play in 2-player co-op. All drivers need is a USB controller or two and they’re good to go.
It’s an unusual launch, to be sure, and the fulfillment of a partnership between Tesla and Cuphead’s creators at Studio MDHR announced back in June. For all its unusualness, Tesla is trying to take advantage of it with the Tesla Arcade system. It’s still in its early days, and besides Cuphead, the library mostly consists of smaller titles like Centipede and Chess. Yet, there’s also Beach Buggy Racing 2, a racing game that players can control using the car’s steering wheel. As gimmicky as it is, it does tap into the strange potential of gaming with a car.
No doubt some are imagining hapless gamers trying to play Cuphead while they drive. That would certainly be problematic, and not just because Studio MDHR's title can be brutal to play even when one is completely focused on it. Luckily, though, some Tesla features like the Arcade can only be accessed when the vehicle is either parked or charging, so that can be crossed off the list of probable causes of car crashes.
Cuphead is available on PC, Switch, Tesla, and Xbox One.
