9 Upcoming Must-Play Xbox One Exclusives

By James McGrath /

6. Cuphead

Again, this console-exclusive isn€™t scheduled for the PS4 or Wii-U, but PC gamers will definitely be joining the cartoon throwback party. Beyond its eerily accurate visual homage, Cuphead is non-linear like Shadow of the Colossus, while its 1-on-1, run-and-gun shooting spurts from the vein of arcade classics like Contra and Metal Slug. The Super Mario-esque hub-world doesn€™t run on grid-like tracks, so you have free reign to roam the top-down scroll and enter whatever 2D stages you€™ve unlocked. The single-use power-ups are also Super Mario 3 inspired, granting health bonuses and deflecting attacks. It€™s difficult to convince yourself what you€™re actually seeing when you watch Cuphead€™s trailer. This game has the truly uncanny aesthetic of a 1930s cartoon in motion. Rightfully so, considering the art-style takes direct inspiration from traditional animation icons like Max Fleischer and Disney€™s Silly Symphony cartoons. According to Studio MDHR€™s Co-founder, Chad Moldenhauer, that era specific look is the signature of an ultra old-school technique of animating at a true 24-frames-per-second, before cartoonists started holding every other frame and only needed to draw 12fps. Whatever they€™re doing, it€™s working.