After a long string of delays, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course DLC is finally here. First announced over four years ago, fans of the beloved rubber hose platformer have had plenty of time to lick their chops in hopes that the follow-up could live up to the base game. Good news: It does.
As anyone familiar with Studio MDHR's sole release can tell you, Cuphead is hard. The adorable animated characters and rollicking soundtrack stand in stark contrast to the downright brutal boss fights, run-and-gun levels, and parry challenges that require perfect timing.
It's no surprise, then, that the six new bosses found on Inkwell Isle Four are some of the toughest in the game. They present mechanics, obstacles, and challenges unlike anything seen in any of the main game's fights. However, head to Porkrind's Emporium, and you'll find a host of new weapons and charms to aide you in battle, as well.
Getting through the final boss of the DLC won't come easy. But by taking advantage of the new tools at your disposal, and understanding the appropriate strategy to take against each wholly unique foe, you'll come away victorious in no time. For more on this tough DLC, check out how to get all coins, how to solve the graveyard puzzle, and how to 100% the Cuphead DLC. In this guide, we'll show you every Cuphead DLC boss and, more importantly, how to defeat them.
Bootlegger Boogie
This is a great first fight to equip the Astral Cookie charm and try your hand at running Ms. Chalice. For firepower, we recommend using the Crackshot, a new weapon. Like the Chaser, it has quite reliable homing, but deals significantly more damage.
In phase one, the Spider Mobster will run off-screen, and reappear on a random level (but always from the same side of the screen that he left). Run through the cobweb bombs he summons to set them off, and shoot the flies and caterpillars he throws at you before they have the chance to deal you damage. Look out for the pesticide-shooting cops that occasionally show up, and be ready to parry the pink plumes they fire.
Phase two features a dancing bug with a deadly light show-producing phonograph at her side. The beams that turn yellow will turn red a moment later. Either stay between two of them to avoid damage (which requires quickly moving up or down levels), or dodge roll through when they reach if you playing as Ms. Chalice. Keep your eyes peeled for the barrels and cops that will come at you from off screen.
At the beginning of phase three, deal as much damage as you can to the snail under the Anteater's hat when he briefly removes it. Aim your shots at the Anteaters snout, which will appear at random levels from the left or right of the screen (you can predict the direction by keeping an eye at the boss in the background). If you get caught in a lick-attack, you can repeatedly parry the tongue to keep yourself safe. Don't be fooled by the "Knockout!" banner that will eventually drop! You still need to finish off the snail after taking down the Anteater. Aim up, and dodge through his projectiles. If you dealt enough damage at the start of the phase, finishing him off shouldn't take long.
Gnome Way Out
This fight against Glumstone, a giant troll, is best played as Cuphead or Mugman with the Heart Ring charm equipped. There are tons of easy parry opportunities in the first and third phases, so equipping this new charm should keep you at a safe life total from start to finish.
Throughout phase one, you'll want to stay on the pillars to avoid the spikes below. When Glumstone opens his mouth, two gnomes inside of it will bombard you with potion plumes. Be sure to parry the pink ones. When he picks up the bear, stick to the right side of the screen to avoid it. Duck on one of the lower-level pillars to avoid the gaggle when he raises the "GEESE XING" sign. Look out for the gnomes who will climb up the pillars from below and slam down a hammer. (It's easy to miss, and kind of a cheap shot to be sure).
Phase two is a great opportunity to take advantage of Twist-Up, one of the new weapons introduced in the DLC. Simply run to the right and left--focusing on avoiding the puppets' ball and gnomes popping out of the ground--while holding down shoot, and you should be on to phase three in no time.
With the puppets down, Glumstone will swallow you, and you'll find yourself finishing the fight inside his stomach. It's actually a relatively straightforward final phase. Aim your shots up at the stomach mass, while jumping over the birds that come from offscreen, and avoiding the bones and drumsticks. When the skull platforms are hit by a bone, they will open their mouths and ring a pink bell, which can be parried to make them safe to stand on again. If hit by a drumstick, they will move underwater for a few seconds. Make sure to look before jumping to a new platform!
Snow Cult Scuffle
For this abominable snow fight, you'll definitely want to equip the Astral Cookie. The ability to dodge-roll through attacks as Ms. Chalice is extremely helpful throughout all three phases.
In phase one, aim your shots up at Mortimer Freeze floating around above you. (The Crackshot is helpful for making sure all your shots connect here). Avoid the four icicle enemies he throws down, and shoot them once when unbury their heads and run at you. When he pulls out the orange whale behind his back, get to either side to avoid the slam-down. Dodge the card projectiles he summons with his crystal ball, making sure to parry the pink ones.
In phase two, you'll be faced with the Snow Monster. Jump over or dodge-roll through him when he rolls at you. When he slams his fist down, watch the ground for the four spikes that will pop up, and position yourself between two of them. When he becomes a refrigerator, be ready to avoid the ice cubes, which break into smaller projectiles after hitting the ground. If you find yourself overwhelmed by a bunch of small cubes at once, you can dodge-roll through them right before they hit the ground to avoid damage. He will also fire popsicles at you from his freezer-head, some of which are parry-able.
At the end of phase, two, the Snow Monster will clutch his stomach, and snow platforms will appear. Jump up them quickly to avoid taking offscreen damage. Here, you'll find yourself up against a giant snowflake, while navigating continuously rotating platforms. Stick to the platforms furthest away from the boss to keep a safe distance. When he pops out an eyeball, pay attention to the pattern of its laser blasts to avoid getting hit. The timing is simply enough to get down. You can also dodge-roll through in a pinch, though you risk falling off the platforms. Dodge the ice cream cone and bucket projectiles, and you'll have him KO'd before you know it!
High-Noon Hoopla
There is a lot going on in this bullet-hell aerial battle. Deadly projectiles will be coming at you from every angle, but a good number of them can be parried, so be sure to equip your Heart Ring charm.
The fight starts with Winchester attacking you from inside her saloon, alternating between the first and second stories. Her oil shots boomerang back to her, and can be avoided altogether by simply sticking to the left half of the screen. Try to shoot the flying donkeys (is that what they are?) before they reach the left side of the screen, at which point they'll fire a (sometimes parry-able) projectile at you. The larger eagle that comes from the upper left of the screen cannot be killed, however. Stay out of its way, and dodge the dynamite he drops on the ground. When Winchester pulls out her lasso, immediately move to the opposite level to avoid the cactus she pulls in.
Phase two is when the real bullet hell begins. Winchester will use a vacuum to suck up coins, gold, and cash from the left. This attack also draws you toward her, so it's tempting to hug the left side of the screen, but you'll end up getting hit by offscreen projectiles you don't see coming. Try to stay somewhere in the middle to give yourself time to position yourself between the projectiles. After sucking up the currency, she will fire off vaults that burst into more projectiles upon hitting the ground. Stay toward the top of the screen to give yourself room to dodge, and be sure to parry the pink wads of money and gold.
At the end of phase two, Winchester will get sucked into her own vacuum cleaner and turned into a sausage. Throughout phase three, she will fire sometimes-parry-able steaks at you, all the while moving between the top and bottom of the screen. Beware of the cans that shoot strings of beans at you. When you can, stick to their propeller-sides, though doing so is not always possible. You'll likely need to shrink your plane more than once to make it through this phase unscathed.
The final phase is against a can of sausages. It's tough to get through this chaotic finale without taking damage, so have some specials saved up to shorten the duration. The can will fire two sausage links that continuously widen and narrow. The only way to avoid getting hit is by going through the gaps in the links. At the same time, look out for the pepper projectiles, and try to parry the pink ones to keep your life total high with the Heart Ring.
Doggone Dogfight
This fight features mechanics never before seen in a Cuphead fight, and requires careful maneuvering from start to finish. Bring your Crackshot (in case you haven't noticed the theme here, this new weapon is great and can easily carry you through every fight in the game), and equip your Heart Ring (ditto for this charm).
Throughout each phase of this fight, you'll be standing on top of an airplane. You can move the plane around by tilting it to either side, but for the most part, you'll want to stick to the center of the screen. Phase one pits you against the Fighter Pilot Bulldog. In his first attack, he will flex his muscles and shoot three bone tattoo projectiles at you, one or two of which can be parried each time. Jump over the third and lowest one, or parry your way through the move. His second attack consists of shooting balls of yarn at you with his cat. Simply duck to avoid damage. There will also be tennis balls and homing fire hydrants raining down on you throughout the phase. Position yourself between the tennis balls, and shoot the hydrant out of the sky before it can reach you.
In phase two, you'll be faced with four jetpack-powered puppies shooting B, O, and W-shaped projectiles at you (get it?). Parry the ones you can, and take out the pups one by one to move onto phase three.
Then final phase begins with the Dog Chinook firing laser canons at you. Position yourself outside of range of the beams. When the bottom two lasers fire off together, you can always parry the blast. After that, you'll be flipped to the right side of the screen, where you'll have to avoid red and yellow dog bowls. Jump over the red ones, and stay planted on the ground to avoid the yellow ones. You'll then move upside down to the top of the screen, where you'll face the lasers again, and then to the left side of the screen where you'll once again need to dodge the dog bowls.
Note: There is a secret alternative third phase in this fight! When shooting the puppies in phase two, you'll notice that their jetpack smoke turns from grey to black right before they blow up. If you manage to get all of their jetpack smoke to change without killing any of them, you'll encounter a much easier, though significantly longer, third phase. Just shoot the fire hydrants and pineapples out of the air, and air the rest of your shots at the Dog Chinook to finish the fight.
Chef Saltbaker
The sixth fight is just as chaotic and challenging as you'd expect from the final boss of the Cuphead DLC. At this point, use whatever charm you're most comfortable with; both Cuphead and Ms. Chalice are viable options. Do be sure to equip a homing gun, however.
During the first phase of the fight, you'll need to avoid the various foods that Chef Salk Baker sends your way: Jump over the limes, avoid or parry the sugar cubes, dodge the strawberries, and shoot the animal crackers out of the sky. You'll also need to look out for the flame that sits at the top of the screen and occasionally comes down to damage you. Aim your shots up at the boss, and pay attention to what food he's preparing in the background to predict what attacks are coming next.
After dealing him enough damage, Chef Saltbaker will eventually swoop you up for the next phase of the fight, which takes place in the palm of his hand. Focus on shooting one of the four pepper shakers at a time; once defeated, they will launch at the Chef, dealing significant damage before respawning. Avoid or parry the projectiles they sneeze at you, and look out for the falling leaves and flame.
In phase three, stick in the center of the arena until the dancing salt people show up. Dodge to either side before they hit the ground, and aim your shots at them while avoiding the saw blade on the ground.
For phase three, you'll need to keep jump up on the platforms to avoid taking offscreen damage at the bottom of the screen. Shoot the Chef's heart, which can also be parried when pink. The Crackshot's special can be very helpful here, as you can parry it between platforms while also dealing extra damage to the heart.
With Chef Saltbaker dead, pat yourself on the back for beating Cuphead's Delicious Last Course. Congratulations, and good luck beating all these bosses in Expert Mode!
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