Arguably the most memorable game from a Microsoft-exclusive studio this generation wasn’t a Halo or Gears of War game. It was Cuphead, the retro fueled, hand drawn, rage inducing hit we’ve all spent minutes enjoying and hours dreading. On its second birthday, the team behind Cuphead noted that the game has gone five-times platinum. For those keeping track at home, that’s 5 million copies sold.

Other than Celeste, no indie game has been so celebrated and showered with praise this console generation. The team at Studio MDHR pride themselves in doing things right, which means a whole lot of work went into this now iconic video game.

The game is now playable on two non-Microsoft platforms. Firstly, the Nintendo Switch, which honestly was just icing on the cake for the Microsoft-Nintendo love we’ve seen lately. Secondly, you can play Cuphead in Tesla vehicles now. Yeah, you read that right; Cuphead is part of the latest software update to Tesla cars. There’s something magical about this game, and it’s not just the 20s retro style graphics and painstakingly difficult learning curve. It’s the culmination of a game developed from love.

That might sound like some mushy Hallmark card, but it’s true. Anything you’ve heard from the Studio MDHR crew has been positive, fan-focused, and most of all, ecstatic. This is a team that loves the game they’ve made because they made it with love. I’m not saying other developers don’t create games they care about; that’s not the case by a longshot. The difference here is the room to work on something you are passionate about.

Consider this: another week starts tomorrow. Many people go into jobs where they are working within limitations, whether they be creative boundaries or expectations set forth by organizational norm. What if you were told to do your job as best as you can, no matter what. Don’t worry about when you start your day, don’t be worried about what you’re wearing: just do something you’re passionate about. That’d make a huge difference.

It did for Studio MDHR too. We see that passion in every frame of Cuphead, and with (hopefully) many more bright games in their future, we wish a very happy birthday to Cuphead and the humans that made it happen. Cheers, Studio MDHR!

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.