The Ribby and Croaks fight in Cuphead is a multi-phase battle that requires quick reflexes, patience, and practice. Here’s a breakdown of how to take on these froggy foes:
In this phase, Ribby and Croaks attack you with a variety of projectiles.
Ribby (the shorter, green frog) will shoot flaming fists at you. Dodge these by jumping in between them or ducking underneath. Be sure to use your parry on the pink projectiles when they appear.
Croaks (the tall, brown frog) will launch fireflies that dive bomb you. Take them out before they can reach you.
Keep firing at the frogs until Ribby moves into a runner’s starter position. When he does, he’ll start rolling towards you. Jump and dash past him to avoid getting hit, and you’ll end up in between the two frogs, setting you up for the next phase.
Ribby and Croaks ramp up the difficulty in this phase. Here’s what to expect:
Ribby stands on the left and claps his hands, creating bombs that bounce around the screen. Keep an eye on their trajectory and predict where they’ll land.
To make this more challenging, Croaks turns into a giant fan, blowing Cuphead toward Ribby. You must push against the wind to stay in the middle of the screen and avoid getting blown toward the bombs.
This phase is tricky, so finding the right balance between dodging bombs and staying in control of your position is key. Once you get the rhythm down and deal enough damage, Ribby will roll again—but this time, Croaks will swallow Ribby. Now, things get even more bizarre.
In the final phase, Ribby and Croaks fuse together into a giant slot machine. They’ll start shooting coins at you, and your job is to avoid them. Stay toward the back of the room to dodge the coins.
After a few coin shots, the slot machine lever will glow pink. Jump and parry the lever to spin the slots, and you’ll enter one of three possible mini-games:
Devil: The slot machine releases discs that shoot pillars of fire up and down. Watch where the flames start, and jump or duck accordingly to avoid getting burned.
Tiger: The slot releases discs that slide along the floor, shooting balls into the air. This is like playing double Dutch jump rope—watch for a rhythm and jump between the discs and the balls at their highest point.
Frog: The slot releases many discs that slide rapidly across the floor. Jump on top of them to safely move across the room, focusing on jumping from one disc to the next.
During this phase, you can only damage Ribby and Croaks when they’re firing discs at you. Hold down the fire button and keep focused on avoiding the discs. Once you master the rhythm and avoid their attacks, these swampy frogs will finally fall.
