High Seas Hi-Jinx! is boss a level in Cuphead. It is the level where you fight Cala Maria. The boss stage is presented on the map by a wrecked ship with torn, purple sails.
This fight has three phases (unless you are on simple mode, then it is two). Phase one is just where you fight Cala Maria in her normal state, and the last two phases is where you fight Cala Maria as a gorgon.
Location[]
After defeating Captain Brineybeard, you will be able to fight Cala Maria. High Seas Hi-Jinx! is northwest to the turtle NPC. Once you beat High Seas Hi-Jinx!, you will unlock Dramatic Fanatic.
Stage[]
The battle takes place in the sea, surrounded by more wrecked ships and giant rocks until the final phase, where you fly into a cave full of bright red coral.
Strategy[]
- You generally want to stay further away from Cala Maria to have more time to react to projectiles and a further distance away from the electric eels as they start to shoot out electric pellets.
- Also, it is important to note that she can only be damaged by shooting at her head at all times.
Cala can sink into the ocean to grab either a yellow fish or red fish. (Be cautious that when the fish escape her grasp, they can still damage the player[s] if they were to come in contact as they escape Cala Maria's grasp.)
- Yellow Fish: An electric eel will be shot out from the yellow fish's mouth and follow the player for a brief period of time before moving off the screen. Elma will move at the player's speed and will move even faster when it stops. In expert mode, the yellow fish will shoot two homing eels.
- Red Fish: Bullet hell projectiles will be fired from the red fish three times. Some of the projectiles can be parried. There will be about 6 fire projectiles each time. In simple mode, there will be two bursts. In expert mode, there will be four bursts with one burst having no parryable projectiles at all.
Cala can also inhale and exhale ghost pirates which aim directly at the player. When the electric eels emerge from the ocean and Cala transforms into a Gorgon mermaid, you can take it as a sign that you surpassed the first phase.
Cala can also call three types of sea creatures to aid her, which may and will attack in conjunction to the two fish above
- Seahorse: A seahorse drinks water then fires a jet of water up in the air. Despite the stream being unavoidable, this will not actually harm the player(s), but it will constantly push them upwards, making it harder to evade Cala’s upcoming attacks. The seahorse itself can be disposed of by shooting it, after which it will wave its hand and stick its tongue out in defeat.
- Turtle: A turtle will emerge from the ocean and launch a mine. When the mine explodes, 8 projectiles, or four on simple, will be released and will undoubtedly hurt the player's if touched. The turtle itself can be disposed of by shooting at it, after which it will hide in its shell and raise a white flag in defeat.
- Pufferfishes: A swarm of pufferfishes will be summoned in a bullet hell maze like style. While the pufferfishes can be shot down after being hit by a few shots, some of them can be parried.
While Cala does not directly harm the player(s), her electric eels act as aid in this phase. The eels can spit out electric projectiles in a bullet hell fashion. These eels can be shot down. Cala can also use a gazing attack, which turns the player(s) into stone. If the player does not move while being gazed at, then they will not turn into stone. If they do get turned into stone, then the player(s) would have to press or move the movement buttons or joystick to get out of the stone. When Cala's body turns to stone and her head is unscathed, you have completed the second phase. In simple mode, the battle simply ends with Cala turning to stone. The player will need to be very cunning and decisive in this phase.
The player would have to avoid narrow cavern corridors while fighting in the final phase. Cala will periodically fire a green ghost which can turn the player(s) to stone. The snakes can also spit out poison bubbles, which move in a wavelength-like pattern across the screen, which can damage the player(s) if they were to come in contact. Spike columns are also present, which can harm the player(s). When one of Cala's snakes sadly play the violin and Cala presents a sorrowful look, you have finished the fight.
Walkthrough[]
| Regular Mode | Expert Mode |
|---|---|
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Soundtrack[]
| Version | Soundtrack |
| In-game soundtrack | 
|
| The Music of Cuphead | 
|
| Original soundtrack | 
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| Beta soundtrack | 
|
| Game over soundtrack | 
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