Cute'Em Up: Difference between revisions

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A sub-genre of Shoot'Em Up games, which replaces the spaceships, Starfish Aliens, robots and lasers with kittens, fairies, squirrels, candies, and all things Lighter and Softer. The stark space setting becomes Wackyland, and Moe Anthropomorphism abounds.

But the gameplay is otherwise intact, including the difficulty. Yes, despite the facades, these games are still very difficult, and need a lot of skill to beat (especially when they overlap with Bullet Hell). If you think otherwise, be prepared for a good smack in the face with Surprise Difficulty.

Sometimes these games have stories, and others just have Excuse Plots, just like any other game.

Also, as with many Widget Series, this isn't considered that odd in Japan, since cute is seen more as an artistic style, rather than being considered strictly for young children. That means these games are rarely Guilty Pleasures. In fact, these games have found a solid niche among gamers.

Examples of Cute'Em Up include:

Hack and Slash

The "Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly" mini-game in No More Heroes was a regular shoot-em-up. In No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, it is now a Cute'Em Up.

Puzzle Game

In the same vein as this trope, the Vista version of Minesweeper has an option to replace the minefield with a flower garden. The explosion sound effects turn to chimes.
- It is also possible to mix and match the mines and sounds, leading to a minefield chiming as it detonates, or a field of flowers exploding as they bloom.

Shoot'Em Up

Parodius
Twinbee
Touhou Project mixes this with Bullet Hell. The plots are also more intensive than typically expected for this genre. Because of this, and the sheer amount of Memetic Mutation, Touhou gets a lot of fans that aren't all that interested in the Bullet Hell aspect.
Speaking about Bullet Hell games, Bullet Heaven (an Epic Battle Fantasy Spin-Off).
Pocky and Rocky
Trouble Witches
Twinkle Star Sprites and other Twinkle Star games.
Gunbird
Air Zonk
Harmful Park
Magical Chase
Akkanvader (better known as Space Invaders '95: Attack of the Lunar Loonies!)
Otomedius, Konami's combination of their own series, Parodius and Gradius. Silliness + Plot + Boobs - Drugs.
Star Parodier, a cute'em up entry in Hudson's otherwise serious Star Soldier series.
Rabio Lepus and Rabio Lepus Special
The Cotton series
Fantasy Zone
Coryoon
Gun Nac
Game Tengoku by Jaleco qualifies as this, along with being a both of Crisis Crossover (between Jaleco's old arcade games) and Affectionate Parody of the arcade gaming history and tropes around it.
King And Balloon (the original cute-'em-up!)
Death Smiles
Cosmo Gang: The Video is an interesting example, in that it's a comical version of Galaga, but the characters and bonus stages are based on the "Cosmo Gang" redemption arcade machine.
Strato Patrol EOS, a minigame featured in Kirby Mass Attack.
Space Bomber
Gundemonium Series

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{trope}}
-[[File:akkanvader.png|link=Space Invaders|right|Such adorable invaders!]]
+[[File:akkanvader.png|link=Space Invaders|frame|Such adorable invaders!]]
+A [[Sub-Trope|sub-genre]] of [[Shoot'Em Up]] games, which replaces the spaceships, [[Starfish Aliens]], robots and lasers with [[Cute Kitten|kittens]], fairies, squirrels, candies, and all things [[Lighter and Softer]]. The stark space setting becomes [[Wackyland]], and [[Moe Anthropomorphism]] abounds.
-A [[Sub Trope|sub-genre]] of [[Shoot Em Up]] games, which replaces the spaceships, [[Starfish Aliens]], robots and lasers with [[Cute Kitten|kittens]], fairies, squirrels, candies, and all things [[Lighter and Softer]]. The stark space setting becomes [[Wackyland]], and [[Moe Anthropomorphism]] abounds.
 But the gameplay is otherwise intact, including [[Nintendo Hard|the difficulty]]. Yes, despite the facades, these games are still very difficult, and need ''a lot'' of skill to beat (especially when they overlap with [[Bullet Hell]]). If you think otherwise, be prepared for a good smack in the face with [[Surprise Difficulty]].
-Sometimes these games have stories, and others just have [[Excuse Plot|Excuse Plots]], just like any other game.
+Sometimes these games have stories, and others just have [[Excuse Plot]]s, just like any other game.
+Also, as with many [[Widget Series]], this isn't considered ''that'' odd in Japan, since cute is seen more as an artistic style, rather than being considered strictly for young children. That means these games are rarely [[Guilty Pleasure]]s. In fact, these games have found a solid niche among gamers.
+{{examples}}
-Also, as with many [[Widget Series]], this isn't considered ''that'' odd in Japan, since cute is seen more as an artistic style, rather than being considered strictly for young children. That means these games are rarely [[Guilty Pleasure|Guilty Pleasures]]. In fact, these games have found a solid niche among gamers.
-{{examples|Examples:}}
 == [[Hack and Slash]] ==
-* The "''Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly''" mini-game in ''[[No More Heroes]]'' was a regular shoot-em-up. In ''[[No More Heroes 2 Desperate Struggle]]'', it is now a [[Cute Em Up]].
+* The "''Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly''" mini-game in ''[[No More Heroes]]'' was a regular shoot-em-up. In ''[[No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle]]'', it is now a Cute'Em Up.
 == [[Puzzle Game]] ==
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 ** It is also possible to mix and match the mines and sounds, leading to a minefield chiming as it detonates, or a field of flowers exploding as they bloom.
-== [[Shoot Em Up]] ==
+== [[Shoot'Em Up]] ==
 * ''[[Parodius]]''
-* ''[[Twinbee (Video Game)|Twinbee]]''
+* ''[[Twinbee]]''
-* ''[[Touhou|Touhou Project]]'' mixes this with [[Bullet Hell]]. The plots are also more intensive than typically expected for this genre. Because of this, and the sheer amount of [[Memetic Mutation]], [[Watch It for The Meme|Touhou gets a lot of fans that aren't]] [[I Read It for The Articles|all that interested in the Bullet Hell aspect]].
+* ''[[Touhou|Touhou Project]]'' mixes this with [[Bullet Hell]]. The plots are also more intensive than typically expected for this genre. Because of this, and the sheer amount of [[Memetic Mutation]], [[Watch It for the Meme|Touhou gets a lot of fans that aren't]] [[I Read It for the Articles|all that interested in the Bullet Hell aspect]].
-* Speaking about [[Bullet Hell]] games, ''Bullet Heaven'' (an ''[[Epic Battle Fantasy]]'' [[Spin Off]]).
+* Speaking about [[Bullet Hell]] games, ''Bullet Heaven'' (an ''[[Epic Battle Fantasy]]'' [[Spin-Off]]).
 * ''[[Pocky and Rocky]]''
 * ''[[Trouble Witches]]''
 * ''[[Twinkle Star Sprites]]'' and other ''Twinkle Star'' games.
 * ''[[Gunbird]]''
-* ''[[Air Zonk (Video Game)|Air Zonk]]''
+* ''[[Air Zonk]]''
 * ''[[Harmful Park]]''
 * ''[[Magical Chase]]''
 * ''[[Akkanvader]]'' (better known as ''[[Space Invaders]] '95: Attack of the Lunar Loonies!'')
 * ''[[Otomedius]]'', Konami's combination of their own series, ''[[Parodius]]'' and ''[[Gradius]]''. Silliness + Plot + Boobs - Drugs.
-* ''[[Star Parodier]]'', a cute'em up entry in Hudson's otherwise serious ''[[Star Soldier (Video Game)|Star Soldier]]'' series.
+* ''[[Star Parodier]]'', a cute'em up entry in Hudson's otherwise serious ''[[Star Soldier]]'' series.
 * ''[[Rabio Lepus]]'' and ''Rabio Lepus Special''
 * The ''[[Fantastic Night Dreams Cotton|Cotton]]'' series
@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 * ''[[Death Smiles]]''
 * ''[http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7408 Cosmo Gang: The Video]'' is an interesting example, in that it's a comical version of ''[[Galaga]]'', but the characters and bonus stages are based on the "Cosmo Gang" redemption arcade machine.
-* Strato Patrol EOS, a minigame featured in ''[[Kirby Mass Attack (Video Game)|Kirby Mass Attack]]''.
+* Strato Patrol EOS, a minigame featured in ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]''.
 * ''Space Bomber''
 * ''[[Gundemonium Series]]''
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 {{reflist}}
 [[Category:Rule of Cute]]
-[[Category:Cute Em Up]]
+[[Category:Cute'Em Up]]
-[[Category:Trope]]