What qualifies as a cute-em-up?

[Sinistron]

Trying to make a best cute-em-up poll (not this thread)-
but I'm not sure where to draw the line on what the criteria is for a cute-em-up...
Is this a set-in-stone genre?
Chime in folks.

So far the cut and dry certain cute-em-ups for PCE that I have are:

Air Zonk            
Cloud Master
Coryoon
Detana! Twinbee            
Fantasy Zone   
God Panic
L-Dis               
Long-nosed Goblin         
Magical Chase
Ordyne               
Parodius Da!   
Space Fantasy Zone            
Star Parodia               
Super Air Zonk - Rockabilly Paradise   
Toilet Kids      

but then-
there's some that will naturally have arguments for and against:

Atomic Robo-Kid Special:
ARK himself is "cute" and puffy/cartoonish looking- and most of the enemies are in the same style- so does this qualify?

Barunba:
Now I haven't played this- but from what I've seen it looks a touch cartoonish in spots- and the ship itself doesn't look all too serious- some even consider this a pseudo sequel to Ordyne- a definite cute-em-up.

Cotton:
The witch herself and some of the enemies are cute- but the game is mostly dark and the bosses look quite serious.

Galaga '90:
Okay- this is obviously the furthest stretch.  It's NOT a cute-em-up- but doesn't it have elements- like the "galactic dancing" and music for said stages?    

Hani in the Sky:
If a golden dildo is "cute" is obviously a question- bt I haven't played this- I have hani on the road which has "cute" characters.

Mr. Heli:
See Atomic Robo-kid- however this one is a level "cuter" perhaps.  Mr. Heli has little feet.

Rabio Lepus:
See Cotton- also this one is TOUGH.  Does a game being too tough disqualify it from being a cute-em-up?

Rock-on:
See above.

Toy Shop Boys:
So it looks crappy and isn't as cute looking as it wants to be- but it's still an attempt, no?

Help out with this guys.

[runinruder]

Toy Shop Boys:
So it looks crappy and isn't as cute looking as it wants to be- but it's still an attempt, no?

I'd count this one because, like you said, it's definitely an attempt.  It reminds me of Ordyne in that it wants to be cute, but its production values are too crappy to effectively pull it off. 

Galaga '90:
Okay- this is obviously the furthest stretch.  It's NOT a cute-em-up- but doesn't it have elements- like the "galactic dancing" and music for said stages?    

I wouldn't count this one.  It'd be like calling Spriggan a cute 'em up because it has funny little people running around in a few spots. 

Cotton:
The witch herself and some of the enemies are cute- but the game is mostly dark and the bosses look quite serious.

This is the toughest call.  The first thing I think of when I think Cotton is "dark," but it definitely leans towards the cartoony side of things, and the crazy witch's antics during the intermissions make it feel more lighthearted than it would have otherwise.  I guess I'd say include it. 

Rabio Lepus:
See Cotton- also this one is TOUGH.  Does a game being too tough disqualify it from being a cute-em-up?

I haven't played this, but in answer to your question, no, a game being too tough doesn't disqualify it from being a cute 'em up.  L-Dis is quite hard later on, but there's no doubt that it's a cute 'em up.  Gunbird 2 is a cute 'em up even though its bullet storms are brutal. 

[guyjin]

defining a cute-em-up is impossible. Because defining what's cute is like defining porn - you can't define it but you know it when you see it.

[nat]

Atomic Robo-Kid Special:
ARK himself is "cute" and puffy/cartoonish looking- and most of the enemies are in the same style- so does this qualify?

Fail.

Barunba:
Now I haven't played this- but from what I've seen it looks a touch cartoonish in spots- and the ship itself doesn't look all too serious- some even consider this a pseudo sequel to Ordyne- a definite cute-em-up.

Fail.

Cotton:
The witch herself and some of the enemies are cute- but the game is mostly dark and the bosses look quite serious.

Fail.

Galaga '90:
Okay- this is obviously the furthest stretch.  It's NOT a cute-em-up- but doesn't it have elements- like the "galactic dancing" and music for said stages?    

Fail.

Hani in the Sky:
If a golden dildo is "cute" is obviously a question- bt I haven't played this- I have hani on the road which has "cute" characters.

Pass.

Mr. Heli:
See Atomic Robo-kid- however this one is a level "cuter" perhaps.  Mr. Heli has little feet.

Fail.

Rabio Lepus:
See Cotton- also this one is TOUGH.  Does a game being too tough disqualify it from being a cute-em-up?

Pass.

Toy Shop Boys:
So it looks crappy and isn't as cute looking as it wants to be- but it's still an attempt, no?

Pass.





Thanks!

[Necromancer]

Here's my two cents:

Cotton:  Though not a brightly colored, the silly cut scenes and upbeat music make it just as cute as Magical Chase.

Galaga '90:  No way.  Minimal cuteness does not a cute-em-up make.

Hani in the Sky:  It's much more cute than serious, so I'd count it.

Rabio Lepus:   Difficulty is irrelevant; bunny ears and carrots make it cute enough to qualify.

Toy Shop Boys:  They tried to make it cute, so I'd throw it in the mix.

[Sinistron]

Nat can you elaborate on Mr. Heli?

[nat]

Nat can you elaborate on Mr. Heli?

Mr. Heli himself might have little feet, but the enemies and bosses are anything but cute. Some of the stuff is rather sinisiter, actually.

Cotton:  Though not a brightly colored, the silly cut scenes and upbeat music make it just as cute as Magical Chase.

You know, I didn't think about the cutscenes. I think you're right-- the cutscenes elevate Cotton to the level of a cute-em-up. I change Cotton's grade from Fail to PASS.

[Black Tiger]

It really depends on personal qualifications of what makes a cute'em up. Is it a shooter with an overall cute theme or one with cute elements?

Galaga '90 is a cute version of Galaga. The ship and enemies are cute reimaginings of the originals, not simply the same enemies with updated graphics.

The Zonk games are less cute than the Bonk games and are more cyberpunk themed games that happen to take place in the Bonk universe... but I'd still consider it within the outer realm of cute'em up.

If a game need only be "cute" and a shooter, then all the games mentioned in the original post are cute'em ups.

[Odonadon]

The original coin-op Galaga '88 was very cute - between stages you would get a cute character mumbling something in high-pitched Japanese.  This was left out of the PCE port, but I'd say it still qualifies.  Everything in the game is in a cute-ish style.

I'd also have to say Atomic Robokid qualifies as a cute-em-up.  I think it's only a tiny bit less-cute than the likes of Air Zonk.

OD

[vestcoat]

(The following comments are my personal opinions about "cute-em-ups" in general, aimed at no one in particular, with expletives added for emphasis and humor)

I absolutely hate the term "cute-em-up."
Excuse my language, but classifying every shooter animated with cartoons rather than Giger-esque alien monsters as a "cute-em up" is f*cking retarded.

1)  For a game to be a cute-em up, even if the it is somewhat tongue-in-cheek or intended for older gamers, the content and humor must be strictly preteen--No dirty-old-man anime scenes or Air Zonk cow boobies.

2)  It cannot rock.  The music must be as weeny as the graphics.

Air Zonk is not a cute-em-up.  It was clearly marketed at a cynical teenage crowd and the music rocks (hence the sunglasses).  If anything, Zonk is more baddass than Bonk.  Hudson didn't set out to create some toned-down "baby Bonk" shooter in a cute magical dreamland.  I'm sorry the sprites happen to look like cartoons.

Cotton uses practically the same, if not the same, engine as Lords of Thunder; furthermore, zombies rip off their heads and throw them at you.  No f*cking way.  As for the cinema scenes, they're the same worthless anime crap that can be found in every other PCE game, regardless of genre.  Not a cute-em-up.

Ordyne, Fantasy Zone and L-Dis are cute-em-ups, I haven't played many of the others.

[Sinistron]

just ordered L-Dis.  hope it's a good'n.  :-"

[Black Tiger]

Cotton uses practically the same, if not the same, engine as Lords of Thunder; furthermore, zombies rip off their heads and throw them at you.  No f*cking way.  As for the cinema scenes, they're the same worthless anime crap that can be found in every other PCE game, regardless of genre.  Not a cute-em-up.

If Namco made a shooter modeled after the Famicom Splatterhouse, would you consider it a cute'em up?