Gaming History 101

By now you hopefully have the overall concept of a shmup down, if not then you probably missed our article on that very subject, so now it’s time to talk about the different facets (or genres, if you will) that shmups can take.  Enter probably the most popular contemporary concept: the cute ’em up.  No, they don’t have any clever nicknames like the shmup, but that’s mostly because shmup is a perfect definition of these games.  Cute ’em ups are for gamers that like a little aesthetic to accompany their hardcore shooter, even perhaps a little sexuality or titillation.  Bright colors, anthropomorphic animals and big bouncy breasts are just par for the course in a cute ’em up.  Don’t stray from these titles simply because you feel their gameplay or difficulty will adjust according to their look, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.  In fact, for the most part, cute ’em ups are some of the most challenging shmups one can find.

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