Developer: NCS Publisher: Masaya Release: 12/25/92 Genre: Shooter
If you look up Cho Aniki online you will be assaulted by burly men flexing and lots of homo sexually charged imagery. The games quickly garnered a reputation as being that “gay” game even though it is far from it. The games are cheeky and very self-aware of their absurdity more than anything. Like Parodius and the Sengoku Ace series Cho Aniki is a comical shooter that plays everything up for laughs. The first game in the series is a perfect introduction to this wacky series with its hilarious soundtrack, offbeat humor, and excellent pacing.
Bo Emperor Bill is the greatest bodybuilder in the galaxy, having won ten consecutive victories in the Great Galaxy body building contest. But now Emperor Bill is facing a protein shortage and begins conquering neighboring star systems to establish protein factories. The Heavens send two warriors, Idaten and Benten to intervene.
Cho Aniki’s infamy largely stems from the fourth game in the series, Cho Aniki: Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko. With its use of digitized graphics it completely threw subtlety out the window and let its freak flag fly. The game was risqué as hell with its subtext and probably skirts the line of what is appropriate. But the series had humble beginnings and this first game is restrained all things considered. About the gayest thing you will see are muscle men flexing which is pretty funny in context. I will confess to not expecting much based on the import coverage from magazines back in the day. Cho Aniki surprised me and is far better than I was expecting.
Despite the game’s themes in practice it is a straightforward shooter. Both characters have two primary attacks. Their normal shots are plain bullets that are powered up by collecting protein capsules. By holding the attack button you charge up a special attack that differs per character. Idaten unleashes a powerful laser while Benten has a spread shot. There are also bombs but their usefulness is slight at best. The muscular duo (Adon and Samson) that plaster the game’s promotional and box art are simply options in this title. Feeding them protein will also power up their attacks and they will assist in your special attacks as well. But unlike most shooters they can die if they take too much damage.
Cho Aniki is entertaining due to sheer spectacle, absurdity, and pacing. Like Parodius each level is one long journey to see what oddly disturbing contraption they will throw at you next. I applaud any game brave enough to muscle men in speedos in your path, especially considering the climate at the time. Despite what I just typed this is the most restrained title in the series. Trust me it……goes places from here. While the game’s theme is a bit out there it still exhibits fantastic mechanical design. Every level has three mini bosses before its end level boss and each makes for a fantastic encounter. Or they would if the game’s difficulty were not so low.
Surprisingly Cho Aniki is far easier than most shooters. That is due to how overpowered the characters are. Even though the weapon system (or lack thereof) is slight they are incredibly strong. The special attacks in particular are near game breaking. Idaten’s laser cuts through enemies and with two options can almost destroy minibosses in a single blast. To make it even better, these attacks charge while you are holding the attack button for rapid fire. Playing as Idaten is essentially easy mode. Benten has a rougher time as she has less speed settings and a weaker attack. But compared to brutal games like Gaiares this is a walk in the park. The ease of difficulty does hurt the replay value but this one is so unbelievable you must experience it at least once.
What often goes unmentioned is the fact that Cho Aniki is a technically accomplished game. The game boasts multiple layers of parallax scrolling in every stage and the techno organic theme looks fantastic. The CD is used to display large amounts of unique art in every stage without repeating tile sets. It also throws around massive number of sprites and never, ever slows down. I have to give a special mention to the soundtrack, a collection of orchestrated tracks that feature choir voices that is both out of place but also sounds pretty good all things considered.
In Closing
Cho Aniki is infamous for its at times questionable subject matter. But behind that lies a solid game that is both accessible and great. This is one of the better shooters for the system and one that I enjoyed immensely. Do not let the hearsay keep you away from playing a good game.
