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While preparing for this article, the following was spoken in on IRC:
![]() ![]() There's a sub-group of game fans in Japan devoted to Kuso-ge, or kuso games, which translates into "shitty games". In a recently published book about this genre Ai Cho Aniki featured on the cover. It would seem then that the Japanese consider it a crappy game, but for what reason I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps it's the off-the-scale camp value, in the ![]() ![]() ![]() As you might imagine the gameplay is as weird as the rest of the game. Seemingly marrying a Street Fighter control scheme to a shoot-em-up, you have to perform 'moves' to shoot your weapons to any appreciable effect. Merely pressing the shoot button launches a slow tracking shot. The real power comes when, for example, you move left then right and then shoot. Or right then left. Or up then down. You get the idea - the game isn't a frenetic blaster like other ![]() The artwork is done by the same artist who did Gynoug for the MegaDrive (Wings of Wor on the Genesis). Where AiChoAniki features burly men, angels, machines with faces and strange underwater levels, Gynoug has a muscular angel, floating heads and... machines with faces. He's very fond of putting faces on machines it seems, and the Locomotive + Head theme is prominent in both games. There's a definite consistancy to his style, even though this game runs the fantastical path and Gynoug was darker and a little more realistic, if angels, aliens and anthropomorphism can be called 'realistic'. ![]() Yeah, ok, maybe this one's a bit gay... The presentation is kind of a mixed bag. The main title screen is functional, with only an invitation to 'push run'. There's no option screen or anything to complicate the matter. If you don't push run you're treated to a brief introduction that touches on the story from the first game in the series, Cho Aniki, which was a much more straight-forward blaster. ![]() The game starts as many do, in space above some clouds with ... floating heads, swords and a strange guy on a half-moon who throws babies at you. Then it's a descent through the open skies where floating heads, falling angels and missiles come after you. Scoot across a city loaded with more floating heads (different, larger heads than before) and robots, and you face the first boss: A locomotive with a diving board and trampoline. Little men climb to the diving board, jump off the trampoline, and try to rebound into you. ![]() Level 2 starts off over the ocean, with more floating heads, a few torsos, the occasional nautical baddy with little men flinging bullets at you, and a mid-boss that tries to blow you into the ocean where tentacles grab you. Next up, the beautiful forest stage, where you'll meet a scarecrow, some weird floating heads, the occasional torso, and laser-sprouting flowers that walk around. Oh, and butterfly men. There's a huge wodden-man kind of mini-boss to defeat, then there's a trip through a flower garden where the man with a pylon for a hat can occasionally be found hindering your progress. Also some floating heads, heads on vines, venus fly traps... ![]() It's all very strange, but homosexual? I haven't got a clue. Lawrence. ![]() You thought I was kidding about the diving board? | ![]() Lovely parallax forest ![]() This guy sums up the game ![]() Beautiful graphics ![]() Level 2 Forest mid-boss ![]() From the intro: She was in the first game ![]() From the intro ![]() Level 2 boss. It doesn't get saner from here ![]() It's.. I mean... It's just ODD | |
Level 1 Level 1b Diving Board Boss End of Stage |