Cho Aniki is a video game series started by Masaya (and continued by Global A) with several installments that never made it to the US (and thus, should probably not be split up into several articles.) It is quite possibly the gayest video game ever, if not the gayest thing ever. Cho Aniki roughly translates to 'Mighty Brothers' which roughly translates to 'homoerotic mansex'. The surprisingly long-lasting series has had several installments, the most recent of which was on the PS2. That's right. On your PS2.

Contents 1 The Games 1.1 Cho Aniki (PC Engine Super CD ) 1.2 Ai Cho Aniki (PC Engine Super CD ) 1.3 Cho Aniki Bakaretsu Rantou Hen (Super Famicom) 1.4 Cho Aniki (PS1/Sega Saturn) 1.5 Cho Aniki Seinaru Protein Densetsu (PS2) 2 Returning characters 2.1 Samson 2.2 Adon 2.3 Idaten 2.4 Benten 2.5 Sabu 2.6 Mami 2.7 Botei 2.8 Adam 3 Art Work and Media 4 Final Thought

The GamesEdit

Cho Aniki (PC Engine Super CD )Edit

The game that started it all. It's essentially a shmup, with the standard 'shoot stuff and don't get shot' game play. The main characters are Idaten and his girlfriend Benten. This is probably the first and last shred of heterosexuality in the Cho Aniki series. They are accompanied by their friends (who will later become the stars of the series) Samson and his boyfriend Adon.

Ai Cho Aniki (PC Engine Super CD )Edit

The second game in the series, the now-main-character, Samson, fires globs of 'protein' out of the large hole on the top of his head. In a surprising departure from... anything that's ever existed in the previous known universe, Samson is not on a quest to save a damsel in distress, but in fact, on a quest to save his boyfriend, Adon. Say what you will about the game's extravagant homoerotica, but it is definitely a brave and original idea, that was apparently very successful, and probably has developed a nice little niche fan-base.

Cho Aniki Bakaretsu Rantou Hen (Super Famicom)Edit

Unlike the first game, which was a shmup, the Super Famicom (that's the Japanese name for the SNES) version of the game is a fighting game, which uses characters from the original PC game. It departs from most fighting games in that (among other things) all the characters can fly.

Cho Aniki (PS1/Sega Saturn)Edit

At some point in the mid 90s, someone thought it was a good idea to use photographs of real people as video game sprites. This has been done in hundreds of games, and all of them look terrible. Cho Aniki is no exception. This installment in the series brings back the shmup style of the original, and, once again, features Samson shooting globs of 'protein' at large homoerotic bosses.

Cho Aniki Seinaru Protein Densetsu (PS2)Edit

This was the first game in the series made by Global A. The title roughly translates to "Mighty Brother: Legend of the Holy Protein." and in this game, you don't play as Samson, but as the Holy Protein, a big glob of... protein. Samson and Adon fly with the protein and can take on different 'positions' to change the mode of attack. The other naked body builder men want to eat the Holy Protein to help make them more buff. Samson or his friend can pick up protein capsules to make them stronger. They can also come together into a special formation that fires a big white laser beam. One of the bosses is a six story tall ear of corn.

Returning charactersEdit

SamsonEdit

The main character in the series. He has a hole in the top of his head that shoots large white globs of celestial protein. No one's really sure what this is symbolic of.

AdonEdit

Samson's lover. He looks and acts exactly like Samson. He has a negroplasty midway through the series.

IdatenEdit

Wears pink and sprinkles fairy dust.

BentenEdit

A rare female in the Cho Aniki series, but still manages to be pretty gay. The little baby cherubs that fly around her occasionally turn into naked midget men.

SabuEdit

ELVIS. AIRSHIP.

MamiEdit

Mami is a woman that's also a boat. She either controls three naked men, or three naked men control her. Either way, they seem to be having a good time up there.

BoteiEdit

Your typical gay warrior character.

AdamEdit

Adam lives on the dark side of the moon. His half-moon ship has a large phallic cannon that he fires from between his legs. It effectively hides his unmentionables, as well as his 'special friend'... Steve?

Art Work and MediaEdit

Haven't had enough yet?

Final ThoughtEdit

Okay, so the Cho Aniki series is kind of disturbing to some people, and is undoubtedly over the top. And it was never released in America. And the gameplay isn't much different than a typical shmup. So why are you still reading this article? Because Masaya took a big risk and made a game that was so bizarre, so abstract, and so unconventional, that it's incredibly interesting to hear about, let alone play.

Consider that homosexuals also play video games, and the fact that non-insulting representation of homosexuals in video games is almost non-existent (even more so than for females.) The Cho Aniki series is admirable in that it displays homosexuals in a manner that is, by no means realistic, but is at least straightforward and non-insulting. An act that is probably more rare in the video game industry than in any other from of media.

That said, the game is totally fricking gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.