DAILY MANIFESTO

Retro Revolution: 'Cho 'Nuff

Posted on Saturday, March 10 @ 05:42:22 Eastern by KevinS

It'll get in your head, probably through the hole up top of it.

Mass Effect keeps getting pulled into the spotlight for its potential to create a gay character. Through certain choices, your character can get some lovin' from characters of either (any?) gender. Combine that with the news out of various US states legalizing same-sex marriage (and the on-going struggle of my home state of California to eliminate Prop 8 altogether) [Don't worry, it's actually unconstitutional. ~Nick_Tan] and it's time to think about games that make me a proud LGBT gamer.

The initial thought my brain went to, however, was Cho Aniki.

Awesome as it is, it's not the ideal image for the gay community: a prince and princess orbited by two muscle men, who shot stuff through a hole in the top of their heads, taking down other flying bald muscle men, some muscle guys on what look to be rolling office chairs, and lots of spandex bouncing like crazy. And this isn't just a one-off weirdo moment like many games in Japan—this is a series. There are seven games!

I've only been able to play one game in the series—one of only two brought to America—but the sheer amount of implied nudity and weird imagery (seriously, almost a decade before the dancing pandas and skinny jeans in Katamari Damacy) made this a license no one expected to make to the States… except by that one weird guy who loves uncomfortable stuff to show his friends. Like me! I love showing stuff to people to see them squirm in their seat and laugh painfully at the absurdity of it all.

The kicker? It's actually a fun shooter! The enemies are inventive, the controls are easy to grasp and work, and it's so offbeat, it's funny. Has anybody ever played it or heard of it? What did you think? Would you play something more homoerotic than a UFC game?

[Read more of Kevin Schaller's Retro Revolution articles here.]

Tags: Retro Revolution

Comments

WILLS_COOL_MODE
Joined: Oct 2010

Posted: Mar 10th, 2012 at 6:00 am
I actually think the gay subplots in Mass Effect are kind of a bummer because it's very obviously a case of "okay here's how we can look progressive, increase sales in certain markets, AND generate publicity for our game!" rather than someone actually thinking a gay character through and putting them in a realistic situation because they feel it adds depth to the story.

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Chunibrow
Joined: Mar 2010

Posted: Mar 10th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Im pretty sure only people suppressing homosexual thoughts think UFC is gay since there's nothing gay about it. Besides Greco roman wrestling has been around for millennia, how is that any less homoerotic then? Leave poor UFC alone.

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Noritama
Joined: Feb 2012

Posted: Mar 10th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Any sport that requires me to wear short shorts with no shirt and forces me to "hug" men is what I concider homosexual. :o Sorry I'm not keen on rubbing my junk with another mans junk. Back to Mass Effect, My response in two words," Who Cares"

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Chunibrow
Joined: Mar 2010

Posted: Mar 11th, 2012 at 1:21 am
Last time I checked there was a pretty thick line between sexually engaging a member of the same sex and beating them up for money

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Noritama
Joined: Feb 2012

Posted: Mar 11th, 2012 at 1:55 am
K, I understand now. UFC fighters are prostitutes that "Beat" up other men for money instead of doing other things. Also you don't have to have intercourse to be Gay. When did this become a topic about UFC. :( I want my Krogan love scene now.

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Chunibrow
Joined: Mar 2010

Posted: Mar 11th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
you're absolutely right, you don't have to have intercourse to be gay, you just need to feel attracted to the same gender as yourself. Since UFC fighters don't have sex with each other and (generally) aren't attracted to men there is nothing left for you to call gay, and the fact they "prostitute themselves" by fighting for money is irrelevant to their sexual orientation. And I started talking about UFC because the author mentioned it.

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Ananymous
Joined: Apr 2011

Posted: Mar 10th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
I agree, everything is making a big deal over the gay/lesbian relationship you can have in Mass Effect 3. You don't have to do it, there is nothing making you do it, if you want to, be my guest, won't affect my game ONE bit. It seems the only people that are worried about it are either homophobics or the LGBT community. I don't mind it being in the game, in fact it makes more options for players which really isn't a bad thing and it's not like you have to be involved with it at all... sooooo like Noritama said, "Who cares?"

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Sammo
Joined: Oct 2005

Posted: Mar 10th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
One time I saw this video:

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Sammo
Joined: Oct 2005

Posted: Mar 10th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
youtu.be/tkOZWW3-EAU

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