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Europe gets PSN Imports section this week with three new games
If that local flavor isn't your thing, Europeans, then you may want to check out the new PSN Imports section. Sony's going to start hocking some retro Japanese games in your region, the PlayStation Blog revealed today -- the new initiative on PSN will feature "direct-from-Japan PS One imports and Classics." First up: Cho Aniki, Arc the Lad and Arcade Hits: Sonic Wings Special. Now, we know what you're thinking: Arc the Lad is totally a RPG, with tons of text and stuff. Yes, it is, but relax: the game's entirely in English, based on the US release by Working Designs. As for the other two, well, they're in the universal language that is shooting everything in sight.
Cho Aniki, Gaia Seed hit new PSN import store Sept. 21
MonkeyPaw Games, how did you know? Seemingly in honor of a certain blogger's birthday, the upstart developer/publisher will release two PSOne Classics on the North American PlayStation Store on September 21. The identity of the two games, Cho Aniki and Gaia Seed, isn't a surprise, but the games have interesting implications (beyond the implication that you'll be able to play Cho Aniki). The two games are the first offerings in a service called Imports on the Playstation Store, on which unaltered Japanese games will be released. "Classics like Cho Aniki and GaiaSeed," according to MonkeyPaw, "will be followed by a steady stream of untouchable titles you dreamed of playing but were relegated to reading about." A steady stream of PSOne titles, period, would be noteworthy for the North American PSN service.
ESRB outs more Monkeypaw games, including Cho Aniki
[Hardcore Gaming 101] We never thought we'd see a time when even one Cho Aniki game made its way Stateside, and now we face the possibility of a third. An ESRB rating reveals that neophyte localization firm MonkeyPaw Games is planning to release the PlayStation's Cho Aniki: Kyukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko on PS3 (and PSP, MonkeyPaw's John Greiner confirmed to PSNStores) as simply "Cho Aniki." This version is even weirder than the freaky, protein-obsessed series usually is, as it uses digitized photography for its character art. The ESRB also revealed PSOne Classics releases for the Data East fighter Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty, and Gaia Seed, a horizontal shmup by Techno Soleil. The company is also working on Ante Up: Texas Hold 'em for DSiWare. After the break, we've reproduced the ESRB description for Cho Aniki, because we had to.
Cho Aniki Zero and Agarest War trailers break the silence
Aksys picked the right day to send out trailers for Cho Aniki Zero and Record of Agarest War. In the case of Cho Aniki, we wouldn't normally post a trailer for a game that was released over a week ago, but a general lack of news today gives us a pretty good excuse to post this new video! In case you missed its arrival on PSN in late March, let this video serve as notice that yes, the Men's Beam-firing shmup is downloadable now from the PlayStation Store. There's also a trailer after the break for Record of Agarest War, which we were going to praise for its emphasis on gameplay and J-pop over lasciviousness, but then we watched the rest of the video. Oh, well.
Cho Aniki Zero making PSP more manly in Spring 2010
Our somewhat boring day took a turn for the legendary when we received an Aksys press release informing us that the beefcake-infused side-scrolling shooter, Cho Aniki Zero, would appear on the PSP as a PSN download (exclusively) next Spring. The legendary-ness arose not as a result of our excitement for the game (which is immeasurable in its own right), but due to the content of the press release itself. The entire release can be found after the jump, but we've culled our favorite phrases, forming the following poignant, beautiful found poem: Exaltation. Oiled up and ready to thrust. Epic struggle. Muscle-bounded forces. Manliness. Another dimension of sights and sounds. Heightened experiences of rhythmic action. Man-rageous. Brotherly love. Muscle-on-muscle madness. Man-tastic voyage. Man Protein. The greatest bromances of all time. (Snaps.) %Gallery-76401%
Best of 2008: 10 games you should have downloaded
Even without consulting the weekly popularity charts found on the Nintendo Channel, it's pretty simple to know whether a Virtual Console game was successful in 2008. Success on the VC was reserved for Nintendo franchises and the very biggest names in third-party releases, like Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man. One delightful exception to the super-famous franchise rule: Super Dodge Ball has been in the Top 20 since release. People are clearly buying what they already love rather than exploring.WiiWare, as well, is dominated by the same titles since release: World of Goo, Tetris Party, and (yes,) My Aquarium have been at the top of the charts since release. Other games that have had long stretches of success include, uh, Target Toss Pro: Bags, Pong Toss, Sudoku Challenge, and -- oh, good -- Mega Man 9. Some less popular games take a trip up and then back down the chart upon release. But some didn't even really do that, despite being totally worthwhile. Join us as we browse through five Virtual Console games and five WiiWare games that you guys passed over for more Mario games and The Incredible Maze. To simplify things, we considered North American sales and releases only. If you're from outside North America, go ahead and assume people missed good games in your region too. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; }
Wii Warm Up: The most important import
After having some quality time with a pair of imports yesterday, we got to wondering: what imports would you want to be able to download from the Virtual Console? With generations of consoles supported by the service, there's plenty of old school imports to ponder downloading. So, what will it be? We've already gotten some great imports in the past (Sin & Punishment, Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels), but what would you like to be able to play in the future?
Cho Aniki hunks grapple with Final Soldier on Virtual Console
Another Monday, another Virtual Console release filled with muscle-bound hunks shooting lasers out of their heads. Wait, what's that? The Virtual Console isn't known for its extensive library of games featuring beefy guys in Speedos? We must have it confused with ... something else. On to the games: Cho Aniki (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, 900 Wii Points): Stop Bo Emperor Bill – the Great Galaxy Bodybuilding champion – from turning the entire galaxy into a protein factory by teaming up with the musclebound (and Speedo-clad) brothers Samson and Adon. Why do they have holes in their heads? Why, to shoot out of, of course! Final Soldier (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 700 Wii Points): You'll immediately notice a severe dearth of abs, Speedos, and headholes in this vertically scrolling shooter, the third title in the Star Soldier series. Why bother playing it at all, then? Because this Virtual Console release marks the title's first trip away from its home country of Japan.
VC Monday Madness: Cho Aniki and Final Soldier
This week, we've got a pair of new Virtual Console titles. And they're both imports! And they're both from the TurboGrafx16. And they're both shmups! And they're both good!
Retail and download releases for the week of September 8th
It's been a fairly long wait to see a hockey game hit the Wii, and we know many of you have been anticipating the sports return. Well, this week you get your wish, as NHL 2K9 hits retail shelves. Joining it are a couple of Virtual Console games and one new WiiWare game. Head past the break for the details.
Hudson firing Cho Aniki, Final Soldier at Wii Shop next week
The impending release of either of these games would be enough to prompt a paroxysmal announcement from a certain Wii Fanboy blogger (who is me), but Hudson is threatening my heart health by planning to release both on the same day.Final Soldier is another entry in the Star Soldier series, which includes Star Parodier and a bunch of games used in the Hudson Shooting Caravan, as well as (sort of) Blazing Lazers. Accordingly, it includes the 2- and 5-minute gameplay modes that comprise the entirety of Star Soldier R. Like Star Parodier, it was never released over here.Cho Aniki is ... a shooter about bodybuilding. And the ultimate test of Nintendo's willingness to surprise Hudson with a delay.
Japanese VC releases next month: Square Enix shares a Secret
Nintendo has updated their Japanese VC website with next month's planned releases, including one extremely beloved game from general VC holdout Square Enix: Seiken Densetsu 2, otherwise known as Secret of Mana. Super Famicom fans will also have the opportunity to give Square Enix eight bucks for Space Invaders, which seems kind of high but also irresistably alluring. It does allow you to simulate the cellophane color bars from the arcade machine! Taito's Liquid Kids, a platformer about a hippo who freezes enemies with water bubbles, rounds out the Square Enix (and affiliates) releases.We're particularly excited to see Capcom's shooter Forgotten Worlds and the PC Engine version of Super Dodge Ball. See the full list after the break, along with some upcoming US releases via Hudson. There's a surprise!
Naked men attack! Cho Aniki heading to PSP
Do you know of Cho Aniki? The hardcore shooter crowd knows this notorious title because of its ridiculous premise: you play a motley crew of mostly naked men firing energy missiles at other enemies, also usually mostly-naked men. The upcoming PSP game seems to be based on the original PC Engine title, meaning the increasingly strange and homoerotic imagery found in later games will most likely be absent in this upcoming PSP game. It may be based on the most tame version of the series, but it will undoubtedly become another hit amongst the cult shooter crowd.Read more on the series' legacy at Wikipedia -- and then for a more humorous take, check out Something Awful (content may be not safe for work). A video of the game, embedded after the cut.
VC Friday: Cho Aniki and the return of the Neo Geo
We were already totally pumped about getting Cho Aniki on the European and Aussie Virtual Consoles, but our faces lit up when we saw what else was lying in store for us this morning. Metal Slug is the first Neo Geo game to appear on the download service since December 14th, but what a comeback!From a value-for-money perspective, we'd still recommend picking up Metal Slug Anthology (especially now that it's so cheap), but it's great to see SNK's classic series represented on the VC (and this version even has Classic Controller support). Puyo Puyo 2 and TurboGrafx billiards title Break In complete this week's line-up. Cho Aniki -- TurboGrafx-16 -- 900 Wii Points Metal Slug -- Neo Geo -- 900 Wii Points Break In -- TurboGrafx-16 -- 700 Wii Points Puyo Puyo 2 -- Mega Drive -- 900 Wii Points Hop in your Slug and blast your way past the break to see all four in action!
Australia wins at Virtual Console
Four more import games have now been rated by the OFLC, implying a Virtual Console release in that region and probably others. Those four games, all for the Turbografx-16, are: Gradius II GOFER no Yabou, Digital Champion Battle Boxing (which is just coming to Japan this month), Star Parodier, and ... Cho Aniki. This first game in the outrageous series starred the relatively normal Idaten and Benten (seen here), with future stars Adon and Samson as beefy support characters.Under most conditions, we'd be freaking out about Star Parodier, which is a Parodius-like "funny" version of the Star Soldier games. But Cho Aniki! Outside of Japan! It's like a beautiful dream. We're buying Wii Points right now.[Via Aussie-Nintendo]
VC Tuesday: Second best week ever
As you've probably surmised from the hypnotic image already changing your life, more Cho Aniki is now available on the Japanese Virtual Console. Ai Cho Aniki is when the series really took off, when original, non-awesome protagonists Idaten and Benten took off and allowed the muscular Adon and Samson to take center stage. Significantly less mantastic are this week's other games: Metal Slader Glory, a text adventure from HAL, Party Quiz Mega Q, which is ... you know, a quiz game, and another Street Fighter II game. Guess which of those three we'll get first? Hint: it's the one you've already had two chances to buy on the VC. Metal Slader Glory (Famicom, 1 player, 600 Wii Points) Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Party Quiz Mega Q (Mega Drive, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points) Ai Cho Aniki (PC Engine Super CD-ROM, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
VC Tuesday: Best week ever
Nintendo of Japan just completely outclassed the meager offerings we got on the VC yesterday, even if we did get an import game. It was not a fair fight. Most significantly, our favorite NES game the best NES game is available for download in Japan today. As we read the title, we tried to temper our excitement, afraid that we'd make an assumption out of the Downtown Nekketsu part and miss that it was actually Downtown Nekketsu Koshinkyoku: Soreyuke Daiundokai (otherwise known as the predecessor to Crash 'n the Boys Street Challenge, otherwise known as not a big deal). But we saw that the word Monogatari was in fact there, and we desperately searched for someone to high-five. It's River City Ransom! On the Virtual Console! It's only a matter of time until we're throwing garbage cans at Generic Dudes in the U.S.Just as we were starting to catch our breath and regain feeling in our extremities, we read down the list and found Cho Aniki! Dare we even dream of such a wealth of awesome on our on VC? Probably not, but we're kind of happy just being reminded that it exists. Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari (River City Ransom) (Famicom, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points) Donkey Kong Country 2 (Super Famicom, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Dyna Brothers 2 Special (Mega Drive, 1-2 players, 700 Wii Points) Cho Aniki (PC Engine CD-ROM, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Raguy/Blue's Journey (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)
Japan's VC lineup in October: Smiles are free
Japan gets wall-to-wall awesome this month on the Virtual Console. In total, twenty games are scheduled for release, including some really good ones. The first PC Engine CD games are on the list, including Ys I & II and the extraordinarily manly shooter Cho Aniki. Three Neo Geo games make their appearance, as well-- including Samurai Shodown. The classic Treasure game Alien Soldier will be available for download.But by far the best news for October is a little Famicom game by the name of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari, known in the U.S. as River City Ransom. Simply put, this is one of the best games ever made, and our lives are improved just by thinking about it. River City Ransom could be available on our own Virtual Console soon; what a lovely thought. What a beautiful world!Nintendo's site lists the publisher as Arc System Works; it would appear that, since ASW is also publishing the DS Super Dodge Ball game, they now own the Kunio license. [Via Game|Life; image from I Am 8-Bit artist Plamo]
Wii Warm Up: Super Smash Cho Aniki?
A GoNintendo reader was looking very critically at the new Gooey Bomb item in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and discovered what is absolutely the origin of the item. And now that we've seen them together, it's so obvious that the Gooey Bomb is based on the Holy Protein from Cho Aniki Seinaru Protein Densetsu.You know, except it sticks to people and blows up instead of being orbited by two beefy dudes in Speedos, while shooting lasers. Too bad. If we were designing Smash Bros.-- okay, if I were designing Smash Bros. (I don't think I can speak for Wii Fanboy in this case) it would be heavy on Cho Aniki content.Now, something kind of looking like a thing from another game isn't strictly news, but Wii Warm Up is a discussion topic, and we can discuss whatever we feel like. And today we want to talk about the Cho Aniki series. So, if you've played any of the games, tell us why you loved them. If you haven't, go read about the series, then come back and express your shock.
