Neon Genesis Shmup-Discourse: Spiders and CYGNI

In design history there are a long list of individuals who played a part in building the world of artefacts and spaces that we experience today. Morris, Marinetti, Le Corbusier, Tatlin, Sottsass, Eames, Castiglioni, Rams and so many others. Not only by producing designed artefacts themselves, but also through their discussions/manifestos/publications about the nature of design - its connection to people, culture, the future, the past. This discourse interwoven with the production of artefacts in many ways defines the whole experience of this culture, the resonance that is created greater that the sum of its parts. When I watch Spiders (@Spiders_STG) CYGNI & the Myth of Progress, this really starts to feel like we are hitting the same point for the cultural stream that is shmups.

Spiders talks about this video as being a 'review' of the game, but also playfully undermines this idea. In reality this is a timely video essay which looks at so many different facets of shmup and wider game culture, rhetoric and discourse with the focal point of CYGNI's introduction, design and interaction with the collective being the catalyst. It's predominantly not about CYGNI, and more what the ripples show is beneath the surface when you drop a rock like CYGNI into the water.

In many ways I feel like a lot of what is discussed here can provide the shmup scene with a year one datum point for discourse around the genre moving forward, whether it be in agreement or difference to Spiders thoughts.

At over an hour run time it does not fit neatly into our typical content consumption flow (and I'll admit that it took me a while to get back to it and several sittings to consume it all), but it is an easy absorb - very conversational and enjoyable - and more than anything else, you owe it to yourself to be here for this shmup moment and to think about what this piece adds to your experience of this game, other shmups, and your interaction with wider continuing shmup culture.

So if you haven't found the time yet, I fervently advise that you do.

And if you have any opinions on the video itself, the submission page of UCHIKUDAKE is always open to continue the discourse.

_DYR