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Mr. Racist & Watch?

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THE TemporaryFool

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https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/1...ate-nintendo-switch-racist-mr-game-and-watch/

So I was scrolling about super smash bros news and I saw this article. This has to do with the fact that game & watches attacks now resemble him in his original games. This is for his f-smash in particular depicting him as a “stereotypical” Native American. Some have called out Nintendo for this. What do you think? I think that we need to remember that this game is being made in Japan, where their perspectives on race are quite a bit different from those in the rest of the western world. If you want details on the topic of racism and japan in video games, here you go: https://youtu.be/MR2KsV9jRyI
 

yknowlikenia

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eh, i think it's kind of a stupid move by nintendo. i wouldn't be up in arms if they didn't change it, but it would be kind to the native individuals who are upset by it, to change it to the GBA version without the feather. i'm not native myself, so i don't have much grounds to fight about it.
 

Bobert

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What exactly is racist about it? The red color that's only there because of the alternative color for Game and Watch that he's always had? Do we really have to bring up that Mario is a fat, short, hairy italian man that loves pasta and ravioli and does a really exaggerated italian accent...again? Nobody seems to care about that. This just sounds like white liberals trying to complain about stuff that nobody else cares about. Remember the whole mess about Mario wearing a poncho and sombrero? Turns out a lot of Mexican folk didn't care and actually thought it was funny.
 
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THE TemporaryFool

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What exactly is racist about it? The red color that's only there because of the alternative color for Game and Watch that he's always had? Do we really have to bring up that Mario is a fat, short, hairy italian man that loves pasta and ravioli and does a really exaggerated italian accent...again? Nobody seems to care about that. This just sounds like white liberals trying to complain about stuff that nobody else cares about. Remember the whole mess about Mario wearing a poncho and sombrero? Turns out a lot of Mexican folk didn't care and actually thought it was funny.
While this was more about his f-smash and how it had a “feather in a headress” like the game it was based on, it is a rather inconsequential thing if you think about it. Most people are gonna go back to melee by 2021 when the most offensive thing about Game & Watch was his shield size. Most will ignore him as a character anyway, as they always have.
 

Bobert

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While this was more about his f-smash and how it had a “feather in a headress” like the game it was based on, it is a rather inconsequential thing if you think about it. Most people are gonna go back to melee by 2021 when the most offensive thing about Game & Watch was his shield size. Most will ignore him as a character anyway, as they always have.
I knew it was about the f-smash. I just didn't see why it having a feather and headdress was enough to call it racist/offensive. American's don't get offended by Mario humorously flailing about on top of a bull sized lion statue while in full cowboy attire.
 
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FalcoXP

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this reminds me that american girl saying that Mexican Mario was racist and my people got mad at her 'cause in reality we love Mexican Mario over here.
 

Novice_Brave

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I knew it was about the f-smash. I just didn't see why it having a feather and headdress was enough to call it racist/offensive. American's don't get offended by Mario humorously flailing about on top of a bull sized lion statue while in full cowboy attire.
White Americans also don't have a history of propagandistic stereotypical, reductive depictions of cowboys being used to justify and enable the enactment of laws and actions that result in genocide and generations of economic, cultural, linguistic, and legal oppression :eek: -- no one is saying that the MRG&W fsmash is an intentionally malicious thing, but that doesn't mean it can't be pointed out for being a bad look and changed.
 
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Bakasama

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A Native American, whose land is being encroached on by selfish cowboys, is choosing to defend his territory with a torch to burn a wall that they build out of wood?

Yeah that's so racist. It's not like it could've ever happened.

It doesn't say anything negative about Native Americans unless you want to look at it that way. People can argue that it makes them look like savages or something foolish, but the fact of the matter is that same argument would apply to all actual appearances of them with any sort of weapon at all - because they had more primitive tools to work with and all of them would fall under a stupid blanket term like 'savage' if you're going to be so careless with your chosen words.
 

Bobert

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White Americans also don't have a history of propagandistic stereotypical, reductive depictions of cowboys being used to justify and enable the enactment of laws and actions that result in genocide and generations of economic, cultural, linguistic, and legal oppression :eek: -- no one is saying that the MRG&W fsmash is an intentionally malicious thing, but that doesn't mean it can't be pointed out for being a bad look and changed.
Like cowboys wore cowboy hats, native american's wore headdresses. Explain how a native american being depicted in a headdress is inherently offensive. We come right back to mexican's wearing sombreros and ponchos. Referencing different cultures isn't being racist, so please tell me how it's in the slightest bit malicious.
 
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If indigenous people are bothered by it (and they are, I’ve seen), they should change it. It would be such an easy change, and one that’s already been made in the past.

When side smash was one of the few attacks not to transform in the E3 build, I thought it was sign they knew better, but...now we’re here. Probably just a case of tone-deafness on the dev team’s part, since they don’t have the same cultural context as us in the West. If Nintendo cared to revise Inkling Girl’s successful hit animation in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe so quickly, then I expect this to be patched out too.
 

Rocketjay8

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This is pretty embarrassing and I hope that Nintendo patches this out fast
A Native American, whose land is being encroached on by selfish cowboys, is choosing to defend his territory with a torch to burn a wall that they build out of wood?

Yeah that's so racist. It's not like it could've ever happened.

It doesn't say anything negative about Native Americans unless you want to look at it that way. People can argue that it makes them look like savages or something foolish, but the fact of the matter is that same argument would apply to all actual appearances of them with any sort of weapon at all - because they had more primitive tools to work with and all of them would fall under a stupid blanket term like 'savage' if you're going to be so careless with your chosen words.
I say that the game was meant to be racist since it was made in a time period where racism and Negative Stereotypes against Native Americans (Primitive Savages) were prevalent in America.
 
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THE TemporaryFool

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This is pretty embarrassing and I hope that Nintendo patches this out fast

I say that the game was meant to be racist since it was made in a time period where racism and Negative Stereotypes against Native Americans (Primitive Savages) were prevalent in America.
I think the footage itself came from either the spanish build or the Japanese build. Nintendo of America usually changes anything that could be considered offensive.
 

Hyruleslink

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I think the footage itself came from either the spanish build or the Japanese build. Nintendo of America usually changes anything that could be considered offensive.
I find it quite hypocritical that you are upset about this ridiculous situation yet you have a white mii fighter culturally appropriating the Japanese samurai as your icon for this site. This rabid PC culture and SJWism needs to stop. It's insensitive maybe, but it is not racist. Stop the race baiting.
 

Rocketjay8

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I find it quite hypocritical that you are upset about this ridiculous situation yet you have a white mii fighter culturally appropriating the Japanese samurai as your icon for this site. This rabid PC culture and SJWism needs to stop. It's insensitive maybe, but it is not racist. Stop the race baiting.
Are you ****ing serious?
 

Alsyght

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Yeah, companies should be way more conscious about these things. Who even green-lit this? Idk much about racial awareness in Japan, but they really should check certain things or have a consultant to avoid these racial discrepancies. It’s not that hard. The internet is literally right there.
 

Fell God

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Honestly I don't care either way (I mean, if it doesn't offend me I could care less if it does anyone else) but damn is that title hilarious
 

Rocketjay8

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Hyruleslink Hyruleslink

So trying to figure out how this got under the radar is SJWism/PC culture/race baiting? **** off with that nonsense.

Also, yes, this f-smash model feeds into the Negative Stereotype of Native Americans of being Primitive Savages.
 
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Aurane

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Curiously, it was censored before. In the GBA version, the feather was removed and the Native Americans become known as bandits instead. So I'm wondering why they reverted back to this. Its clearly obvious that certain parties would find this disagreeable.

As for me? I personally don't care. This is a thing that happened YEARS ago, and its return could simply be a nostalgic comeback, which is a central idea around G&W as a fighter. I'll be offended if it was intentionally meant to be offensive.
 

SilverSmasher

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I am a white American. If anyone wears an American flag hat, speaks with a southern accent, and shoots a gun, I will be offended.

Just kidding, I won't, since I'm not a Whiney man-child.
 

Arthur97

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While this was more about his f-smash and how it had a “feather in a headress” like the game it was based on, it is a rather inconsequential thing if you think about it. Most people are gonna go back to melee by 2021 when the most offensive thing about Game & Watch was his shield size. Most will ignore him as a character anyway, as they always have.
Woah, woah, woah, Melee will be really hard to play in 2021 just by account of finding a CRT.
 

TDRR

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Not really, because in 2021 you could just use one of the newly developed LCDs with 10ms input lag (or lower)

Or just take care of the one you currently have, like i had with mine for more than 10 years :D
 

Tiltedssb

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Honestly people just get offended too easily. G&W is in a headdress not doing anything that is offensive. This has always been his F-smash. Now it is more accurate to the game it came from. I'm sorry if you get offended but I don't believe they should change it. It is a good look back to where he came from. Almost everything can be skewed to be offensive.
 

THE TemporaryFool

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I find it quite hypocritical that you are upset about this ridiculous situation yet you have a white mii fighter culturally appropriating the Japanese samurai as your icon for this site. This rabid PC culture and SJWism needs to stop. It's insensitive maybe, but it is not racist. Stop the race baiting.
Bold of you to assume that I am a liberal who is offended by this. Btw, this is just an official render for the Takamaru mii costume.

Woah, woah, woah, Melee will be really hard to play in 2021 just by account of finding a CRT.
Don’t most tv’s these days have some kind of function that makes it work like a CRT? Besides, the wii can play gamecube games.
 

Arthur97

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Don’t most tv’s these days have some kind of function that makes it work like a CRT? Besides, the wii can play gamecube games.
That may be, but I thought it supposedly had some minor delay and the Melee players just can't have that. I mean, at least some players almost seem to need specifically broken controllers.
 

THE TemporaryFool

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That may be, but I thought it supposedly had some minor delay and the Melee players just can't have that. I mean, at least some players almost seem to need specifically broken controllers.
Ah yes, those who are so concerned about frame data that they won’t play it if there is a 1/2 frame delay due to the lack of wires.

Bold of you to assume that I am a liberal who is offended by this. Btw, this is just an official render for the Takamaru mii costume.
In Addition, I have not outright said that this was racist or anything, I was just reporting what some have said.
 

Diem

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What exactly is racist about it? The red color that's only there because of the alternative color for Game and Watch that he's always had? Do we really have to bring up that Mario is a fat, short, hairy italian man that loves pasta and ravioli and does a really exaggerated italian accent...again? Nobody seems to care about that. This just sounds like white liberals trying to complain about stuff that nobody else cares about. Remember the whole mess about Mario wearing a poncho and sombrero? Turns out a lot of Mexican folk didn't care and actually thought it was funny.
As an Italian, my family and I have always loved Mario. We've always thought it was cool to see Italians get represented so explicitly, since that doesn't happen very often, but it happened here with the face of gaming itself. Can you name another well-known Italian video game character? Probably not. Yet the biggest character of Nintendo and gaming in general is Italian. We don't care that it's stereotypical. We think it's funny. My family has pasta and pizza multiple times a week, so what?

Especially when most representations of Italians are as criminals in the mob, due to the Godfather. Which we don't mind either, but I find it interesting that Italians get to constantly be represented as organized criminals, even in Zootopia (a movie about how stereotypes and prejudices are bad), yet minor stuff like this (Mr. Game & Watch) is what gets people riled up.
 

Arthur97

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As an Italian, my family and I have always loved Mario. We've always thought it was cool to see Italians get represented so explicitly, since that doesn't happen very often, but it happened here with the face of gaming itself. Can you name another well-known Italian video game character? Probably not. Yet the biggest character of Nintendo and gaming in general is Italian. We don't care that it's stereotypical. We think it's funny. My family has pasta and pizza multiple times a week, so what?

Especially when most representations of Italians are as criminals in the mob, due to the Godfather. Which we don't mind either, but I find it interesting that Italians get to constantly be represented as organized criminals, even in Zootopia (a movie about how stereotypes and prejudices are bad), yet minor stuff like this (Mr. Game & Watch) is what gets people riled up.
Frankly, I could probably tell you why, but it would probably open another can of worms.
 
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