Sakurai realized he has turned Samus into a sex object?

[Slugma128]

This topic is to discuss weather or not ZS Samus was a good move by Sakurai. No matter what we say here, people, gaming mags and gaming sites will refer to her as "sexy ZS Samus" or "hot ZS Samus". Do hardcore Samus fans want their heroine to be seen as this?

Sure, she has stripped in the past games, but most people didn't even see that, as it required some skill to see. Now, with SSBB, EVERYONE will see ZS Samus, and many will see her as another stereotype videogame female, a sex object. Thanks to her blue body paint...err...clothes.

Yeah, I know. Many people won't care about it either, as all they concentrate on is gameplay. However, I'm sure the general opinion about ZS Samus is that Nintendo made her look that way for sex appeal. And heck, how can you deny that when you see her big boobs in that skintight clothing? It's pretty obvious sex appeal if you ask me.

So, did Sakurai do this on purpose to give people a new image of Samus? And what will the reactions be? Remember that this game will probably sell better than any Metroid game has ever done, and thus be played by more people. Will Samus lose her mysterious aura with SSBB, and will that affect the future regular Metroid games in any way?

Discuss!

EDIT: I know ZS Samus first appeared in Metroid Zero Mission, but it was still Sakurai's decision to bring that sexy clad Samus to SSBB...

 

[Rash]

Well, I'm not completely sure. To me, it's more about proving that even under all of that armor that Samus is wearing, she's still just a vulnerable female human being. It might have something to do with sex appeal, but it might also have deeper meaning. Showing a more human side of Samus benefits her as a character.

We hardly get to see Samus without the her suit on, so it's a good refresher to see what she looks like under all of it. Every little bit of information that proves her human qualities has become important. Everything from her getting infected by the X-virus in Metroid Fusion, and showing her vulnerability without the suit in Metroid Zero Mission, to giving her a noticeable voice (reaction sounds, anyway) in Metroid Prime takes her farther and farther from that "cyborg" feeling given in the first few games.

In turn, Sakurai's decision was great for all sides.

 

[Slugma128]

That's a deep thought! The question is how many who will think that deep, instead of just seeing her in that body paint, and then say "haha, she looks like Taki!".

 

[phanna]

This topic is to discuss weather or not ZS Samus was a good move by Sakurai. No matter what we say here, people, gaming mags and gaming sites will refer to her as "sexy ZS Samus" or "hot ZS Samus". Do hardcore Samus fans want their heroine to be seen as this?

Of course it was a good move. Hardcore Samus fans, as you put it, will be excited about a different playability added to a character they are enthusiastic about. Sakurai is doing fine. It's people like you and those other forum trolls that have sigs full of **** & Ass, objectifying women, that bother me.

 

[Slugma128]

Sigh, don't be so ignorant. I think this desicion will have a great affect on the character Samus and how people look at her and her games in the future.

 

[tirkaro]

*sigh*
this is what I hate......a LOT!
people who instantly go crazy at the smallest, unintentional sexual undertone in a game or movie. women have breasts. GET OVER IT ALREADY!
the suit covers her entire body, so whats the problem? if your going to go crazy over the fact that she has big breast, you might as well start screaming at every busty woman you see. seriously, people and thier dirty minds.....

 

[Slugma128]

LOL! "It covers her entire body" LOOOL! Yeah, but change that blue color to skin color and she would appear nude...get it?

And this is hardly the "smallest sexual undertone" either. She looks like Taki, exept her breasts and butt aren't as big. But it sure as hell are sex appeal to that suit, if you can't see that you're either blind or just dumb.

 

[#HBC | marshy]

Ummm...maybe making a thread like this was going a little too far.

 

[Slugma128]

Nope, because they discussion is about this will affect the character Samus. Because people in general will see her in a different way than before, after this game is released.

Now let's see if people here are mature enough to discuss this, or if they'll continue to bash off-topic.

 

[tirkaro]

LOL! "It covers her entire body" LOOOL! Yeah, but change that blue color to skin color and she would appear nude...get it?

And this is hardly the "smallest sexual undertone" either. She looks like Taki, exept her breasts and butt aren't as big. But it sure as hell are sex appeal to that suit, if you can't see that you're either blind or just dumb.

......
listen, I do see some sex appeal to samus, but nobody really gives jack about it. sure, it might raise some eyebrows, but its not worth making an entire topic about. if any girl looks good, is that automaticaly a crime? and yes making this topic is going to far.

EDIT: mature enough to talk about this? its pretty immature to make this topic. I mean, what do you want to see zamus in? a big puffy spacesuit? EEW!

 

[#HBC | marshy]

! !

 

[Kabyk-Greenmyst]

They would've made her much hotter with much bigger boobs and a nicer *ss. Not that those things aren't there already, <cough> just that they would be nicer if he wanted them to be sex appeal. I mean, this isn't old-school where people screamed at the word d*mn.

Just think about the competition, Soul Calibur and Tomb Raider. I'm d*mn well sure that Tika's boobs get bigger with every sequal, and she's a buff ninja chick! In her line of work, they only get in the way! Don't forget Ivy. heh...............big boobs.........

 

[Wolfblade]

Sure she's got sex apeal, but thats because she's just too awsome. Everyone knows Samus as the kick arse bounty hunter with a big gun. Well now we get to find out why she was chosen for the job, not as her skills in the suit, but what she can do without it. If you ask me it's a statement that women are tough even if they are sexy. So wether she's got one big gun or two (yeah I know that was a lil' pervertive but I couldn't resist) she will always be that same icon in gaming. And of course she's gonna look good, her suit ain't that big, you don't think a 300 pound girl could fit in that do you? Again she was picked because she was the best of the best, so naturally she's gonna have the best physique, wouldn't you agee?

 

[Resting_Fox]

Well it's not a bad topic. And I can see what you're saying.

For some reason I have to sigh with foreboding at this thought. Because indeed Samus's sex appeal may leak into future games.

And to whoever thinks the sex appeal is not intentional, watch the trailer again, closely. It takes a few frames just to focus on her body's 'features' so...yeah. I think it's there to draw in the more "mature" audience who will buy a fighting game like DOA for it's blatant sex appeal. Nintendo's just being more conservative about it.

Probably the most that would happen, though, would be like, a photo gallery with Samus in sort of Victoria's Secret positions. I don't think the gameplay of future Metroids will be vastly infected with aliens trying to **** Samus or something like that.

Here's praying that Metroid will someday return to its roots. [yeah, like that's gonna happen.]

 

[Slugma128]

It's not about her being beautiful, it's about her suit. This board is dedicated to Smash, therefore many die-hard fans here will never say a negative thing about it. But, I've already seen lots of reactions, both from RL friends and on other boards. Many Samus fans (but not Smash-fans) are very upset that Nintendo, as they say, have "destroyed the mysterious aura surrounding Samus" by doing this. She's not that silent, mystic bounty hunter than no one knows much about anymore.

 

[SuperBowser]

meh, i agree making Zero Suit Samus could have been a bit of a mistake... I don't think the new image is what Samus should be.

Of course, maybe that's the exact reason Sakurai did it. Sex appeal isn't gonna hurt sales is it?

 

[Wolfblade]

Trust me when you see what she can do in Brawl yer gonna just love Samus that much more. All those complaints are gonna go the way of the dinosaurs as people say "Woah Samus is one tough chick!" She's gotta be sexy anyway, would you have prefered her to be some fat ugo? We've waited a long time to see what she actually looks like so give the fans what they want. All those people saying they don't like it really do or they will, cause now it really shows there is a girl under all that metal, and she still has what it takes to Brawl with the best of them no matter what the situation!

 

[Diddy Kong]

Well atleast Peach isnt the blonde bimbo from Smash anymore.

 

[Mic_128]

LOL! "It covers her entire body" LOOOL! Yeah, but change that blue color to skin color and she would appear nude...get it?

Isn't that the same logic as saying "If you take off her clothes she's NUDE!"

Yes, she's got boobs now. I personally would have perfered her to stay in her suit, seeing as her coming out's supsoed to be a reward for passing a metroid game with extreme speed and item completion. But she's here and you're all going to have to get used to it. Making topics about "ZOMG perverts will go boobs" aren't really going to help, especially when the topic creater's got pics of her butt in their sig. Kinda hypocritical really.

 

[SuperBowser]

^that's why I think Zamus is a mistake lol. She isn't supposed to be a sex object and it's kinda tiring that even Nintendo is promoting a dumb commercial image that normal people can never really attain...

 

[#HBC | marshy]

Ok, making this topic was going too far. We've all seen Zamus and we all have different opinions on her, but this is basically you salivating over her Slugma.

 

[Slugma128]

Isn't that the same logic as saying "If you take off her clothes she's NUDE!"

Definitely not! her clothes are so tight, they leave nothing to the imagination. Heck, you can see every curve of her boobs, and that goes for her butt, too.

EDIT: Resting Fox made an exellent post. It's too bad english isn't my first language.

 

[Silpheed]

I dont see the problem. Samus, and every other female game character will and has always been objectified. Hentai, etc. This is nothing new. Maybe because I've been around alot longer, Ive seen this. But theres been porn based on her pre Zero Suit for years.

Basicly, who cares. Close thread.

 

[bluekitsune13]

I am a little disappointed with the inclusion of Zero Suit Samus in Brawl, but it's not that I'll lose sleep over it. The sex appeal from a marketing point could bring more fans to the game, but then again other fans from back in the day could be turned away too. I prefer the mysterious bounty huntress of the olden days, but seeing her face to face could actually help develop her character, breathe some more life into her.

 

[Flok]

The "mysterious aura" of Zamus has not left me after the SSBB trailer. If you think you know everything about Samus right now after the trailer and instantly call her a stereotypical sex icon, you get less respect from me.

 

[Slugma128]

Finally this thread gets a on topic discussion! Good! ^_^

 

[lanky_gunner]

of course zamus is gonna be considered a sex symbol. but are that many people complaining about it? i love the idea of zamus. it is a metroid's fan dream come true. how do i know that? most people who have played the first metroid say their favorite ending was the one where we see samus full figure. so what if nintendo and sakurai is taking a step toward more mature themes. don't make a big deal of it.

 

[icymatt]

It's still more practical than 'Justin Bailey-Suit Samus'.

Seriously, they probably chose ZSS because they thought Zero Mission was a great game, ann that this could be a unique addition not only to the character, but to Brawl itself.

 

[Slugma128]

But can you understand that old hard core fans of Samus thinks that this weakens her mysterial personality?

 

[Slugma128]

Seriously, they probably chose ZSS because they thought Zero Mission was a great game, ann that this could be a unique addition not only to the character, but to Brawl itself.

Maybe that's part of it. But if you take the infamous Japanese commercial of Zero Mission into consideration, I think it's pretty likely that Nintendo wanted to change Samus. Even Zero Mission's director said that he wanted to make Samus more feminine than in previous games, without turning her into a sex object.

However, I think he was just being diplomatic about that "not turn her into a sex object" thing. Zero Mission included a couple of in-game clear butt shots of Samus, and they were just there to show off her butt.

EDIT: Also, as Resting Fox said, the camera really sweeps around her body in the SSBB trailer, just to show it off. Like showing off an object.

 

[Deleted member]

Yes, Zamus is a sex symbol. Its hard not be be with a skin-tight jumpsuit and an extendable whip. Not to say its a bad thing. At least it shakes the kiddy image, cause now more people will realise Nintendo means buisness (did that just sound perverted?).

My big fear is that this will cause the game to get a higher than normal age rating, or cause an influx in the sterotypical GTA players. Zaums herself is kinda sterotypical. Think about it, why do all VG girls look the same way? Albeit, she is a bit more realistic, but hey, same difference.

 

[Rash]

I consider myself a hardcore Metroid fan, and I haven't a single problem with Samus' progression into the world where her armor isn't completely necessary. As I said before, we've been getting hints of her personality for a while now; getting her out of the suit and revealing information about her character was inevitable. Seriously, we didn't even see her actively out of her armor in Metroid Fusion, yet that's the game where we actually heard the most dialogue from her.

As I said in my previous post, Samus' revealing is a refresher. Sure, her "mysterial personality" is what makes her character special, but it's not like she'll be losing it completely, just by removing her armor. Seeing her in a more vulnerable state doesn't give away anything about her, really. It just gives us the opportunity to see her battling ability without the suit, which further proves how tough and rugged she is. As you can see, she's very "able" with her armor, but without it, she can still hold up during a fight, proving that the armor isn't all that makes the character.

Think about it, why do all VG girls look the same way?

Err...it can't always be explained. Considering that many VG girls lack a decent background, we can only infer that they look they way they do because that's "appealing". However, with those who are willing to do the research, Zamus can be given reason to look the way she does. First off, being a bounty hunter requires you to be disciplined, which in turn causes you to excercise and eat right in order to keep healthy. Also, just because Samus' armor helps her with everything from jumping to running, it still causes strain on her body, which in turn acts just like a workout routine.

 

[#HBC | marshy]

The "mysterious aura" of Zamus has not left me after the SSBB trailer. If you think you know everything about Samus right now after the trailer and instantly call her a stereotypical sex icon, you get less respect from me.

Her mysterious aura is still there, we still don't know her personality that much. She's Nintendo's sex icon, but she's not nearly as bad as all the others.

 

[Slugma128]

Hmm, I doubt any game with Kirby and Pikachu in it will shake the kiddy image. People will just find it absurd when they see ZS Samus whip Kirby or Pikachu thundershock Snake.

And WindGuru, ZS Samus's butt is small.

EDIT: Good post, Rash. That makes sense.

 

[tirkaro]

if you ask me, zamus is the equivelent to daisy duke in the old dukes of hazzard.
sure, her clothing "raised eyebrows" but its nothing to go all "OMGWTFBBQ SHE IZ A 5lu7!!!111one"
the ending shots of samus out of her suit in the games are just fanservice. so is zamus. besides, she's been mysterious long enough. they cant keep that up forever. so they finaly decise to show the other side of samus. that she's one kick @$$ chick. and you act like the fact they were showing zamus by panning across her body is a bad thing. they're emphisising that samus is one hot, kick butt chick. its also a thing to make unfamiliar players go "whoah! theres a woman under there!" you act like showing her AT ALL means they are preverted freaks.

 

[icymatt]

Understandable, I don't think any developer in the world could resist putting in SOME fan service given the bright flashing neon sign of an oppurtunity that part of the game gave.

I think, since Metroid has been making a major comeback the last couple of years, the developers really feel they want to develop Samus as a character, seeing as though that's all the rage these days. Samus still doesn't really have a personality, so you'll always have that.

Off-topic, but I'd love to see the Etecoons and the Dachoras appear in Brawl somehow. Makes me wish Smash had some sort of Strikers system.

 

[Slugma128]

if you ask me, zamus is the equivelent to daisy duke in the old dukes of hazzard.
sure, her clothing "raised eyebrows" but its nothing to go all "OMGWTFBBQ SHE IZ A 5lu7!!!111one"
the ending shots of samus out of her suit in the games are just fanservice. so is zamus. besides, she's been mysterious long enough. they cant keep that up forever. so they finaly decise to show the other side of samus. that she's one kick @$$ chick. and you act like the fact they were showing zamus by panning across her body is a bad thing. they're emphisising that samus is one hot, kick butt chick. its also a thing to make unfamiliar players go "whoah! theres a woman under there!" you act like showing her AT ALL means they are preverted freaks.

It's not about showing her at all, it's about showing her in such a revealing suit. Haven't you read all the posts???

EDIT: And don't forget Nintendo is the company which put innocent Peach in a pink thong. Really, this Samus change should come as no surprise if you look att other Nintendo games nowadays.

 

[06Falcon]

It's not about showing her at all, it's about showing her in such a revealing suit. Haven't you read all the posts???

EDIT: And don't forget Nintendo is the company which put innocent Peach in a pink thong. Really, this Samus change should come as no surprise if you look att other Nintendo games nowadays.

since when did they put peach in a pink thong? anyway, zamus is not a bad thing, grow up already. as someone else said, you make it seem like being a woman is a bad thing. just because she is shown in skin tight clothes doenst mean they are putting sex appeal just for the sake of competition. think about this, would it be easy for you to move in that armor wearing loose clothes? no. if anything the easiest way to move would be to wear tight clothes and when the armor came apart in the trailer thats how she was. its the way you are interpreting it that is wrong. and also if you truly are a die-hard metroid fan, this wont really affect you that much as long as the games are still good

edit: nothing personal against you slugma, im just saying that the way you are generalizing it to other fans out there is wrong.

 

[#HBC | marshy]

Tight clothes hurt.

Other than that, I agree with you.

 

[Resting_Fox]

think about this, would it be easy for you to move in that armor wearing loose clothes? no. if anything the easiest way to move would be to wear tight clothes and when the armor came apart in the trailer thats how she was.

Actually, in Super Metroid she wore a two-piece. Whether it was a swim-suit or her actual underwear is not known. But it was definitely the best reaction in any game for dying.

Still, even then she wasn't a sexual icon. It's really more about the social climate and general response from the fans. Once someone beats off to a picture of Samus, she's officially a sex icon.