SNK's Beautiful Ninjutsu Warrior - Mai Shiranui Support Thread (Officially too lewd for Smash)

[Sari]

First Appearance: Fatal Fury 2 (1992)
Latest Appearance: SNK Heroines (2018)

Who is Mai?

​

Debuting in Fatal Fury 2, Mai is a fighter in SNK's Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series who is trained in the art of ninjitsu. She eventually falls for Andy Bogard (brother of FF protagonist Terry Bogard) and proceeds to enter as a contestant in most martial arts tournaments.

Known for her easy-to-use moveset and sex appeal, Mai is one of the most iconic female fighters in gaming (arguably the most iconic after Chun-li and Cammy). She has appeared in every KoF game (except for XII but we don't talk about XII), appeared alongside other SNK reps in the Capcom vs SNK games, and even made a guest appearance in Dead or Alive 5.

But wait, isn't Mai's design way too sexual/revealing for Smash?

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While this is true, there is a surprisingly easy way for Mai to get around this while keeping her sex appeal and not making it feel forced: use her design from Real Bout Fatal Fury.

This could easily work because:

• The overall outfit stays true to Mai's sexy ninja design without overdoing any censorship.
• It is based on one of Mai's designs from a non-censored Fatal Fury game so it wouldn't be viewed as heavy censorship (unlike Mai's sprites in the SNES version of FF2).
• The revealing areas below her waist are covered by the red fabric, so they are just as revealing as Lyn's who is an assist trophy. They can even keep her crotch areas intact for all the people who like to pause the game and zoom in (Peach has had a similar treatment).
• Her chest region is fairly covered while still containing her cleavage for fanservice. Obviously they can't go to KoF XIII levels of boob jiggles but considering we have Bayonetta I don't think they'd need to be too cautious.
• Terry's outfit in KoF XIV went back to the red jacket from the original Fatal Fury so Mai reverting to a different design isn't too far-fetched.

EDIT 11/6/19: Well this section aged terribly...

Things in favor of Mai's inclusion

Mai is an incredibly iconic fighting game character and is easily among the top 5 most popular SNK characters. She is no stranger to crossovers given her other appearances in videogames, and would be a nice ninja-based addition since we only have Greninja as a ninja fighter. SNK also has a fairly strong relation with Nintendo thanks to many of their games being playable on Nintendo consoles including Fatal Fury 2 (Mai's debut game), SNK Heroines (featuring Mai), and the upcoming Switch exclusive 40th anniversary collection.

Things against Mai's inclusion

Third-party slots are limited and she'd have to compete with Terry or Kyo for a possible SNK slot. Some fans may also prefer Mai's jiggle physics pushed to the max which may be too inappropriate for Smash.

Moveset

More to come soon but for now here are the basics:​

Neutral :

Standard projectile move.

Side :

The roll at the beginning can dodge projectiles. Can also be used in the air to recover.

Up :

Mai can aim the flying part in any of the 8 control stick directions, and could possibly start a combo if she manages to hit the opponent.

Down :

Long horizontal range and can kill relatively early. Mainly deals damage when close to Mai.

Final Smash :

Creates flaming pillars around her that has a very high vertical hitbox.

Alternatively she could have her KoF XIV climax super in case her FS needs to be more cinematic.

Regular attacks (work in progress).

Spoiler: Regular attacks

Up-tilt:

Down-tilt:

Spoiler: Smash Attacks

Up Smash:

Other notes:

• Stage entrance would be her animation when appearing in the KoF games.
• Star KO scream would be her iconic "ANDY!!!!!" scream.
• Victory theme would be a sped-up snippet of her FF2 theme.

Possible Color Palettes:​

Are you interested in seeing Mai make it to Smash one day? Join the support group! Just comment below and I'll add you to it. Otherwise feel free to leave any other comments/opinions/thoughts.

Supporters
Sari
Frizz
toonito
lady_sky skipper
scarlet solsitce
KirbyWorshipper2465
Louisacommie
kool2419
Pizza Robo
Ramen Tengoku
Dyllybirdy
FirestormNeos
Russell_SSB
Kirbeh
zferolie
Crap-Zapper
drag0nscythe
YsDisciple
♕Pretty Roger♕
Perkilator
NessAtc.
MajoraMan28
MetaDork
ninjahmos

Other SNK support threads:
Terry Bogard
Kyo Kusanagi
Iori Yagami​

For the mods (tagging Grim "Anubis" Reaper ), there was technically another Mai support thread but I PM'd the original owner of it ( scarlet solsitce ) and we agreed to lock that one and use the one here for the main thread.

 

[Frizz]

I like how this support thread looks! The sprites and portraits from the games were a nice touch too—they're really pleasing to look at! That said, I agree with the points you gave, especially the part about needing more "ninja" fighters. I used to think they were the coolest things ever when I was younger.

Put me down as a supporter! I can't wait to see what you have planned for the regular attacks.

 

[toonito]

you already know im a supporter

 

[lady_sky skipper]

Put me on as a supporter for Mai in Smash Bros. (In fact I support almost any SNK characters, especially the obscure ones. )

 

[scarlet solsitce]

thanks for this im still new to the site so i dont really know the ins and outs

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Supporting. It's good to see someone having analyzed and found a possible way to get around the obvious issue Mai has in regards to possible inclusion.

 

[Louisacommie]

I'm down for her.

 

[kool2419]

I support Mai too not only because she`s iconic but also because she`s my favorite SNK character.

 

[Pizza Robo]

I support Mai to be Playable in Super Smash Bros Ultimate :D Sign Me Up

 

[Sari]

Thank you everyone for joining the support group so far! I'm trying to get a Mai signature flair and have started to add her regular moves. If you have your own ideas of what her regular moves could be feel free to post them as well.

 

[scarlet solsitce]

i support this entirely thank you with all my heart

 

[Ramen Tengoku]

Oh hey, she finally has a support thread, I support...

 

[Dyllybirdy]

I support Mai too.

She's cute.

 

[Sari]

Dang, my Kyo and Mai support threads now have at least 10 supporters each. That might seem like nothing to most people but I'm really proud they grew that big.

Anyway I know I said I was gonna work on her moveset a while ago but I got overloaded with college work and forgot about it (and now I have to get ready for finals). If anyone would like to create a moveset for Mai feel free to post your ideas below.

 

[FirestormNeos]

I suppose I'll throw my support in, as well.

 

[Sari]

Hello everyone!

The RTC thread is currently rating the concept of an SNK character appearing in Smash.

https://smashboards.com/threads/rat...ition-day-248-concept-snk-rep.453357/page-427

If you want Mai, Terry, Kyo, or any other SNK character to be in Smash feel free to show your support.

 

[Russell_SSB]

I would SOOOO wanna see this sexy babe in Smash Bros.!
Thing is, how would the creator of this game deal with her and her, I hate to say this and make this a problem but, bouncy big boobs? As much as I don't have a problem with them, but others on the other hand might see her in this E10+ game.

 

[Sari]

I would SOOOO wanna see this sexy babe in Smash Bros.!
Thing is, how would the creator of this game deal with her and her, I hate to say this and make this a problem but, bouncy big boobs? As much as I don't have a problem with them, but others on the other hand might see her in this E10+ game.

Unfortunately Mai's sex appeal is an incredibly important aspect of her character that would have to be toned down for Smash which many people probably wouldn't like. I do think however that using her slightly more covered Real Bout Fatal Fury design is a good way to incorporate her into Smash without needlessly censoring her.

 

[Russell_SSB]

Unfortunately Mai's sex appeal is an incredibly important aspect of her character that would have to be toned down for Smash which many people probably wouldn't like. I do think however that using her slightly more covered Real Bout Fatal Fury design is a good way to incorporate her into Smash without needlessly censoring her.

That is a very good point. The sex appeal IS the best thing about her. With the Fatal Fury design, it could possibly work with little-to-no censorship, which is one thing that bothers me on characters. Especially Camilla.

Sure, Nintendo is trying to make the game Family-Friendy, and that kids are also playing it, but it really freakin' bothers me about their changes.

 

[Kirbeh]

Support. She's probably unlikely as you addressed already, but I'd still love to see her get in. If only Smash would go back to a T rating, then characters like her would have a better shot and they could even ease up on current fighters like . Though they got her pretty spot on regardless which was great.

 

[Russell_SSB]

Support. She's probably unlikely as you addressed already, but I'd still love to see her get in. If only Smash would go back to a T rating, then characters like her would have a better shot and they could even ease up on current fighters like . Though they got her pretty spot on regardless which was great.

I miss the T-rated era.

 

[Kirbeh]

I miss the T-rated era.

Melee and Brawl did perfectly fine with a T rating and Smash 3DS/Wii U/Ultimate are treading a fine line as it is. But we need that E to E10+ range for the rating now for some reason. Mario's on the cover and we gotta protect that branding or something. I kind of get it, but I also don't given that it was fine in the past.

 

[zferolie]

If we get any snk rep Mai is one of the top choices, along with Terry, Athena, and that girl from samurai showdown. I think Mai would be a very fun and unique fighter, and would bring a new playstyle with ninja and fire arts, but also bring in the KOF combo system somehow to pull off some crazy stuff. And yes i cant deny i would enjoy her other appeals as well. As stated im sure she would be fine and not too sexy. I mean bayonetta is in.

Sign me up

 

[Russell_SSB]

Melee and Brawl did perfectly fine with a T rating and Smash 3DS/Wii U/Ultimate are treading a fine line as it is. But we need that E to E10+ range for the rating now for some reason. Mario's on the cover and we gotta protect that branding or something. I kind of get it, but I also don't given that it was fine in the past.

Fair point.

 

[Crap-Zapper]

This is brilliant, I'm open for Mai. Very recognizable, and a cool SNK character.

 

[drag0nscythe]

I support Mai. She was my waifu when I was a kid.

 

[Sari]

New Dead or Alive 6 video featuring Mai and Kula.

 

[Crap-Zapper]

Don't know how I feel about Kula in DoA, Mai has been there before and really does fit however.

DoA just introduced another blue haired girl to the frey, why Kula?
Might just be me who have never been bothered by her moveset to begin with, and think that there are plenty of other better choices for DoA (Iori, Geese, K', Rock Howard, Duck King?)

 

[Sari]

Don't know how I feel about Kula in DoA, Mai has been there before and really does fit however.

DoA just introduced another blue haired girl to the frey, why Kula?
Might just be me who have never been bothered by her moveset to begin with, and think that there are plenty of other better choices for DoA (Iori, Geese, K', Rock Howard, Duck King?)

Personally I would've chosen Angel as the 2nd KoF rep in DoA since her sex appeal would help her fit in better with the rest of the cast. I'm fine with Kula though I can see what you mean.

 

[Crap-Zapper]

Angel would be a nice fit, but more for her moveset IMO.
I think I want less sex appeal in DoA, because we already got tons of that. Maybe Chang Koehan?

 

[Sari]

Even though I'm like 99.99% sure that whole female fighter rumor thing is fake, I gotta say it's pretty cool to see Mai be brought up in Smash speculation as a result of it.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

So, last night, I dreamt that among other upcoming DLC characters, Mai was one of them.

At this point, my dreams are clearly taunting me.

Even though I'm like 99.99% sure that whole female fighter rumor thing is fake, I gotta say it's pretty cool to see Mai be brought up in Smash speculation as a result of it.

View attachment 228399

Yeah, with any luck she can get more supporters than before, or now. A little bad publicity can't hurt.

 

[CboyC95]

Not to go all political, but I strongly doubt anyone in their right mind would care about a person's appearance for it to warrant controversy. Remember back in Melee where you can look up Peach's dress? Now, some of you might say, "Oh, but Smash is rated E and kids play it too." So? My parents would let me play T rated games back when I was around seven years old, and did that change me? No. The only ones who would care are most likely horny teenagers and perverted 40-somethings. Most of this stuff would probably fly over most kids heads anyway. Especially when other E rated games allow blood among other things. Here's a video that goes into more detail:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK2JDPZbu1Q&t=28s
We live in an era where homosexuality is becoming an accepted concept in media, and these so called "Social Justice Warriors" really need to stop having their pants in a twist.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

I think the issue is more due to content ratings standards in Japan being different. Palutena's thighs were censored in the JP version of 4, and that change carried over to Ultimate.

Though when you consider some of the stuff in the game, it's...weird. Some Metal Gear and Xenoblade character spirits got hit pretty hard with censorship, and Samus can have a biker shorts alt with no issues.

Although it still beats Sony apparently getting strict these days.

 

[YsDisciple]

Mai for Smash? Ooooooh yeeeeeah! Seriously though she'd be a great pick game-play-wise. She'd be the first legitimate fighting female character (no guns, no golf clubs, tennis rackets, frying pans, swords).

 

[Sari]

Not to go all political, but I strongly doubt anyone in their right mind would care about a person's appearance for it to warrant controversy. Remember back in Melee where you can look up Peach's dress? Now, some of you might say, "Oh, but Smash is rated E and kids play it too." So? My parents would let me play T rated games back when I was around seven years old, and did that change me? No. The only ones who would care are most likely horny teenagers and perverted 40-somethings. Most of this stuff would probably fly over most kids heads anyway. Especially when other E rated games allow blood among other things. Here's a video that goes into more detail:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK2JDPZbu1Q&t=28s
We live in an era where homosexuality is becoming an accepted concept in media, and these so called "Social Justice Warriors" really need to stop having their pants in a twist.

If Camilla and Mythra's censored spirits in Ultimate are anything to go by, then unfortunately it seems like Nintendo does care about how much skin people show. Mai could work in Smash though there'd have to be a lot of care in making sure she both retains her sex appeal and is appropriate enough for the game. I think the Real Bout costume design idea that I mentioned in the OP is the best loophole around Nintendo's stingy rules.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

If Camilla and Mythra's censored spirits in Ultimate are anything to go by, then unfortunately it seems like Nintendo does care about how much skin people show. Mai could work in Smash though there'd have to be a lot of care in making sure she both retains her sex appeal and is appropriate enough for the game. I think the Real Bout costume design idea that I mentioned in the OP is the best loophole around Nintendo's stingy rules.

Although there can be exceptions, seeing as Shantae and Risky made it in just fine. It's a wonder that they sneaked past the radar somehow.

Then again, peeving off an indie dev would have been more than unwise.

 

[MattX20]

Given that Ann from Persona 5 was allowed to have her cleavage exposing outfit intact for the stage and spirit of the Phantom Theives, I think the whole cleavage thing was just a base game thing only and that DLC isn't quite as strict as base game material. The Fatal Fury outfit would still convey Mai's character well enough I think, though breast jiggling physics would be highly unlikely. Still, given the recent rumors over a female fighting game character with a flying projectile, Mai's fans are capable of that, so it's possible the rumor might be pointing to her.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Given that Ann from Persona 5 was allowed to have her cleavage exposing outfit intact for the stage and spirit of the Phantom Theives, I think the whole cleavage thing was just a base game thing only and that DLC isn't quite as strict as base game material. The Fatal Fury outfit would still convey Mai's character well enough I think, though breast jiggling physics would be highly unlikely. Still, given the recent rumors over a female fighting game character with a flying projectile, Mai's fans are capable of that, so it's possible the rumor might be pointing to her.

I mean, I'm fairly sure Bayonetta's B1 cleavage was allowed for her alt this time. It's her stripping that got censored.

I guess cleavage shouldn't be too wide, otherwise it's kosher.

 

[MattX20]

I mean, I'm fairly sure Bayonetta's B1 cleavage was allowed for her alt this time. It's her stripping that got censored.

I guess cleavage shouldn't be too wide, otherwise it's kosher.

That, and it's not like every gal in the base game had their cleavage censored either. Shantae and Risky Boots were left completely unaltered for their spirits, and I think Candy Kong too and Krystal's outfit is much more revealing than Mai's. If Sakurai goes for nostalgic aspects of characters designs, her Fatal Fury 2 appearance would probably where he'd look.