This feels odd coming from me of all people, since I never have a problem with fanservice in games unless it's... basically outright meant to be pornographic, or like an ecchi/hentai game or something. Oftentimes, for most games I think nothing more of it than that just being a way the character dresses. That's it.
But I kind of do have to say, and this ties in with the picture SuperSega just linked... As Shantae supporters, we do kind of have a problem with how most fans draw Shantae with such extreme cleavage. It worries me a little because everyone has to remember that Nintendo's goal is to be family-friendly. I have no doubt they could develop her model to avoid any problems with her pants being too low or with her cleavage... but still.
Such fan-art is, sadly, fuel for the detractors. Which is really kind of sickening when the art is of fantastic quality, but just one thing allows people to point and say "lol Thirsty nerds/sexism".
Not sure if I worded this post all that well. But I hope you all get what I'm saying.
Bah. It doesn't hold water as a detraction. EVERY Character gets treated this way. Whenever I see stuff like that thrown as a "detraction", I will forever, and always point to the most sexualized character on Nintendo's roster,
.
Seriously. I know These outfits are a Zero Mission reference... but, in my eyes, if Zero Suit Samus can get a pass for revealing this much skin, and having hardly anyone call it out, then I see no reason why a half-genie with standard belly-dancer/genie attire couldn't get in.
How are the numbers for Shantae games anyway? Do they break over million? Gonna have to check VGCharts for this.
I mean Shantae is a third party. The rules for them are much stricter than third parties, especially in this DLC environment where the character HAS to sell on his/her own.
Ness doesn't have to be judged by this quality. He's been a first party rep that Sakurai chose in the very first game. That means a lot considering who he was added with. Even if the games didn't sell, Sakurai saw potential in him. Same thing for Kid Icarus and Ice Climber (albeit they came later).
Also weaboo trash? This is something you'd see on Youtube. Do people say this kinda of **** here about her?
I understand what he means. In fact, it does apply heavily to Ness actually.
Look. Lets pretend for just a moment, in some alternate universe, the Earthbound series NEVER got represented in Smash Bros. Didn't appear in the first game, didn't appear in the second game, and didn't appear in the third. Didn't make it in at launch of the fourth. So, people start campaigning him for the Smash Ballot.
Lets look at the detractions that would be thrown at him.
1. Is too obscure
2. Irrelevant
3. Dead Franchise
4. Not recognizable in America (I'd say, without Smash, the recognition of the series wouldn't be as prominent over here as it is today... Heck the only reason I found out of the series myself, was lo and behold, through Smash Bros.)
Save for the third, these detractions should sound familiar. Infact, they are the same ones that have been thrown against Shantae. Many have said she is too obscure, irrelevant,.. and on the flipside from Ness' detraction, "Isn't recognizable in Japan".
So really, Ricky is right. The two really do parallel each other as cult classics. It would be really hard to say that Ness wouldn't be in the same boat Shantae is in today if he had not appeared in the first game, and sealed himself as an original twelve member (and ultimately locked his series into the Smash world as a whole).