A friend o' mine commented that "she's not trying to be a sex object in SSBB". There's one simple thing I have to say to anyone who uses said argument: Look at her goddamn taunts.

To be fair, Samus has always been about the whole "Watch me take off my armor." Now that they made it a part of the game to where she's actually a playable character everyone's all "SEX OBJECT!"

EDIT: Hell, for that matter, Samus is fully clothed. It may be in a bodysuit, but remember most fighting games have the entire female cast in bikinis one way or another. Smash Bros actually is less sexual then most, people are just focusing on what's new.

Sakurai had to make up for deciding Ridley was not to be playable. I think he made a good compromise with Zamus.

Video comparing everyone's speed. I'm surprised Ike can keep up with Squirtle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNdLECu0Zh4

Snake VS Snake. Wow: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GHtc80Q5hIA

Everybody's all "SEX OBJECT!"? Because she isn't presented as such? The game has to grow with the audience, right? Pfft.

It's cheapening the character. I don't remember Samus ever having sexual overtones of "watch me take my armor off". She was a bounty hunter in power armor who happened to be a female. The whole "Samus Gender Revelation" was to be different and shock the audience.

I'm not prudish, I'm not naive, I'm not against sex. This is just selling out the character to get a few extra sales.

I'm sorry, this is ridiculous. Sakurai made her a playable character because he thought it'd be fun, and he based the design off of a mission in Metroid Zero Mission and Metroid Prime 2. She's always had a history of taking off her armor at the end of the game as a 'reward' to the player. Yes, it was meant as a 'surprise', but I think the surprise kind of got killed off around Metroid, Metroid II, and Super Metroid. You already know at the beginning of Metroid Prime that Samus is a woman, with the cries of pain and the visor flash.

But cheapening the character? When has Samus ever had any 'character' anyway? The most dialog she's ever had was in Metroid Prime 3 and the self-reflection in Zero Mission and Super. I mean really, if you're going down that path, she's a do-it-yourself loner bounty hunter girl, and now that she's actually expressing her sexuality you say it 'cheapens' her because she's not the verbally mute enigma?

Okay like maybe if her taunt consisted of her bending over, arching her back, wiggling her breasts and winking at the opponent, sure. But I don't see how giving her an alternate costume that isn't her Power Suit 'cheapens her' because it happens to be form-fitting. I'm sure nobody would blink twice if her suit was something akin to Raiden's MGS4 outfit, what with cybernetic enhancements and a visor-helmet.

You may as well make the same claim about Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, what with all the bikini-clad Nintendo/Sega characters.

Metroid Fusion (plus that e-manga that's considered canon by Nintendo).

How many times have we had this discussion in the smash threads now?

Comparison between Fox, Falco and Wolf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je7SQpO2V_Y

Yeah, that's it, you figured it out. I'm afraid of Samus expressing her sexuality. You discovered my secret, Mirai, I don't want women to be independent or convey their own personalites. Please, please don't state that she's "expressing her sexuality" and that I just feel it "cheapens the character".

I preferred the "do-it-yourself, enigma girl" Samus, I guess. But whatever, I'm sure I'll just be made into the enemy here. I'm not going to argue. I've made my stance.

Oh, and Mario and Sonic? Please, that's just silly.

The Zero Suit section of Zero Mission is probably the best part of that game, and from the videos I've seen Zamus is a very well executed character both in terms of fun gameplay and communicating the aesthetic of the Zero Suit section of Zero Mission. I only half expected Sakurai to achieve this - especially when the "whip" was introduced, but I have to say that in the final product it's much more reminiscent of the grapple beam than, for example, Ivy's sword.
So I don't believe that the "let's all look up Peach's dress lol" crowd taking a run at Zamus can be laid at Nintendo's feet. Damn near every other game ever sexes up their female characters, these fans are so used to it that it's the primary lens through which they evaluate any visibly female character. They're full of shit, but it ain't Nintendo's shit.

Why not? That's exactly what you just said! Don't victimize yourself just cause I call you out.

Damn skippy. Like I said, Sakurai took the Zero Suit that has been in two games already and applied it as a secondary movelist for Samus, and here we go with the response.

Moving on.

Not much Kirby videos around, still. I'm curious if he's any more improved than last time.