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[ArcaneFreeze]

http://www.gamnesia.com/news/ninten...th-a-look-back-at-its-female-cha#.VQn78hDF-nA

In honor of Women's History Month, Nintendo has sent out an e-mail to the press, highlighting some of the companies strongest female characters

In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Princess Zelda was actually a tough and spunky captain of a ragtag group of pirates. Tetra saves Link from Ganondorf’s clutches, and later helps Link defeat Ganondorf for good to save the world.

Toadette is a recurring Toad character in the Mario series. These days, she’s a plucky treasure-hunter in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, who puts on a brave face to find rare goodies and save Captain Toad from the monstrous and greedy bird, Wingo.

Bayonetta is a sassy and incredibly stylish witch with pistol-stilettos and a vendetta against the armies of angels and demons that hunt her. She’s a force to be reckoned with, an ally to her best friend and fellow witch Jeanne and doesn’t take flak from anybody.

Rosalina is an interstellar observer, protector of the Lumas and friend to Mario in Super Mario Galaxy. She is mother to the Lumas, who are little star-like creatures capable of becoming new galaxies!

Lucina is an unwavering warrior with a strong sense of justice and commitment to her family. Her power, determination and wisdom gained from watching the destruction of her world are priceless strengths as one of Fire Emblem Awakening’s many playable female protagonists.

Samus Aran shocked the video game world at the end of the original Metroid game by revealing her gender and changing the way we think about video game characters in the process. Video game protagonists need not be male in order to be strong. Samus is a space bounty hunter in an armored suit, outfitted with a powerful blaster on the arm and extreme heat resistance.

Bombette is a Bob-omb who joins Mario on his quest in the original Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64. As a member of Mario’s diverse team of fighters, she has an explosive fighting style and isn’t afraid to get physical with her body slam and powerful bomb attacks.

Interestingly enough no Peach and Tetra instead of Zelda. Even more interesting is the inclusion of Bayonetta who isn't a Nintendo IP.

 

[Otakumegane]

Peach... Strongest female characters.

Duh.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

No Dixie is a weird omission, she's one of my favorites.

 

[foxuzamaki]

I'm so for this

 

[Fox_Mulder]

Does Nintendo own the Bayonetta IP?

 

[Buzzman]

prove it

 

[Kriken]

Does Nintendo own the Bayonetta IP?

No, and that's what kinda makes me scratch my head at her inclusion

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

prove it

maybe next year.

 

[ArcaneFreeze]

Does Nintendo own the Bayonetta IP?

No, Nintendo only owns the rights to Bayonetta 2, the IP itself still belongs to Sega.

 

[Hobohodo]

Yeah Tetra is good and all till they do the Zelda reveal where she just sits there waiting.

 

[tcrunch]

Using Bombette means they're going to announce another Paper Mario soon right

 

[Penguin]

No, and that's what kinda makes me scratch my head at her inclusion

Probably just marketing since she was just in a game.

Noice that Paper Mario is getting some love, but feel like should have gotten the support characters from The Thousand Year Door

 

[axisofweevils]

This is a good initiative, but some of the choices...

So weird that Palutena didn't make the cut, but Bombette did....

 

[ArcaneFreeze]

So weird the Palutena and Rosalina didn't make the cut, but Bombette did....

Rosalina is there.

 

[Mael]

prove it

I like how they used the superior design on this one...

 

[beril]

But aren't Toad & Toadette officially genderless?

 

[Majine]

Samus Aran still the coolest female in gaming.

 

[Moonlight]

prove it

I'm glad Nintendo understands the superior Varia suit design.

Spoiler

stay buried OM

 

[Somnid]

I like the gesture but I feel getting into any discussion about social issues as a company is a complete minefield. I will be shocked if this doesn't backfire somehow.

 

[axisofweevils]

Rosalina is there.

Whoops! Edited!

 

[jooey]

God bless the copywriter who has to describe Bayonetta in an all-ages fashion

 

[DaBoss]

Bombette made me go "why?" when I saw this earlier.

No Dixie is a weird omission, she's one of my favorites.

Now that is odd.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Girls are fucking cool.

 

[Nekofrog]

Tetra?

Really, Nintendo? That's one of the worst choices given the neutering the character goes through.

 

[Sponge]

No Dixie? Ugh, figures they'd mention Bayonetta before her :/

 

[NewGame]

Nice to see Samus with her powersuit ala Prime. Good thing they didn't go for the other M look.

We can d-

Adam has not authorized that.

 

[ffdgh]

Bayonetta is a Nintendo girl now? Shame no TP or SS Zelda.

Where the goombella love and paper peach love nintendo?

 

[Pellegri Testament]

No Peach of Zelda makes sense since they're more often than not the damsel in distress, which doesn't exactly have selling points as far as "strong" character goes. It does seem like a "more often than not" type of thing or they're just omitting games considering the fact that they have Samus on there, who's last game just destroyed her strength as a character.

 

[Nocturnowl]

Of course there's no Dixie Kong, she only managed to not ever get captured while even DK and Diddy have at least twice each, talk about breaking down those walls and subverting expectations, even had a lead role way back in 1996, that took Peach like another decade to do.

 

[Odrion]

Someone quickly turn these into avatars.

Also they didn't include Peach. Smart.

 

[Mael]

Nice to see Samus with her powersuit ala Prime. Good thing they didn't go for the other M look.

Make sense they wouldn't use the useless Samus for their empowering women campaign.
Just saying.

 

[EmCeeGramr]

God bless the copywriter who has to describe Bayonetta in an all-ages fashion

she's Sassy

 

[Salsa]

oh wow at the bombette mention

 

[SSReborn]

No, and that's what kinda makes me scratch my head at her inclusion

Technically nothing says that they are highlighting "their" female characters just seems they are highlighting prominent female characters on their platform right now.

 

[Orochinagis]

prove it

Retro Studios Design bro, already proved it.

 

[LoveCake]

Good thing for Nintendo to do, they have a lot of women working on games, half the team on New Leaf were women.

 

[OMG Aero]

In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Princess Zelda was actually a tough and spunky captain of a ragtag group of pirates. Tetra saves Link from Ganondorf’s clutches, and later helps Link defeat Ganondorf for good to save the world.

What about the bit where Tetra turns into a princess and spends the rest of the game hiding in a basement until she gets kidnapped and Link has to rescue her.

 

[Apathy]

Nintendo: please forget our female characters that are just kidnapped victims.

While they have a strong case with samus and beyonetta, Nintendo is still very much a proponent of the damsel in distress trope.

 

[-Horizon-]

Lucina

 

[RedToad64]

I laughed out loud at the Bombette inclusion. Such a random character to pick when they have plenty of others to choose from.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

Bayonetta? Really? Talk about grasping for straws.

 

[chadboban]

Nintendo: please forget our female characters that are just kidnapped victims.

While they have a strong case with samus and beyonetta, Nintendo is still very much a proponent of the damsel in distress trope.

Lucina and Rosalina?

 

[-Horizon-]

Bayonetta? Really? Talk about grasping for straws.

How so?

 

[BeatResetsTheWorld]

Nintendo: please forget our female characters that are just kidnapped victims.

While they have a strong case with samus and beyonetta, Nintendo is still very much a proponent of the damsel in distress trope.

More like you somehow think the presence of damsels negates the presence of strong characters, which is a very bizarre way of thinking...If every female isn't strong then they're all shit

Also, no Palutena da Gawdess?!

or Cynthia from Pokemon?

or Jill from Drill Dozer?

 

[TheUntamedLegend]

Bayonetta? Really? Talk about grasping for straws.

Nintendo gets to flaunt Bayonetta as much as they want, that's why they funded the game.

 

[James Scott]

Bombette is a cool inclusion (<3 original Paper Mario games)

 

[MichaelFassbender]

Good on including Bayo. She's a goddamn panther, for fuck's sake. Can't get much better than that.

 

[guek]

What about the bit where Tetra turns into a princess and spends the rest of the game hiding in a basement until she gets kidnapped and Link has to rescue her.

That final battle tho. Tetra isn't just a damsel in distress.

 

[Gabeking]

Hopefully that bombette inclusion is a precursor at a return to form for Paper Mario..

Spoiler

Bayonetta is awesome though

 

[bluepolicebox]

They're missing Isabelle (who really runs things while the mayor is off running around) and the admirable female entrepreneurs who run various businesses in the Animal Crossing world.