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How would you react to a Metroid reboot w/ a black Samus

Honest question: if comic books can make big changes like this, why can't video games? I totally welcome it, personally.

There's an argument to be made that it is simply just lazy. Rather than creating original material, you run the risk of replacing legacy characters with one who will frequently be viewed by the fanbase as a hollow shell of the original.

Personally, I view Samus as virtually a non-entity (discounting Other M, of course), so I don't really think it matters either way.
 
I'd be bummed that a reboot was being made in the first place. I don't want a reboot. I want a post Metroid Fusion game. Nintendo painted themselves into this corner and they need to find a way out without taking the easy way out.
 
Well, because it would ruin the series. Look at the new Nick Fury. According to the traditonalist/conservatives in this thread, his "palette swap" was an example of being lazy and they should have made a whole new Black character instead.

What the fuck are you talking about? No one said black Nick Fury was an example of being lazy. In fact, in one of my replies, I specifically mentioned that this was a good example of how such a thing can be handled.

But then again, you're the person who immediately tarred those who voiced the opinion that they can make a new black character instead as a "closeted racist", so I shouldn't be surprised.
 

jts

...hate me...
No thanks. Doesn't make any sense to me to simply change a character that much - but this is Nintendo, so they are not progressive unless they change an established male character to female (Link) or if it is already a female character, it should change their race. There's no winning. This is from non-existent to extremely rare in any IP, let alone top level renown IPs, but Nintendo is often held against that double standard. It's ok.

Now, a Metroid reboot with a new black character instead of Samus, sure. Sign me up for it.
 
What the fuck are you talking about? No one said black Nick Fury was an example of being lazy. In fact, in one of my replies, I specifically mentioned that this was a good example of how such a thing can be handled.

But then again, you're the person who immediately tarred those who voiced the opinion that they can make a new black character instead as a "closeted racist", so I shouldn't be surprised.

My point is this could just as easily be a thread about Nick Fury and had Marvel given ear to some of the close-minded attitudes in this thread, we'd never have one of the best translations of the Cold War hero. We'd have the same cigar chain-smoking old White dude and another Black character named Rick Murray or some shit. Which is precisely what the traditonalists in this thread want
 
Nick Fury was already black in the Ultimate Marvel universe, a comic book line the films have drawn as heavily as the original. He even looked like Sam Jackson and comic nerds kept joking about seeing him play the role until it became reality.
latest
 

SalvaPot

Member
My point is this could just as easily be a thread about Nick Fury and had Marvel given ear to some of the close-minded attitudes in this thread, we'd never have one of the best translations of the Cold War hero. We'd have the same cigar chain-smoking old White dude and another Black character named Rick Murray or some shit. Which is precisely what the traditonalists in this thread want

Isn't the Nick Fury based on Samuel L Jackson the one from the Ultimate universe, as in a different take on the character, from a different universe than the original, white one?

If Nintendo wants to make Samus black that is cool and all, but most people like an explanation for changes. Otherwise you wouldn't have people complaining about Modern Sonic vs Classic Sonic, Dante and Donte, Bomberman vs Bomberman Arc Zero, and the list goes on and on. People dislike change for the sake of change, built a narrative around it and you can get away with anything.
 
Not really sure why a character who's long been established as white would suddenly become black, but if the game brings the Metroid series back to its former glory, who really cares?
 
My point is this could just as easily be a thread about Nick Fury and had Marvel given ear to some of the close-minded attitudes in this thread, we'd never have one of the best translations of the Cold War hero. We'd have the same cigar chain-smoking old White dude and another Black character named Rick Murray or some shit. Which is precisely what the traditonalists in this thread want
And adding to my point above, Marvel also did pull a "Rick Murray" with the mainstream Nick Fury. Instead of just drawing Nick Fury as a black man now that look is so popular from the films, they had a convoluted story of Nick's infinity formula running out and meeting his illegitimate black son named Marcus Johnson, who, literally meeting his father for the first time in his life, decided to change his name to "Nick Fury Jr." despite being a grown ass man. Of course he also loses his eye.

2316268-battlescars6thegroup021.jpg


Original Nick Fury rapidly ages and go dies in a dumb event, and this new character takes his place. So yeah, even Marvel pulls off dumb, convoluted reasons why a new minority character is filing in for a previous white one, when it would have just been easier to redraw/"recast" said character as a minority.
 

MoonFrog

Member
There was no reason to make her a petite blonde when she was originally conceived as a tall, muscular brunette. But they did anyway. There's no reason to change her skin tone, but they could anyway. Samus' non-suit appearance is utterly unimportant to her character.

You know what changes to her character they did bring? Making her into a subservient, weak-willed, empty-headed whiner in Other M. Now that was offensive. Making her black would be infinitely preferable than what they already did to destroy her character.

Tbh, I do get riled up by what they've done to Samus's body. Tall, athletic, beautiful badass to stereotypical sexpot is kind of obnoxious, really. It is like she wasn't sexy enough already or didn't hit the right boxes for the audience Other M sought in Japan. Perhaps she hit those right boxes in the 80s and 90s and that's why she was how she was but...

The body changes are part and parcel with the personality they gave her in Other M. They were reselling the character to a new intended audience.

...

I really just sort of allow myself to imagine Samus, body and soul, how I want to.
 
....Modern? Wat
There was no reason to make her a petite blonde when she was originally conceived as a tall, muscular brunette. But they did anyway. There's no reason to change her skin tone, but they could anyway. Samus' non-suit appearance is utterly unimportant to her character.

Since no one wants to actually bother to do a break down of how she's evolved through the years here you go:


Metroid 1 (1986):
Samus_artwork_22.jpg

Super Metroid Diagram (1994):
PowerSuit_Diagram.jpg

Super Metroid Official Nintendo Guide (1994):
Smguidepg7.jpg

Smash Melee (2001):
unmasked_samus_aran__ssbm__2_by_supermario811-d8.png

Metroid Fusion (2002):
Samus__eyes_in_Fusion.png

cTLX94m.jpg

Metroid Prime Concept Art (2002):
Samus_face.jpg

Metroid Prime 2 (2004):
mp2_ending2.jpg

Metroid Prime Hunters (2006):
Untitled.png

Metroid Prime 3 (2007):
feature_life_lessons_02.jpg

Brawl (2008):
Awesome_Samus_Sauce.jpg

Other M (2010):
Samus_Aran.jpg

Smash 4 (2014):
maxresdefault.jpg
Sorry for the size. Anyways the only thing that's changed over the years has been the tone of the art that's used to present Samus, Samus herself as her core character has stayed pretty darn consistent, and outside of her height, which was only a thing, AFAIK, in that one diagram image I linked and no where else, I fail to see how she's "changed" significantly.

Hell Crash changed more when he ditched his gloves for tattoos.
 

canedaddy

Member
I appreciate the need for more racial diversity in games and other media, but I'm not a fan of characters changing races (I was a big fan of the old Nick Fury/Sgt. Fury, for example).

Let's have great new black characters.
 

Monocle

Member
I would be scandalized and completely unable to relate to the character! What do I know about the black fighting-pirates-and-aliens-in-space experience?
 
I appreciate the need for more racial diversity in games and other media, but I'm not a fan of characters changing races (I was a big fan of the old Nick Fury/Sgt. Fury, for example).

Let's have great new black characters.

In comics, cases like Nick Fury and the many alternate universe versions on characters are separate characters. They pretty much act in different ways, have different histories, and in some cases have varying abilities. You even have things like Pre-Crisis Superman meeting Post-Crisis Superman or other stories like Spider-verse where a bunch of Spider-men meet each other and some of them are different race (japanese Spider-man also has a mecha), but there is only 1 character who is the 616 Peter Parker (which is the main continuity one we have been following in the comics).

I would view a black Samus the same way. She would be a different character than the Samus we have been playing for the best 2 decades or so. Sometimes I do feel GAF thinks race is something interchangeable at times, but to me it is a huge part of identity and is not a throwaway characteristic when making a character. So like the black Sam Jackson Nick Fury and white Nick Fury, I view them as different characters, because they basically are.
 
I loved Metroid because of that feeling of exploring an alien planet all by myself. I don't care if the character I play is black or white, male or female.
 
...which is a new character. It doesn't replace old Raichu.

Again, is there any argument for retconning Samus as black rather than just making a new character? The former is lazy as fuck at best.

The only reason that I can think is that a Black Samus would cause more of a stir then a nonSamus Black character, and as such would generate more buzz, as any publicity is still publicity.

But that's a really backhanded and dirty way to go about adding diversity to video games.
 

Mexen

Member
As an OPposite of white male, I appreciate the representation we get in games. However, I far much prefer original characters and not versions of existing ones. Give us a black hunter named Teija Beiss instead. Someone my daughter will both look up to and be inspired by because of the racial connection.
 
for me, samus isn't really a character in metroid. it's just a random texture that has no impact on the game

it could be a monkey for all i care
 

xevis

Banned
As an OPposite of white male, I appreciate the representation we get in games. However, I far much prefer original characters and not versions of existing ones. Give us a black hunter named Teija Beiss instead. Someone my daughter will both look up to and be inspired by because of the racial connection.

I suspect people will dismiss this as a spinoff. Kojima did it right in Metal Gear 2: switch things up unexpectedly and laugh at player reactions

(I don't know if he actually laughed. I would hope so!)
 
My only requirements from a Metroid game are the ability to freely explore the world using the abilities provided, preferably with ways to break sequence through skilled usage of early abilities.

I'm up for changes in other areas. Be that Samus herself, or graphical style as long as it still fits in-universe (ie, a sci-fi anime styled game would be great, or a realistic sci-fi style, but I'd not want Wind Waker style chibi Metroid). A black hero or heroine would be great for a bit of representation and I'd encourage more devs to step out of the white usually-male hero comfort zone.
 

The Adder

Banned
I'm talking about the humanoid characters... so why even bring up Kirby?




Do I really have to spell it out for you guys? The characters from the Legend of Zelda series, the characters from the Fire Emblem series, the characters from the Pokemon series, the characters from the Xenoblade series, etc. There is nothing that says these characters are white just because a lot of them have light skin. Also, I didn't say that they are Asian either, I said have any of you considered it? Light skin does not equal white.

Prior to BotW there wouldn't be much basis to disagree. However, as of BotW Hylians are pretty obviously European because Shiekah are very distinctly Japanese.
 
My point is this could just as easily be a thread about Nick Fury and had Marvel given ear to some of the close-minded attitudes in this thread, we'd never have one of the best translations of the Cold War hero. We'd have the same cigar chain-smoking old White dude and another Black character named Rick Murray or some shit. Which is precisely what the traditonalists in this thread want
You do know that even Marvel back tracked on black Nick Fury being Nick Fury and eventually made him his son right? So if anything your example speaks more for the people saying that they should create a whole new character than your opinion of just randomly swapping peoples races.
 
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