For this week’s critical play, I played the game Super Smash Bros, a childhood favorite of mine. I chose the character Isabelle, the innocent, cute dog. I have always chosen her character in comparison to the large, threatening looking characters. While I have always admired her for her cuteness, this week’s play gave me a new perspective as I observed her actions through the eyes of a feminist.
I have always loved playing Isabelle, because none of the other players ever expect a challenge (since she is so cute) so it is easy for her to take advantage of this. Her ability to fly away on an umbrella, for example, can be much more useful than strength. However, when thinking about her character traits through a feminist POV, I realize her design only reinforces gender stereotypes. The designers of Super Smash Bros, who unsurprisingly are all Japanese men, convey very traditional female traits onto Isabelle. She is seen as bubbly and cute, similar to the traditional idea that women are submissive and nurturing rather than powerful. Furthermore, the lack of diversity among characters is extremely noticeable in this game. The majority of the options are men and all very strong, anime or monstrous looking creatures. Shira Chess highlights in Chapter 4 how feminist stories don’t necessarily have to speak the truth, but be able to connect with diverse and underrepresented audiences. Because Super Smash Bros was created by men, most of the characters are masculine and the few female ones are instead objectified with their “sit still, look pretty” character traits. 
Furthermore, Chess mentions the importance of agency within feminist games. Agency drives feministic power by giving women the ability to have a voice and make change in their community. However, I think ultimately Isabelle’s powers and strength do more towards the opposite. While her powers are useful, she relies on her tools (umbrella, fishing hook) rather than her physical strength. This limited agency reinforces the idea that female characters lack strength and can only be supporting roles. Players can never be as strong when they play Isabelle and it is very apparent.
In conclusion, I think Isabelle is a very enjoyable character to play as and is always capable of competing against her male competitors. However, if you care about appearance and want to scare off your opponents, Isabelle will never be able to fulfill those traits. Maybe if the designers gave her the power to change into a ravenous, large dog she could finally be taken seriously and Super Mario Bros would meet more aspects behind a feminist story.
