Playing Super Smash Bros is always an interesting experience, especially when it comes to how the male and female characters are portrayed. One of my favorite characters to play is Kirby; not only because he’s an easy character to pick up, but also because of the personalization options available. Sure, it’s limited to changing colors, but it’s still nice to be able to customize your character to your liking. In my case, I prefer to switch my Kirby from pink to blue or white, colors that I find more appealing than pink. It’s these small touches that make the experience of Super Smash Bros that much more enjoyable. By being able to create your own unique character, it adds a level of personal investment in the game. It’s also great to be able to customize the character to match your own style and preferences. Whether it’s changing colors, adding accessories, or even creating your own custom character, the versatility of Super Smash Bros makes it a fun game to play.
However, one thing that I quickly noticed about Super Smash Bros while selecting a character at the start screen was the lack of female characters compared to male characters. This lack of choice is something that is reflective of the larger gaming culture, which is largely male-dominated. Furthermore, the male characters are often more powerful than the female characters, which perpetuates the stereotype that male characters are naturally more powerful than female characters. This is something that needs to be addressed in order to create a more equitable gaming culture. Additionally, the female characters are often in dresses – Peach, Daisy, Palutena, and Zelda to name a few – which is not only a stereotype that perpetuates the idea that female characters are weaker, but also reinforces the idea that female characters should have a certain physical appearance. This is an outdated and damaging idea that should not be perpetuated by a game as popular as Super Smash Bros. The lack of options for female characters in an already male dominated gaming culture is something that needs to be addressed and rectified in order to create a more inclusive and equitable gaming experience for everyone.
Especially since Smash is a game that is kid friendly and that many kids play, it is crucial to include a more comprehensive list of both male and female characters. This is especially pertinent as the current representation of female characters is largely limited to weaker characters wearing dresses. This perpetuates stereotypes which are damaging to young women and girls, and ties to the concepts discussed in the reading which demonstrate how women are seen as anomalous and often overlooked by game designers. As well as creating more female characters that are strong and independent, there is a need to ensure they are depicted in a variety of different ways. Representations of women should not be limited to generic characteristics such as wearing dresses or being weak. This is something that can and must be changed moving forward. By creating a more diverse range of female characters, game developers can help to shape more positive perceptions of women and girls in the gaming industry, and in wider society.
