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Nintendo has a ‘Women of Power’ page on their website. Who are some notable women in gaming?
- Thread starter eKongDiddy
- Start date
Although not a gaming character, Celeste, one of the lead programmers on our dev-team, is wonderful and deserves a shout out. She is super reliable and endearingly competent in a scene that has let me down multiple times.
That's how the old cartoon was too. Link was just a high-level royal soldier that had his own tower across from Zelda's and mostly was tasked with running her errands. I always thought it was a cool setup since they often fought side-by-side.
Best tag ever.
I need to check the page, but is there a mention for Daisy?
But if you give them a bad light and base, you are basically fighting against the whole universe idea of idols and such, IMHO
As I'm not a fan of the whole idea of idols and I'm a MASSIVE fan of dark and gritty backstories, it's all positives for me!
Of course, not everyone has that cup of tea, but that is very much mine :)
Melia was my favorite character from Xenoblade, so I definitely agree that she deserves more attention far as Nintendo female characters go.
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Hey we can make it about real women in the industry and video game characters or would that be to separate? Just a thought. Not sure if it would be respectful to have a thread containing talk about both of them or not.
I think examples like Peach and BoTW are laughable but the initiative is legitimately great and a neat surprise. I've loved the rise of cool female characters from Nintendo lately with stuff like ARMS and Splatoo, Pauline is definitely a cool repurposing of a bad character as well, I loved her role in Odyssey.
My absolute favorite is Samus but she's a weird one. Her beginnings were shaky, she's been handled terribly at times and she still has bad details about her but she remains the coolest and most inspiring woman in gaming to me.
Now, one of my other favorites comes from Nintendo too, but she's still held hostage back in Japan...
My absolute favorite is Samus but she's a weird one. Her beginnings were shaky, she's been handled terribly at times and she still has bad details about her but she remains the coolest and most inspiring woman in gaming to me.
Now, one of my other favorites comes from Nintendo too, but she's still held hostage back in Japan...
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Just randomly remembered Princess Maker 2, and your daughter in that (I think Olive Oyl is the default name? Never used it). I think she can count too? As a non-Nintendo character of course.
The game's essentially a fatherhood simulator, and there are a truckload of endings depending on what you choose. But if you play the game right, she can end up winning the tournament's combat, art, cooking, and dance contests, going up to the stairway to heaven and kicking the god of war's ass, and then charming the crown prince, and receiving the crown when the king abdicates because she's better suited than the prince is.
Alternatively, she can also walk into hell, beat the devil, and usurp his throne. I think that's another favourite.
One that's inspired by this is Elodie from Long Live the Queen:
It's basically a game about Machiavellianism. Elodie is forced on the throne without proper training, and in order to even survive to her proper crowning, she has to know how to deal with everything. From personal combat and warfare, to politics and social situations, to the economy, to magic.
The game's essentially a fatherhood simulator, and there are a truckload of endings depending on what you choose. But if you play the game right, she can end up winning the tournament's combat, art, cooking, and dance contests, going up to the stairway to heaven and kicking the god of war's ass, and then charming the crown prince, and receiving the crown when the king abdicates because she's better suited than the prince is.
Alternatively, she can also walk into hell, beat the devil, and usurp his throne. I think that's another favourite.
One that's inspired by this is Elodie from Long Live the Queen:
It's basically a game about Machiavellianism. Elodie is forced on the throne without proper training, and in order to even survive to her proper crowning, she has to know how to deal with everything. From personal combat and warfare, to politics and social situations, to the economy, to magic.
It's a bit disappointing that it's basically a marketing move of recent titles (and Smash 3DS) rather than focusing on actual women who matter, i.e. devs and personnel at Nintendo, so I went and researched some of the women on notable positions at Nintendo.
Risa Tabata- coordinator and assistant producer. Notable projects: the Metroid Prime series, Retro's Donkey Kong Country series, Chibi Robo Zip Lash and Paper Mario: Colour Splash.
Noriko Kitamura - director and assistant director- Notable projects: Brain Age 2 & 3, Daigasso Band Brothers
Aya Kyogoku - director, co-producer and script writer. Notable projects: the Animal Crossing series (since the wii game), The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventure.
Kaori Ando - coordinator and director. Notable projects: Pokemon- Diamond/Pearl, Black/White, Rumble, Conquest, Typing Adventure and Picross; The Wonderful 101, Tokyo Mirage Sessions.
Yurie Hattori - managing director, director, scenario supervisor/designer, supervisor and script editor. Notable projects: the Style Savvy series, Fire Emblem- Awakening and Radiant Dawn; Kirby - Triple Deluxe and Return to Dream Land, and Xenoblade Cronicles.
Emi Watanabe - coordinator and associate director. Notable projects: Yoshi's Woolly World, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.
A short list, indeed, and if my memory serves me right, only Risa has been featured in interviews and such. I didn't know that one of the directors of Tokyo Mirage Sessions was a woman.
Risa Tabata- coordinator and assistant producer. Notable projects: the Metroid Prime series, Retro's Donkey Kong Country series, Chibi Robo Zip Lash and Paper Mario: Colour Splash.
Noriko Kitamura - director and assistant director- Notable projects: Brain Age 2 & 3, Daigasso Band Brothers
Aya Kyogoku - director, co-producer and script writer. Notable projects: the Animal Crossing series (since the wii game), The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventure.
Kaori Ando - coordinator and director. Notable projects: Pokemon- Diamond/Pearl, Black/White, Rumble, Conquest, Typing Adventure and Picross; The Wonderful 101, Tokyo Mirage Sessions.
Yurie Hattori - managing director, director, scenario supervisor/designer, supervisor and script editor. Notable projects: the Style Savvy series, Fire Emblem- Awakening and Radiant Dawn; Kirby - Triple Deluxe and Return to Dream Land, and Xenoblade Cronicles.
Emi Watanabe - coordinator and associate director. Notable projects: Yoshi's Woolly World, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.
A short list, indeed, and if my memory serves me right, only Risa has been featured in interviews and such. I didn't know that one of the directors of Tokyo Mirage Sessions was a woman.
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You're forgetting Emi Watanbe, who produced Yoshi's Woolly World.
I remember the days when Cammy Dunaway was one of the Nintendo "icons", alongside Reggie and Iwata. She was a pretty nice lady, it's just too bad she had to be associated with one of the worst fucking E3 conferences ever, so everyone hated her guts, lol.
Thanks! I'll update the list with Emi.
Hmm, I don't think I followed gaming when Cammy was at Nintendo. Does she still work there?
You're stretching the definition of notable women in gaming, but Sami is absolutely one of my favourite gaming characters.
That capture bonus was insanely overpowered.
Ok, you're teasing us if you put Samus on that list, Nintendo. Better give her justice with MP4! Please. I just want to play as a cool heroine who seems to know her shit so much that I stand in awe of it. Samus is quite literally the strong female mascot of gaming, or she should be, but I feel like we've never quite seen that in the games where they attempted some forms of definitive characterization for her.
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Aloy.
Have heard some good things about her character. Can't wait to try Horizon when I get another PS4.
I thought this was gonna be a thread about game developers, not characters, and I was getting ready to type a few paragraphs about Rieko Kodama. Oh well.
So I guess I'll go with her best creation: Alis Landale from Phantasy Star back in 1987. You didn't have to beat the game to find out that she was a woman, no, her identity was firmly established from the start and she was a great party leader.
So I guess I'll go with her best creation: Alis Landale from Phantasy Star back in 1987. You didn't have to beat the game to find out that she was a woman, no, her identity was firmly established from the start and she was a great party leader.
Is there a female developer with a resume that can compete with Rieko Kodama's? I can't think of any.
Let's be clear, were this not the case we wouldn't be seeing this output from Nintendo. This, if it's even anything more than a pretense of interest in the topic, is their acknowledgement of the market value of demonstrating a very slight but largely palatable appreciation for their female characters.
What's the mod policy on discussing this on Era? I'd comment but would rather not get a warning.
Three of those women are constantly in the damsel in distress role though. Zelda less than peach and Pauline, but enough to be noticed. Maybe use Isabel from New Leaf since she really is the one who runs the town instead of the players lazy butt. Maybe Dixie Kong could be mentioned or Midna from TP.
Let's take a moment how Nintendo promoted an online TPS using idols as the main personalities behind the whole culture of the world and they weren't given a 1984y role or a dark past
No, they are just cute, perfect and ready to support you.
I wouldn't say the portrayal of the Squid Sisters/Off the Hook is *that* sunny. They're portrayed as sympathetic, to be sure, but they're also portrayed as girls doing a job who can be a little nasty to each other.
They mostly work for the witty dialogue and adorable character designs.
I thought this was gonna be a thread about game developers, not characters, and I was getting ready to type a few paragraphs about Rieko Kodama. Oh well.
So I guess I'll go with her best creation: Alis Landale from Phantasy Star back in 1987. You didn't have to beat the game to find out that she was a woman, no, her identity was firmly established from the start and she was a great party leader.
Basically this. Phantasy Star is celebrating its 30th anniversary in December, too. It feels weird that it never gets its dues when it's a still ongoing and successful series. Especially when the topic is on women, considering the main characters and the creator herself seem pretty darn noteworthy. Though I suppose the series has strayed pretty far from the original vision now, that doesn't make the original games any less influential.
On the less noteworthy end, I do feel like I may as well mention Toby Masuyo from Baraduke. She's essentially Samus but a year earlier. An orange spacesuit wearing hero who goes to a planet and eradicates the heck out of all the evil aliens there. At the end of the game, she takes her helmet off to reveal she was a woman. Outside a few cameos in crossovers or whatever she's pretty obscure though.
Cool that Pauline earned a spot up there - ahead of Zelda on the list, even. I've always loved seeing her pop up, even if it was usually just as a generic damsel in the Mario vs. DK games. Having her completely retooled as a jazz singing mayor definitely makes her stand out among the princesses.
Hopefully they keep pushing her and don't leave her behind. I want her karting and playing tennis and partying and more. I'd buy the amiibo.
Hopefully they keep pushing her and don't leave her behind. I want her karting and playing tennis and partying and more. I'd buy the amiibo.
Kind of of a baffling list. No Elma? The highly respected, strong, competent woman who set in motion the plan to save humanity? Or Lin? The smart, gifted mech engineer? The two main protagonists of Xenoblade Chronilces X, a Nintendo owned IP?
Incorrect but whatever. I don't want to derail the thread like you attempted to.
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Hornet in Hollow Knight is a really cool female character. Plus she's a ninja bug which is also pretty cool. Play Hollow Knight.
Judging by the way she threw Metroids around and casually dispatched everything in Samus Returns including the final boss, I think they heard us loud and clear.
Yeah, not that I don't want her to be a badass in MP4, but she already took back her honor in SR and then some.
Metroid Prime didn't have action moves for the most part but she was always confident and sure of herself in them as well. Hell, she fought Ridley in freefall.
But the OT isn't asking for a Nintendo IP. We're just talking female game characters in general.