'Why Does Link have to be Female?'

[Angelblaze]

In my honest opinion, its because Team Ninja FUCKED the Metroid fanbase and they want their Link back. Link doesn't have to be female, but it'd nice to, you know, have OUR ORIGINAL FEMALE SPACE Link back. But I'd like a few second opinions; why you do think people are asking for a female Link?

Spoiler

Because hey, if there's anyone that's going to do a story driven, female lead game correctly, its Team titties Ninja.

Let's be honest here -- with the failure of Other M, Metroid's been dead for a while and now they're revamping it as a sports game. Drop the pretenses, drop the cutesy act, the female player base lost their heroine because a developer primarily known for T and A couldn't write a decent story or build her a decent game (shocker).

Now we're looking for a new one so the question is simple and its not 'Why can't we have a female Link', its 'Why can't we have a female action lead in a serious story line and in-depth game play without someone ruining it?' But we have to phrase it as 'Why can't Link be female' Because every time we ask 'Can we get a decent Metroid game' the answer has been an overwhelming no.

Edit: So apparently I'm crazy for thinking that people wanting a female link are people who want a female action lead video game, which we would have if we had another Metroid game. My bad. Deepest apologies.

 

[Captain Marvelous_v1legacy]

Link doesn't have to be female. It'd just be nice to choose the gender of a silent protagonist whose gender has just about nothing to do with the character. The kid is basically a blank slate with almost no personality. I say, just make a Zelda game with Zelda as the main character instead of Link. Problem solved.

I've never played a Metroid game, but I do know Other M is the most hated Metroid game, guilty of, if I remember correctly, character assassination. They should take a risk and make another Metroid game. One that will satisfy the Metroid fans of old and bring in some new ones. Also, I wonder; Do Metroid fans like Zero Suit Samus?

 

[Erttheking]

*Tilts head* I have no freaking idea what you're trying to say.

 

[Fox12]

I'm not sure what you're smoking, but I'd like some if you have any left over.

 

[shrekfan246]

In my honest opinion, its because Team Ninja FUCKED the Metroid fanbase and they want their Link back. Link doesn't have to be female, but it'd nice to, you know, have OUR ORIGINAL FEMALE SPACE Link back. But I'd like a few second opinions; why you do think people are asking for a female Link?

Spoiler

Because hey, if there's anyone that's going to do a story driven, female lead game correctly, its Team titties Ninja.

Let's be honest here -- with the failure of Other M, Metroid's been dead for a while and now they're revamping it as a sports game. Drop the pretenses, drop the cutesy act, the female player base lost their heroine because a developer primarily known for T and A couldn't write a decent story or build her a decent game (shocker).

Now we're looking for a new one so the question is simple and its not 'Why can't we have a female Link', its 'Why can't we have a female action lead in a serious story line and in-depth game play without someone ruining it?' But we have to phrase it as 'Why can't Link be female' Because every time we ask 'Can we get a decent Metroid game' the answer has been an overwhelming no.

For the record, Team Ninja has never been credited as the writers for Mother. That blame rests solely on the shoulders of Yoshio Sakamoto, one of the co-creators of Metroid in the first place.

 

[Zhukov]

You seriously think that people raising the prospect of a female Link are doing so because they're secretly still gnashing their teeth over Other M?

You're the first person I've seen make that connection. If others are thinking that, why wouldn't they say so? It's not as if "Other M sucked" is some kind of deviant opinion that will get you spat on in the streets.

Anyway, I always assumed the female Link thing was part of the general "SJW" buzz toward maybe having a few more protagonists who are something other than dudes.

(PS. To anyone about to quote me with your heartfelt opinions on Link's theoretical genitals, don't fucking bother. I don't play Nintendo games and personally do not give a single crispy-fried shit about Link.)

 

[DrownedAmmet]

Link doesn't have to be female. It'd just be nice to choose the gender of a silent protagonist whose gender has just about nothing to do with the character. The kid is basically a blank slate with almost no personality. I say, just make a Zelda game with Zelda as the main character instead of Link. Problem solved.

I've never played a Metroid game, but I do know Other M is the most hated Metroid game, guilty of, if I remember correctly, character assassination. They should take a risk and make another Metroid game. One that will satisfy the Metroid fans of old and bring in some new ones. Also, I wonder; Do Metroid fans like Zero Suit Samus?

I came here to say pretty much this, people have been clamoring for a female Link since way before that Metroid game came out. I think your overestimating how many people out there are Metroid fans. Metroid being a girl has no bearing on Link possibly being one
(That was a goof, I know the character is called Samus. Though I only know that from Super Smash bros, since I, like most people, never actually played a Metroid game)

 

[shrekfan246]

Link doesn't have to be female. It'd just be nice to choose the gender of a silent protagonist whose gender has just about nothing to do with the character. The kid is basically a blank slate with almost no personality. I say, just make a Zelda game with Zelda as the main character instead of Link. Problem solved.

I've never played a Metroid game, but I do know Other M is the most hated Metroid game, guilty of, if I remember correctly, character assassination. They should take a risk and make another Metroid game. One that will satisfy the Metroid fans of old and bring in some new ones. Also, I wonder; Do Metroid fans like Zero Suit Samus?

I don't like Zero Suit Samus or regular Samus. I wish they'd update the suit. I also wish they'd stop doing the 3D games in first-person with auto-aim. Metroid is supposed to be in third-person.

Considering that Prime and Prime 2 are some of my favorite games and the only Metroid games I've ever liked, and how great a Metroidvania-esque title Dark Souls is, I'm going to have to disagree with this. And this is splitting hairs but lock-on and auto-aim aren't exactly the same thing, even if they have similar end results.

EDIT: Okay, I initially read that as decrying 3D Metroid games in general, so if you weren't doing that then my Dark Souls comment is entirely irrelevant.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Also, I wonder; Do Metroid fans like Zero Suit Samus?

I think most Metroid fans don't mind it. It was added in Zero Mission and made for a rather interesting out-of-power-suit segment. Some have expressed displeasure at the way Other M and especially Smash Bros. WiiU/3DS designed the outfit, but overall, I doubt many people hate it in theory.

For the record, Team Ninja has never been credited as the writers for Mother. That blame rests solely on the shoulders of Yoshio Sakamoto, one of the co-creators of Metroid in the first place.

Team Ninja had nothing to do with the story b, that was all Sakamoto. One of the original creators of Metroid. Yeah, I guess he finally managed to achieve his vision of Samus in a game proper, eh? Maybe you ought to fling shit where shit is due.

One thing that shocks me is that the game is almost six years old, yet this still has to be explained. I know Team Ninja is an easy scapegoat, but come on, you'd think people would stop lying to themselves after six years.

 

[Angelblaze]

I just wondering: So forgetting Other M, Samus is also a mute, blank slate character. So what do you think would be the reaction if people asked that Samus be male in the next game, or at least there be a male option? After all, Other M was such a failure Nintendo are most likely going to reboot Metroid at some point and going off the fact they pretty much live off of the nostalgia sale, they'll return to the mute, blank slate Samus of old.

 

[shrekfan246]

One thing that shocks me is that the game is almost six years old, yet this still has to be explained. I know Team Ninja is an easy scapegoat, but come on, you'd think people would stop lying to themselves after six years.

At this point, I honestly believe that some people simply don't know. I mean, it's pretty easy to find, but it's still something you have to actually look up because it's not like he's credited as the writer on the box or anything. People know that Team Ninja developed it, and they know that Team Ninja developed Dead or Alive, so clearly that must be why the story of Metroid: Mother sucked, right?

 

[Angelblaze]

One thing that shocks me is that the game is almost six years old, yet this still has to be explained. I know Team Ninja is an easy scapegoat, but come on, you'd think people would stop lying to themselves after six years.

At this point, I honestly believe that some people simply don't know. I mean, it's pretty easy to find, but it's still something you have to actually look up because it's not like he's credited as the writer on the box or anything. People know that Team Ninja developed it, and they know that Team Ninja developed Dead or Alive, so clearly that must be why the story of Metroid: Mother sucked, right?

Other M is very much written in the style of other Team Ninja games, though. They may not have written it themselves, but it's more than likely the overall style was chosen to ape the type of game they're known for. Their involvement probably influenced the writing.

Also there were directors working on the game from Team Ninja. The writer wouldn't have wrote a story alone in his corner and then one day handed it to the team and said "Make this!", he would have gotten ideas from the whole team. I put forward the fact that in a joint interview both Sakamoto & Hayashi talk about making a new Samus and both chipping in ideas:
http://www.webcitation.org/6XmcMw24F

Team Ninja are not just "scapegoats" in this.

 

[Angelblaze]

One thing that shocks me is that the game is almost six years old, yet this still has to be explained. I know Team Ninja is an easy scapegoat, but come on, you'd think people would stop lying to themselves after six years.

At this point, I honestly believe that some people simply don't know. I mean, it's pretty easy to find, but it's still something you have to actually look up because it's not like he's credited as the writer on the box or anything. People know that Team Ninja developed it, and they know that Team Ninja developed Dead or Alive, so clearly that must be why the story of Metroid: Mother sucked, right?

Other M is very much written in the style of other Team Ninja games, though. They may not have written it themselves, but it's more than likely the overall style was chosen to ape the type of game they're known for. Their involvement probably influenced the writing.

Also there were directors working on the game from Team Ninja. The writer wouldn't have wrote a story alone in his corner and then one day handed it to the team and said "Make this!", he would have gotten ideas from the whole team. I put forward the fact that in a joint interview both Sakamoto & Hayashi talk about making a new Samus and both chipping in ideas:
http://www.webcitation.org/6XmcMw24F

Team Ninja are not just "scapegoats" in this.

Nah, he also co-directed and co-produced it. He was the senior Nintendo employee working on the game and was the man in charge of Metroid at that time. Co-developing with Team Ninja was his decision and he was the project lead. He was easily the highest authority on it, nothing got in the game without his say-so.

1. Source?
2. That's still having Team Ninja involvement. /thread.

 

[Angelblaze]

nothing got in the game without his say-so.

Saying this is totally meaningless. My argument isn't that Team Ninja hijacked the game from him and he didn't want that stuff and was forced to go alone with it, but that Team Ninja were involved in the creative process and he was ok with that, even (seeing as he wanted to colab) wrote something in their style to go with the very Team Ninja-y gameplay. Unlike you, I'm not trying to free one person of all blame and lay it at the feet of another, I think Team Ninja AND Sakamoto are to blame but I also think that Team Ninja's involvement and the very "Team Ninja-y" feel of the plot aren't just a coincidence.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

What... what? I clicked on this expecting, I dunno what... but good on you, friend. You've gotten some replies. And that speaks volumes for your character doesn't it? Click-batey forum threads ARE all the rage these days, and why should they be? I'm responding to it after all, and so are others, so I guess if it ain't broke don't fix it, hmm?

As long as I'm at it, I'll throw my opinion out there and say that I don't think anyone wants Link to be female. I think people just want the choice, since Aonuma himself has confirmed that he doesn't want Link to conflict with the player's preferences, and thus decided that 'Link' will not have voiced dialogue like other character's in the upcoming game. He did give several explanations as to WHY Link will never be female, but frankly, it's all just bullshit. Just fucking say that you don't want to make him a female. Go all in if you aren't going to compromise and give people a choice, because I could at least respect that.

Either way, a choice isn't going to disrupt anyone's experience about a game where a hero wordlessly traverses a landscape and nods, grunts, or smiles like an invalid in response to whatever comes their way, but there are Nintendrones out there that disagree, because things that are different scare them, or don't fit in with THEIR experience, so fuck everyone else's.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

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