One of the most anticipated releases of 2018, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a fun, but undeniably compromised gaming experience. Ultimate pulls out all the stops to give fans the biggest, most finely tuned Smash Bros. experience to date. It’s a tight, balanced, action-packed brawler filled out with over 70 of your favorite Nintendo characters and dozens of classic stages from the series’ history. However, this dedication to representing the entire Nintendo universe ends up sinking the game due to the completely unforgivable inclusion of Kirby, who is one of the most offensive and harmful stereotypes in the history of popular entertainment.
This is 2018, and grotesque caricatures like Kirby have no place in video games. Some will certainly quibble with this complaint; they will say that this is just a game and no place for politics, but witnessing depictions like Kirby detracts from the entire gaming experience. What should be an absorbing, accessible party game for players of all ages and skill levels turns into a disrespectful and disgusting mockery the second we see Kirby suck Mario into his puffy pink cheeks and absorb his powers. It renders an otherwise well-crafted product nearly unplayable.
The inclusion of Kirby is such a shame because there are moments of real enjoyment here. Smash Bros. Ultimate maintains the frenetic, zany fighting antics that are the staple of the franchise, with the plethora of characters offering a wide variety of combat styles and strategies. The deep rule customization and the borderline overwhelming number of levels guarantee you will be able to find a rich variety of play that satisfies almost everyone. Yet this commitment to an inclusive experience falls apart the second Kirby lands on screen, riding a star and waving his little marshmallow arms like he’s emerged directly from a bigoted 1930s cartoon. It’s not just insulting, it’s lazy. Including Kirby shows Nintendo simply isn’t interested in doing the work to bring real characters to their games.
What we see in our entertainment matters. Kirby does so much harm because these kinds of depictions influence the way someone is treated and seen. Creators, including game developers, have a responsibility to consider the impact they are having on society, which is why the inclusion of an outdated and cruel stereotype like Kirby is a disgrace, plain and simple. Seeing images like this holds society back and limits opportunity—people internalize the image of Kirby putting on a chef’s hat and stirring all his enemies into a giant, bubbling cauldron, even if they are consumed in a silly entertainment context.
This is 2018, and grotesque caricatures like Kirby have no place in video games. Some will certainly quibble with this complaint; they will say that this is just a game and no place for politics, but witnessing depictions like Kirby detracts from the entire gaming experience. What should be an absorbing, accessible party game for players of all ages and skill levels turns into a disrespectful and disgusting mockery the second we see Kirby suck Mario into his puffy pink cheeks and absorb his powers. It renders an otherwise well-crafted product nearly unplayable.
The inclusion of Kirby is such a shame because there are moments of real enjoyment here. Smash Bros. Ultimate maintains the frenetic, zany fighting antics that are the staple of the franchise, with the plethora of characters offering a wide variety of combat styles and strategies. The deep rule customization and the borderline overwhelming number of levels guarantee you will be able to find a rich variety of play that satisfies almost everyone. Yet this commitment to an inclusive experience falls apart the second Kirby lands on screen, riding a star and waving his little marshmallow arms like he’s emerged directly from a bigoted 1930s cartoon. It’s not just insulting, it’s lazy. Including Kirby shows Nintendo simply isn’t interested in doing the work to bring real characters to their games.
What we see in our entertainment matters. Kirby does so much harm because these kinds of depictions influence the way someone is treated and seen. Creators, including game developers, have a responsibility to consider the impact they are having on society, which is why the inclusion of an outdated and cruel stereotype like Kirby is a disgrace, plain and simple. Seeing images like this holds society back and limits opportunity—people internalize the image of Kirby putting on a chef’s hat and stirring all his enemies into a giant, bubbling cauldron, even if they are consumed in a silly entertainment context.