Metroid: Other M

[A Black Falcon]

I've started thinking about the "big reveal" that Samus was a woman at the end of the first Metroid. Now, that was a good move on Nintendo's part, and it was as important as any female lead in video games at the time. However, should that REALLY have shocked us? Think about what it said of the gamers at the time. Some might see that ending and say "oh, so that's what she looks like", but all too many were so utterly shocked that a GIRL could do all those amazing things that it's still considered something utterly amazing. The reason it was such a shock was because it shouldn't have been a shock. That's kinda weird, right? We're talking about the 80's, when cartoons were trying to teach kids that the genders were equals (in some pretty lame ways at times), while other cartoons were pretty much screwing that message up entirely. Frankly, I'm glad I wasn't one of the "shocked" ones, and SJ should feel fortunate as well.

This is a great point, that is a good question. I didn't play the game back then, of course, so I don't know what I would have thought..

... Actually, I probably wouldn't have finished the game, so I wouldn't have seen it. Never mind Metroid games, it took me years before I managed to finish Mario Land 1...

Anyway though, my guess for why it was surprising to many in Metroid is the usual gender bias -- like the classic 'doctor riddle' ( http://www.bigriddles.com/riddle/doctor-cant-operate ). In this case, men are expected to be the ones doing fighting and stuff, so of course this space commando is a man even if it hasn't said so...