Gaming - News
Video Game Characters Who Would
Be Totally Inappropriate Today
By JUSTIN CLARK
Cortana
While the AI companion, Cortana, is as much part of the “Halo” franchise as Master Chief, her character design of a nearly naked woman is something that still lacks a satisfactory explanation. Making matters worse is that Cortana is seemingly designed to be sexier in each entry, save for “Halo 5,” where she actually appears to be wearing clothes.
Poison
Poison and her counterpart, Roxy, began as the tough-as-nails women gang members in the Japanese version of “Final Fight.” The developers at Capcom feared how violence against these female characters would be perceived in the West and decided to change Poison and Roxy into pre-op transgender men in the American version.
Candy Kong
Candy Kong was introduced as a way to save your progress in “Donkey Kong Country,” but her later iteration in “Donkey Kong 64” would make thinly-veiled sexual jokes to the player. Although she hasn’t played a major part in the Donkey Kong game since, she still appears as a trophy in “Smash Bros.,” reminding everyone of what developers should not do.
Ash
“Streets of Rage 3” experienced many changes from the Japanese version for its Western release, such as removing the first stage’s miniboss, Ash. The character was an incredibly offensive gay stereotype, complete with a leather outfit, overly exaggerated flailing run animations, and a hyper-effeminate slap main attack.
Dhalsim
Many fighting games feature broad, harmless stereotypes, such as the honor-bound Japanese martial artist or the arrogant blonde-haired, blue-eyed American. However, Dhalsim from the “Street Fighter” series pushes the boundaries of what’s acceptable as he is a collection of ethnic exaggerations that would be unacceptable if introduced today.
