Super Mario Run Sparks Princess Peach ‘Sexism’ Concerns

1CK1S
1CK1S Members Posts: 27,471 ✭✭✭✭✭
Super Mario Run players express concerns that the game features a ‘sexist’ portrayal of Princess Peach. Some players argue that Peach’s portrayal in the game is ‘antiquated’ and supports harmful stereotypes about women.

Super Mario Run is the latest hit mobile game based on a Nintendo franchise, with Pokemon GO taking the world by storm earlier this year.

Some players say that Super Mario Run, a platforming game on iOS, is sexist. In the game’s World Tour mode, Princess Peach invites Mario to a party at her castle and offers to bake him a cake. Gaming’s best-known royal is then kidnapped by (notorious Mario-universe villain) Bowser and players must progress through 24 levels to rescue Princess Peach and unlock her as a playable character.

While Mario rescuing Princess Peach has been a big part of the Mario franchise ever since the character was first introduced in the 1980s, on social media, some players say that Super Mario Run offered Nintendo a chance to put forward a new plot. The company had an opportunity to do away with the sexist notion that Princess Peach needs to be rescued, that’s she’s helpless and cannot defend herself, but it chose to embrace that trope once more instead.


That Princess Peach is baking a cake – rather than DJ-ing at the party or some other task – has also drawn criticism. ‘Women belong in the kitchen/women only know how to bake’ is a common sexist stereotype. There’s nothing wrong with baking, of course, but some believe that it’s the only thing that women (and female characters) are good for and the argument is that combined with Peach’s ‘helplessness,’ Super Mario Run is helping to reinforce that line of sexist thinking.

Many players have also pointed out that Super Mario Run is the first time that many people – particularly young girls and women – may have interacted with a Nintendo game or the Mario franchise and that reshaping the series’ portrayal of Princess Peach could have seen the company win over many new fans.

With Super Mario Run having set records when it launched on iOS devices last week, there’s no indication that Peach’s portrayal has limited the game’s success so far. However, with just three levels being available for free and the full World Tour campaign being locked behind a $10 paywall, the reluctance to pay to play through the rest of the ‘sexist’ plot could potentially have an impact on Nintendo’s earnings.

At this point it’s unclear whether Nintendo will update the game to address concerns, or what the company’s plans are for Mario games are going forward. We’ll keep you posted should the company release an official comment.

Comments

  • gns
    gns Members Posts: 21,285 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Smmfh
    Video games are supposed to shape kids now?
    $50 sez the ? that are complaining bare a strong resemblance to meg
    8F8aahq.png
  • StoneColdMikey
    StoneColdMikey Members, Moderators Posts: 33,543 Regulator
  • Stomp Johnson
    Stomp Johnson Members, Writer Posts: 3,623 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bowser play way too damn much. It aint een like he be tryna ? or nothin. You'd think somebody that owned 7 or 8 castles and numerous small fortresses would have enough money to buy all the IG ? he wanted and giv'em that Saudi Prince treatment. Instead he still bullshittin with Peach ole raggedy ass.

    If we gon be outraged, lets be mad about that.
  • huey
    huey Members Posts: 11,743 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Please post link to this article.
  • The Recipe
    The Recipe Members Posts: 10,570 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This is just dumb.
  • Karl.
    Karl. Members Posts: 8,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Super Mario is like a fairytale. That's just the story. Mario saves the princess. I hate ? like this.
  • iron man1
    iron man1 Members Posts: 29,989 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • HafBayked
    HafBayked Members Posts: 16,248 ✭✭✭✭✭
    its too late mane smh....

    they tried to tell us long ago to fight this ? but some of us wanted to pander to the ladies

    they will be THE men soon

    maybe Luigi should have been making Jello Jigglers and sipping wine while the Princess chopped wood and smoked cigars smh
  • Karl.
    Karl. Members Posts: 8,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If you're playing Mario for the story you got rocks in your head. It's a platformer. All
    About the gameplay.

    Anyway you can play as Peach in the game. She has her own unique characteristics. Just like old western Mario 2.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Regulator
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • dalyricalbandit
    dalyricalbandit Members, Moderators Posts: 67,918 Regulator
  • texas409
    texas409 Members Posts: 20,854 ✭✭✭✭✭
    feminazis at work here
  • Karl.
    Karl. Members Posts: 8,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What should a princess look like?

    6ppjhi1xu862.jpg
  • Recaptimus_Prime360
    Recaptimus_Prime360 Members Posts: 64,801 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • vespesianus
    vespesianus Members Posts: 330 ✭✭✭
    OP could have made the whole ? up though, where's the link for this article? What's the source? If it's some no name small town newspaper or something then who gives a ? , if it's the New York Times then that's something different
  • themadlionsfan
    themadlionsfan Members Posts: 9,133 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This has gone too far
  • playmaker88
    playmaker88 Members Posts: 67,905 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This is ? stupid.. i saw this on GAF yesterday
  • StoneColdMikey
    StoneColdMikey Members, Moderators Posts: 33,543 Regulator
    OP could have made the whole ? up though, where's the link for this article? What's the source? If it's some no name small town newspaper or something then who gives a ? , if it's the New York Times then that's something different

    Yeah this is the only place where I seen this article
  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    So yall havent heard of Google? Its from the NY Times. They went as far as to say it wasnt a "family friendly game" lol
  • So ILL
    So ILL Members Posts: 16,507 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The reach is unbelievable lol.
  • Karl.
    Karl. Members Posts: 8,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's kinda annoying how these so called journalists will see 2 complaints from some idiot on Twitter then use them make up some ? article.
  • LEMZIMUS_RAMSEY
    LEMZIMUS_RAMSEY Members, Writer Posts: 17,670 ✭✭✭✭✭
    We got

    Lara Croft
    Bayonetta
    Lighning
    Yuna
    Chun Li
    That girl in Mirror's edge

    And here they are crying about Mario... smh
  • StoneColdMikey
    StoneColdMikey Members, Moderators Posts: 33,543 Regulator
    Karl. wrote: »
    It's kinda annoying how these so called journalists will see 2 complaints from some idiot on Twitter then use them make up some ? article.

    That's exactly what it is
  • The Lonious Monk
    The Lonious Monk Members Posts: 26,258 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ? been getting kidnapped for 30 years, now she's suddenly supposed to be too savvy for that?