Samus Aran - Reception

Reception

As a female in a male-dominated role, Samus has been widely considered a breakthrough for female characters in video games. The Irish Times found it refreshing to learn that the series' protagonist, who is "well disguised under the suit of heavy armour", is female, but The Independent wrote that her "Transformer-like suit she wears could just as easily contain a large centipede; it's hardly a breakthrough for feminism." According to the book Gaming Lives in the Twenty-First Century: Literate Connections, Samus was perhaps the most nonsexualized female video-game character ever, a belief shared in Introduction to Game Development, which also considered Samus as one of Nintendo's most popular video game mascots. According to The Sacramento Bee in 2002, "Unlike most other female video game characters, Samus isn't some husky-voiced bimbo in tight leather included only for sex appeal. Samus is tough, silent, heavily armed and spends most of her time in a bulky suit of high-tech Power Armor." That same year, however, the Toronto Star stated that the "sexual politics" surrounding Samus and the Metroid series needed to stop, arguing that the original "big crazy shock to the gaming public" was "some seriously misspent energy" as she "is not a woman for the benefit of the sweaty/excited crowd, and neither is she a standard-bearer nor a courageous leader in the struggle for video game civil rights. She is a supremely talented action figure, and in the closeups on her helmet you can kind of see that she wears mascara, but that is all."

Nevertheless, much of her media reception came from her sex appeal. GameDaily ranked Samus seventh on a list of the top "hottest game babes", describing her as "a refreshing change of pace, a tough, no nonsense warrior that isn't afraid to remove her famous orange and yellow power suit and let her hair down, especially to reveal her skin tight clothing". She was also listed on GameDaily's list of "hottest" blondes in video games, described as both one of Nintendo's most famous protagonists as well as a "curvaceous, drop-dead-gorgeous woman," and used to illustrate the "smart and sexy heroine" archetype on the list of top video game archetypes. In 2009, UGO.com ranked Samus as 11th on a list of the top "girls of gaming" and as the eighth "hottest sci-fi girl", also including her in the 2011 list of 50 video game "hotties". GameTrailers named Samus number one on a 2006 list of the top ten women of gaming, and number three among top ten "gamer babes". In 2011, GameFront featured her twice on the list of the best "boobs" in video game history, at 40th spot for her reveal in the original game, and at sixth place for her modern appearance in "a ridiculously form-fitting jumpsuit". In 2012, Complex ranked her as the 24th "hottest" video game character, also ranking her as the fourth top "hot female killer" from video games.

In 2009, GameDaily called Samus the video game industry's "first dominant female, a femme de force that didn't rely on a man to save her," also ranking her number one on a list of the top Nintendo characters of all time. In 2010, UGO.com ranked her as 20th in a list of top heroes of all-time. In 2011, Nintendo Power listed Samus as their third favourite hero, citing her bravery in the face of dangerous situations. That same year, UGO.com also included her on the lists of the best alternate costumes (for her one-piece bathing swimsuit in the original game) and video game characters who need their own movies. Empire ranked her as the 26th greatest video game character, adding, "whether you see her as a breakthrough for feminism or just another faceless sci-fi warrior, 1986's unexpected reveal that showed women could be more in gaming lore than eye candy for geeky boys was a refreshing and unforgettable moment." In 2012, GamesRadar ranked her as the fiftth "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, adding: "Whether she's 2D or 3D, in a sidescroller or FPS, her strength and determination always shine through, allowing her the power to defeat floating aliens space pirates alike."

Samus has been well received by video game community. In 2001, IGN remarked that Samus has a cult following greater than most other female video game characters. She was chosen by the users of IGN as the most requested character who should have her own movie franchise by the website's users, the staff remarking that her tragic past makes her a perfect candidate for a movie, especially the loss of both her parents to the Space Pirates. Among their list of voted characters, IGN considered Samus to be the video game character that "could lead the pack of video game adaptations that actually manage to live up to the source material." IGN also stated that Samus's theme song should be "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" by Aerosmith because she "spends her time running around in a manly battle suit blasting first and taking names later." Samus appeared in multiple GameFAQs "Character Battle" contests, winning the "Character Battle V" in 2006. In 2009, GameSpot featured her in their poll "All Time Greatest Game Hero", in which she lost to Mario in the semi-finals. Paul O'Connor, the lead game designer for Sammy Studios and a fan of the Metroid series, remarked that players empathize and identify with Samus because she is often rewarded for indulging in her curiosity. The book Videogames and Art notes that in the original Metroid the player is not briefed on Samus's past or future; the only interaction that they have with the character is by being her through gameplay, while bits of information can be gleaned from the handbook and through concept art, adding, "Samus is very rare for the character intimacy gained solely through game play and for her stasis and then drastic change," referring to the revelation that she is female.

In his review of Super Smash Bros., GameSpot editor Jeff Gerstmann called Samus one of the characters that made Nintendo "what it is today". Samus was ranked fifth on GameDaily's 2009 list of top characters in the Smash Bros. series, while IGN ranked her as the third-best character for Super Smash Bros. Her controversial portrayal in Metroid: Other M received mixed reactions. Unlike other Metroid games, where Samus took full advantage of weapons and abilities available, she deactivated most of them until Commander Adam Malkovich authorized their use, despite obvious uses for them. G4 TV considered a portrayal of Samus as "sexist", stating that as she "cannot possibly wield the amount of power she possesses unless directed to by a man" and that her anxiety attack cannot be reconciled with her previous portrayals. The A.V. Club echoed the misgivings about Samus's immaturity, petulant behavior, and misguided loyalty. According to GamePro, while the story and Samus' monologues did not compel them, "it helped contextualize her entire existence" which developed the character to "an actual human being who's using the vastness of space to try and put some distance between herself and the past". 1UP.com found the portrayal "lifeless and boring" and "nonsensical". GamesRadar wrote that Other M painted Samus, widely considered a strong female lead character, as "an unsure, insecure woman who desperately wants the approval of her former commanding officer". Game Informer listed her 1st on their list of the top ten "dorks" of 2010, citing her "lame backstory" in Other M. On other hand, ScrewAttack applauded the elaboration on Samus's character, arguing that her breakdown is an accurate depiction of posttraumatic stress disorder and that she is portrayed as a three-dimensional character, a step up from the fans' long-standing misconceptions of Samus as "pathologically emotionless man-hating ice queen," while "supposedly enlightened gamers and game commentators" are making gender assumptions that are "all in ."