tech
Metroid at 40: happy birthday to Samus Aran, gaming’s greatest badass and my personal heroine
Being a woman who loves video games has often felt lonely, like being on a hostile planet – but Metroid’s female space hunter has been with me all the way
TL;DR
- The 1986 game Metroid introduced Samus Aran, a female protagonist revealed in a sexualized manner at the end of the game.
- Video game marketing in the 1980s increasingly targeted young boys after the 1983 crash.
- Samus Aran's presentation as a sex object contradicted her role as a highly competent and fearless space hunter, allowing players to identify with her.
- The author found a personal connection with Samus Aran during a lonely period, viewing her as a symbol of strength and perseverance.
- The author faced harassment as a queer woman in the video game journalism industry, drawing inspiration from Samus's resilience.
- Metroid games like Samus Returns have aimed to recapture the empowering portrayal of Samus from the original trilogy, emphasizing her as a character players can embody.
- Samus Aran's significance lies in her ability to be a powerful female character that players can connect with and see themselves in, despite industry trends.