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Large-breasted female fighting game character barred from Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series

Casey Baseel Nov 7, 2019
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”Please forgive us,” says director, while explaining that Smash Bros. is “a game for good little children.”

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate already had 74 playable characters when it was released last December, but Nintendo’s crossover extravaganza has never followed a “less is more” philosophy. There’s been a steady stream of new guest characters added since launch, and the latest is one of the all-time all-stars of the fighting game world: Terry Bogard.

The protagonist of developer SNK’s Fatal Fury series, which started in 1991, Terry is also a regular participant in the King of Fighters franchise, SNK’s own crossover series, and the Smash Bros. team wanted to give a tip of the cap to SNK’s rich history by putting a whole bunch of KOF characters background cameos in Terry’s Smash Bros. stage.

“We ended up making a lot of different characters, 20 in total,” says Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai, speaking in Japanee in Terry’s introduction video. “To be honest, it was a pain in the butt. Or, more accurately, it took a ton of time and effort. But there are a lot of fans who have so many memories of a specific character, so we had to give it our best.”

Despite his team’s efforts, though, Sakurai knows that some SNK fans are still going to be disappointed, because, as the English dubbing of his comments says:

“By the way, you may have noticed that a very important character from the Fatal Fury series was not included. Yes, Mai Shiranui. Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is for good boys and girls, many different ages, so we decided not to feature her. Please forgive us.”

So who’s Mai Shiranui? She’s a ninja who first appeared in Fatal Fury 2, and arguably the most famous busty character in mainstream fighting games.

▼ A collection of Mai win poses from the King of Fighters series

She may be hot and y'all wanna smash but she also too hot for Smash.#不知火舞 #格闘ゲームおっぱい遺産 pic.twitter.com/EYGCHMM5vR

— GT| ShinATproof(・ωメ) (@WeeabooNinja) November 6, 2019

▼ Mai’s idle animation in KOF XIII

#不知火舞
このおっぱいで参戦は無理でしょ pic.twitter.com/XRLtr89hya

— スマブラー小情報速報 (@SrnashBrosJP) November 6, 2019

In his original Japanese comments, Sakurai is a little more specific about the reason for Mai’s omission, saying:

“By the way, there’s one important character from the Fatal Fury series who doesn’t appear, right? That’s right, Mai Shiranui. Unfortunately, Smash Bros. is a CERO A-rated game for good little children, so we couldn’t include her. Please forgive us.”

CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization) is Japan’s video game rating board, and A is its all-ages rating. The next lowest rating, B, is for players aged 12 and up, essentially meaning that CERO A games are supposed to be acceptable for kids 11 and younger, and Sakurai alludes to Mai’s heaving, swaying, bulbous bosoms being enough to bounce Super Smash Bros. Ultimate up to at least a CERO B rating, beyond the squeaky clean image Nintendo’s franchise wants to maintain.

▼ More Mai appearances from previous games she’s been in (and yes, that’s her cosplaying as Street Fighter’s Chun-Li at the bottom).

不知火舞はカプエスのドット絵がとても良くてな pic.twitter.com/Yjq4JIGMIf

— 一休 (@ikkyu019) November 6, 2019

Considering how prevalent large breasts are in Japanese animation and video games, Sakurai’s concern might seem misplaced. However, a look at various entries in the King of Fighters series on the Japanese PlayStation Store does indeed show that they’re rated CERO B, with icons designating the ratings are due to violence and sexual content, and with Mai having the most revealing costume of any female fighter in the series, it’s hard to imagine the “sexual content” designation isn’t referring to her.

Mai not making the trip to Smah Bros. has been deeply saddening for her fans, who have responded with fan art and cosplay photos.

▼ “In commemoration of being barred from participation by the CERO A rating!!” tweeted this Mai fan artist.

https://twitter.com/butcha_u/status/1192201818614321152

10年くらい前だ
不知火舞 pic.twitter.com/MQfvq2t1Rx

— サク (@saku93) November 7, 2019

▼ This also seems like a good opportunity to clear up the decades-old misunderstanding among English-speaking gamers, and explain that Mai’s victory voice sample is not her proclaiming “Me bouncy!” but “Nippon ichi!”, meaning “I’m the best/strongest in Japan!”

https://twitter.com/Igamushi4848/status/1192167156219138049

▼ Even Masami Obari, director of the Fatal Fury anime series (which, yes, includes a Mai shower scene), commented with “So it was impossible to include Mai Shiranui…”

不知火舞、無理でしたか…#不知火舞 #テリー・ボガード #大張正己 pic.twitter.com/Fivs37nlw2

— 大張正己 /Masami Obari (@G1_BARI) November 6, 2019

So does this mean we’ll never see Mai in Smash Bros.? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. As some have pointed out, Bayonetta, star of the series of the same name, has been a playable Smash Bros. character since the previous game Smash installment, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and was a launch character in Ultimate. This, despite the fact that her clothing is made out of her own hair, and in her own games she frequently appears near-nude, with a generous helping of S&M overtones.

▼ Bayonetta in her own games (left) vs. her appearance in Smash Bros. (right)

https://twitter.com/SP_BAYONETA/status/1192291676401700864

So maybe Mai could be let into the Smash Bros. party with a more conservative outfit, like the one she wore in this 1994 ad for the PC-Engine CD port of Fatal Fury Special.

スマブラで不知火舞がエロ要素で出禁くらってるらしいがこの格好なら問題なかったんじゃねーのかな。ハイウエスト、シャツイン着こなしてて超カッケェじゃん。 pic.twitter.com/BzVw6itmko

— ひぃさん (@wildguitar475) November 6, 2019

It’s also totally possible that, as one of SNK’s most popular characters, Sakurai is simply holding back on giving Mai a cameo because they’re thinking of making her a full-fledged playable character to come bouncing along at a later date.

Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’d like to remind everyone that the metal-plated cap in Terry’s alternate Smash Bros. costume should be ©Masami Obari.