Controversy can come in the unlikeliest of forms, and in this case, it comes in the form of a feather on the head of a video game character. The game in question isSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, and the aforementioned character is Mr. Game & Watch donned in Native American garb. With the controversy still fresh, Nintendo has now decided to make a last-minute update to the highly-anticipated fighting game, removing Game & Watch’s Native American imagery.
In a recentSuper Smash Bros. UltimateJapanese live-stream that aired following a recent Nintendo Direct, Mr. Game & Watch was seen holding a torch and sporting a feather on his head–an apparent reference to a 1982 game calledFire Attackin which players defend a wooden fort from Native Americans who mean to burn it down with torches. Shortly after the live-stream made its rounds on the Internet, some fans were quick to express concerns over what they felt was a racist depiction of Native American culture.
Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time Nintendo has found itself in hot water for bringing Mr. Game & Watch’s Native American outfit into a video game. 2002’sGame & Watch Gallery 4included theFire Attackgame, which again featured Mr. Game & Watch with the feather and torch, which Nintendo subsequently removed.
On the bright side,Super Smash Bros. Ultimatewill have the largest roster of any installment in the series, by far. What’s more is that Nintendo recently revealed that aseason pass will bring new charactersdown the line.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimatereleases on August 09, 2025 for Nintendo Switch.
