| Min Min | |
|---|---|
| Arms character | |
 Min Min, as she appears in Arms | |
| First game | Arms (2017) |
| Final Episode Appearance | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) |
| Designed by | Masaaki Ishikawa[1] |
| Character played by | Haruna Takatsu[2] |
Min Min is a fictional character and one of the playable fighters from Nintendo EPD's 2017 fighting video game Arms. She's an eighteen-year-old fighter, whose family runs a ramen shop called "Mintendo Noodle House" (a reference to Nintendo). She fights to help promote her family's restaurant. Like most of the fighters in Arms, she has extendable arms that twirl similar to that of an elastic spring. Her arms take the appearance of ramen noodles, a reference to her family's restaurant. She speaks in Chinese and has a dragon/ramen theme aesthetic to her playstyle and fashion.
Min Min is one of the most popular characters from Arms - she has received many fan art and has trended on social media several times. [3][4] She has been praised for her ramen-based design, with many commenting how well-executed her overall look turn out. She won first place in Arms second-year anniversary event, Party Crash Bash,[5] and was the first character in the second season pass for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, becoming Arms sole playable representative. Her appearance in Smash Bros. has received more mixed reactions.[6]
Character development[]
Character designs started with the arms first with the team working backward to decide what type of character would possess it, for instance, the character of Helix, started with the idea of a fighter whose arms were DNA strands, although the team initially did not know much else about him. Most fighters were designed to fill a gameplay need, although there are some exceptions where a design came first.[7] An early concept for the game had the characters using external devices to punch their opponents; however, this was later dropped in favor of the characters extending their actual arms.[8] Yabuki has stated that, as opposed to one single protagonist, all of the characters are the protagonists of the game.[9]
Min Min's backstory denotes her as a "member of ramen royalty".[4] Min Min was created based as ramen with her hair mostly consisting of noodles. The art director Masaaki Ishikawa said "She’s a female character that’s not too cutesy, and her sporty outfit—including the ramen bowl inspired beanie and dragon motif accessories—also contributes to her popularity...Back when the character was in development, we saw a lot of women wearing shallow beanies over here in Japan. This was right around the time when we were thinking about a ramen-themed female character, It hit us that maybe we can cleverly combine this beanie fashion with an upside-down ramen bowl. That’s how it got incorporated into the design."[1]
Appearances[]
Min Min originally appeared as one of the fighters in Arms.[10]
Other appearances[]
Min Min also appears in an Arms party crash bash event[11] and is the latest character in the game to win.[12] Min Min was a playable character in 2018's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as the first fighter in Fighters Pass Vol. 2.[13] Min Min was going to appear in the Arms Graphic Novel Series, but it was canceled before she did.[14] An Amiibo of Min Min has been revealed in a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate presentation, it is expected to show up in July 23rd, 2021.[15]
Reception[]
Min Min has received mostly positive reception for her role in Arms, with many fans and commentators praising her design. However, her appearance in Smash Bros. has been more mixed.
In June 2019, Nintendo celebrated Arms’ 2nd anniversary with Min Min's big win-win with a special artwork where she wins the Party Crash Bash event,[5] and captured the title as the best Arms fighter.[12] On NintendoLife's 2017 Arms poll, Min Min got the second-highest vote behind Twintelle.[16] But she would later receive the most percentage of votes for NintendoLife's 2020 poll for which Arms character should get into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, gaining around twenty-five percent of the total votes.[17] During the 2017 Anime Expo, Min Min alongside with Spring Man and Ribbon Girl has been cosplayed.[18] Nintendo revealed the Arms characters with highest win rates, placing Min Min as the third most winning character.[19] Cecilia D'Anastasio of Kotaku praised the character and said "with her beanie an upside-down ramen bowl and stringy, ramen arms, is ridiculous and amazing".[20] Contrarily, Jordan Erica Webber of The Guardian criticized the character and said that the character's dragon-themed weapons and Arms made out of noodles comes across as an "uncomfortable stereotype". [21] This is despite her being developed by a Japanese studio. Marcel Hoang of Destructoid described Min Min as his favorite character on Arms.[22]
During Nintendo Direct, Masahiro Sakurai announced that the next DLC fighter coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would be from Arms, Min Min was trending on Twitter for believing that she is a prime candidate.[4] Masahiro Sakurai said Min Min in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was chosen because Arms director Kosuke Yabuki wanted it and noted "that the character was particularly difficult to integrate into the world of Ultimate" and believe to create an extraordinary fighting style.[23] After her inclusion in Super Smash Bros., the Arms developer celebrates with new artwork of Min Min.[24] Chris Carter of Destructoid noted Min Min inclusion on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate might be unwanted, but she fits in.[25] Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek praised the control design of Min Min from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, when each fist can be controlled by a different button.[26] Comic Book Resources ranked Min Min as third of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC character,[27] and also included her at the most underrated characters in the game.[28] Bryce Johnson of Screen Rant ranked Min Min as the 2nd Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC character,[29] and ranked Min Min as 3rd character of worst to best DLC fighter.[30] During the outbreak of COVID-19, Min Min became one of the least popular character in Japan on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate when playing online.[6] David L. Craddock of Shacknews claimed that Min Min is his favorite Arms character, stating that it also reminds him of the gaming term “min-max,” and he claimed that he never thought of min-min-ing until Min-Min’s addition to the Smash roster.[31]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Nintendo Explains How It Came Up With Min Min's Unique Design In Arms". Kotaku.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Min Min". Behind The Voice Actors.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Guerrero, John (March 26, 2020). "The internet REALLY wants Min Min from ARMS in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". Event Hubs.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Here's Why Min Min is Trending on Twitter". Game Rant. March 26, 2020.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Arms Celebrates Its 2nd Anniversary And Min Min's Big Win Win With A Special Artwork". June 30, 2019.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gordon, Justin 'AdaptiveTrigger' (January 19, 2021). "Min Min is rapidly becoming the most hated character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Japanese scene". EventHubs.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Webster, Andrew (June 6, 2017). "How Nintendo created its wild new cast of fighters for Switch game Arms". The Verge.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Hilliard, Kyle. "Arms' Creators On Twintelle's Popularity And The Strange Lore Of The Game's World". Game Informer.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Sakurai, Masahiro (2020-06-22) (in Japanese). Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Min Min" (Video). Nintendo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_NNyXaBW-I&t=1s.
- ↑ McWhertor, Michael (June 7, 2017). "Arms review". Polygon.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Life, Nintendo (June 18, 2019). "The Queen Of Ramen Min Min Takes Out The Final Party Crash Bash Event In Arms". Nintendo Life.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Min Min takes the crown in the last ever Arms Crash Party Bash". Destructoid.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Min Min from Arms to Join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as DLC". June 22, 2020.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Life, Nintendo (March 12, 2021). "Dark Horse Appears To Have Cancelled The Arms Graphic Novel Series". Nintendo Life.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ https://www.siliconera.com/ssbu-min-min-amiibo-shown-ahead-of-its-debut-next-year/
- ↑ Life, Nintendo (May 19, 2017). "Poll: Who Is Your Favourite Arms Fighter?". Nintendo Life.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Lane, Gavin (June 19, 2020). "Poll: Which ARMS Fighter Should Join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?". Nintendo Life.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Life, Nintendo (July 3, 2017). "This Colourful Arms Cosplay Will Knock You Out". Nintendo Life.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Nintendo Has Revealed The Arms Characters With Highest Win-Rates". My Nintendo News. August 27, 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Arms: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Arms review: Nintendo's springy limbed fighting game is ridiculous fun". the Guardian. June 16, 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "What does the community think of Arms?". July 9, 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Webster, Andrew (June 22, 2020). "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate adds Min Min from Arms". The Verge.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Life, Nintendo (June 30, 2020). "Arms Dev Celebrates Min Min's Arrival In Smash Ultimate With Some New Artwork". Nintendo Life.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Chris Carter (July 1, 2020). "Min Min might not be who everyone wanted for Smash Ultimate, but she fits right in". Destructoid.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Arms' Min Min Revealed as New Fighter". Den of Geek. June 23, 2020.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Super Smash Bros Ultimate: Every DLC Character, Ranked (So Far)". CBR. October 4, 2020.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "The Most Underrated Characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". CBR. August 17, 2020.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Every Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC Character, Ranked". ScreenRant. February 24, 2021.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Every Smash Ultimate DLC Fighter, Ranked Worst To Best". ScreenRant. December 31, 2020.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ https://www.shacknews.com/article/118920/shack-chat-who-is-your-favorite-arms-character
External links[]
| Arms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Min Min • Twintelle | |
| Related | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | |
