ABSTRACT

This chapter considers how Japan's colonial past has impacted fighting games in terms of the representation of Korea and other colonies of the Japanese Empire, and ask whether the same kind of impact may be seen in other genres as well. 'Self' is privileged through the archetypes of ninja and samurai in the series, while the colonial Others of Korea, Ryukyu/Okinawa and Micronesia are marked as different and apart through hair colour and other bodily signifiers. The chapter shows how the distinctions have been expressed not only in the games themselves, but also in art books and other peripherals. Memories of the colonial past have also found expression in localization tactics, particularly for the Korean market. The chapter also considers the representation of South Korea in soccer-themed sports games, showing how soccer rivalry and colonial memory combine to impact the player experience.