Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Character Features in Offensive Ad

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character Terry Bogard, who came to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite game after it had released in 2018 as a DLC character, is at the center of a new controversy involving SNK and a controversial ad made by one of its licensing partners. The advertisement — which has been making the rounds on social media and gaming forums — is for a mobile game by the name of SNK Allstar. And while the ad wasn’t made by SNK, the company has had to issue an apology for it due to its indirect involvement.

The ad itself features Terry Bogard ride by three female SNK characters on his motorcycle, slapping them on their bottoms as he passes. Of course, this by itself is problematic for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it’s not very representative of the character. However, making the offense even worse is the fact that one of the female characters is often depicted as a teenager.

Below, you can check out the ad for yourself:

According to SNK, not only did it have no part in the creation of the ad, but no knowledge of its existence. Nonetheless, it has issued an apology and has noted that it has also issued a complaint about the ad and is seeking its immediate removal.

“We sincerely apologize to our fans that such an offensive ad managed to make it to public release and hope for your understanding,” said SNK. “We will strive to do better in the future along with our partners.”

At the moment of publishing, Nintendo hasn’t commented on the ad, and it’s unlikely it will. While the character is in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this ad is far enough removed from the game and Nintendo that the company likely won’t comment on the controversy. However, if it does, we will be sure to update the story with whatever is provided.