We’ve watched the Nintendo Switch reveal video enough times now to have it memorized, beat-by-beat, as have other loyal Nintendo fans. One moment that’s stuck out in particular is the saga of “Karen,” the well-dressed urban chick with a cute haircut and a crippling addiction to her handheld. The (unnamed, officially) woman’s brief appearance playing the new Super Mario game at a rooftop party has begotten one of the budding community’s quirkiest obsessions — and perhaps assuages some of older Nintendo fans’ own fears along the way.
Tumblr user Joematar gave birth to the Karen joke shortly after the trailer’s release in a post that mocks her inability to leave her Nintendo Switch at home.
Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and all the other usual places caught wind quickly. On the Nintendo Switch subreddit, itself born the day of the console’s reveal, discussion of Karen’s questionable social skills spread. Some taunted her for showing up to the party with her Mario game paused, ready to be picked back up at any moment.
“They wave like stop playing video games and come socialize, but Karen is socially challenged,” wrote sgtZipper.
The majority of posters, however, commended Karen — again, as she’s dubbed by fans alone — for her commitment to gaming. It made her instantly relatable, they wrote; they, too, often attended parties where friends brought over Wii Us and other Nintendo systems to play some local multiplayer. Any partygoer who doesn’t respect the fun a Nintendo Switch can add to an otherwise standard event is a friend not worth having, redditors said.
They also emphasized that the Switch doesn’t preclude socializing, either.
“I have so many friends who love [Super Smash Bros. for Wii U], and this has two controllers built in,” said Gramernatzi. (The Nintendo Switch’s new Joy-Con peripherals attach to the tablet on either side, and can be removed for use by one or two players.)
“Anyone who thinks it’s weird to play games at a party is probably someone who hasn’t been to a party,” added FamiNesGirl. “All the casuals and gamers play Mario Kart and any gamers play Smash Brothers.”
Karen is later seen to get into an intense multiplayer session with a friend as the rest of the twentysomethings grasp their red Solo cups, enraptured by the little device. Perhaps their curiosity is solely indebted to the Switch being a brand new, very hyped-up piece of tech. Just as possible, though, is that these are adults who grew up playing Nintendo consoles. They’re watching people their age have fun with Mario, a reminder that loving Nintendo is an ageless pursuit.
That seems to be a core part of Nintendo’s early marketing of the Switch. There aren’t any people under 18 featured in the first look at the console, in stark contrast to how the Wii and Wii U were promoted. Karen may be memefied for her brand of Nintendo addiction, but she has also become an icon for Nintendo fans who are just like her: older, wiser, but no less important.
An entire community dedicated to all things Karen has popped up on Reddit, and it already has almost 1,000 subscribers. The analysis runs deep, from the rings on Karen’s fingers (four, for those wondering) as well as the possibility of her appearance in the next Smash Bros. or Mario Kart. There’s also plenty of talk about her good looks, anchoring the all-around positive conversations.
The Karen subreddit is mostly full of goofs about a meme that has grown bigger and faster than anyone could have expected. They’re good for an easy laugh whether you’re a diehard Nintendo lover or not, but Karen stands to be a beacon of hope for the nostalgic, lapsed Nintendo fan too.