This points out an in important point – accessability in games. I have been a Game Designer for some time and I often heared from female players why they didn’t like this title or that title – and the reasons were always “Lack of female characters and female interactions”
Now I teach game design at the MHMK, Munich, and some of my students focus on gender interaction as well, because what you point out here is an essential lesson for game designers: Create game with character options. Women play! But most women don’t like to play the heavy muscled male, sometimes not even the androgyn male like Link etc.
I have to point out for legal reasons: in several countries (Germany among them) what you had done would result in being sued as a violation of copyright issues, because you altered someone elses property, but still your point is taken: Game designers must learn to add options. After all this is what interactivity means, right?
I for once will consider this in my lessons more thoroughly.
Thank you very much for pointing out what needs to be considered,
Michael