Super Mario 3D Land attacked by PETA

[Rainbow Dash]

This weekend, Nintendo released Super Mario 3D Land, the first side-scrolling Mario title designed exclusively for the 3DS device. Critics like the game, mostly. But the folks at PETA do not.

More specifically, the folks at PETA do not like the inclusion of the "Tanooki suit," the familiar raccoon-like cloak and tail donned by Mario in some levels of Super Mario 3D Land. (In fact, the Tanooki suit first appeared back in 1988 with Super Mario Bros. 3.)

"Tanooki may be just a 'suit' in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur," PETA reps wrote on its "Mario Kills Tanooki" site. The site includes a (relatively gruesome) desktop game, where a skinned tanuki chases Mario, who is dripping blood, across a familiar landscape of pipes, blocks, and gold coins.

Just to be clear, the PETA game was designed by the organization, not Nintendo. The actual Mario game does not include any blood nor skinning. Players receive the Tanooki suit after collecting special leaves.

"Tanukis are real-life raccoon dogs who are beaten and, as PETA's undercover exposés show, often skinned alive for their fur," PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman told Kotaku this week. "This winter, everyone can give raccoon dogs and other fabulous animals a 1-UP by keeping our wardrobes fur-free." PETA alleges that Super Mario 3D Land sends a clear message: That it's OK to wear fur, no matter how brutally it is obtained.

In a statement to Eurogamer, a Nintendo spokesman shook off the criticism.

"Mario often takes the appearance of certain animals and objects in his games," the spokesman told Eurogamer. "These have included a frog, a penguin, a balloon and even a metallic version of himself. These lighthearted and whimsical transformations give Mario different abilities and make his games fun to play. The different forms that Mario takes make no statement beyond the games themselves."

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/...tacked-by-PETA

This is why I don't support PETA. I think they're mental. I don't agree with wearing fur nor do I wear make-up which has been tested on animals but this is ridiculous. It's an innocent power-up in a kids' games. All Mario does is grabs a leaf which gives him a racoon suit.

If you don't know what a Tanooki Suit is in mario games it's this: http://www.mariowiki.com/Tanooki_Suit

[The Goblins Blade]

Well peta are hypocrites, they will rescue an animal but attack and kill a human? They have been known to bomb peoples houses for christ sake for the sake animals. This article just shows how emotionally frail this micky mouse organisation is if they get offended by something that is not real.

[BDF]

PETA are obviously dipshits. I understand people being annoyed at animals being skinned alive... but does Nintendo really have to state from this point onwards that "no animals were harmed in the making of this game".

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Just about anyone can understand without being told, there's a clear difference between moving some pixels on a screen resulting in them changing shape and colour versus skinning an animal alive so it changes colour and shape. Forget about not being on the same page, it's not even the same book. Besides, if PETA feels so strongly, why did they wait 23 years to rag about it and make a diddly shit remake game?

I often wonder if PETA is just a large organization that trolls for the lulz.

[✖Ice✖]

Peta Slammed Pres Obama for killing a fly now a game?

[Revolution]

Agree. This is too far. I'm a vegetarian and for animal rights, and what I think is that PETA wastes money. They're a waste. They could be doing so much to ACTUALLY protect animals and ACTUALLY help their cause, and instead, they make a big deal out of nothing. I don't give a crap about the causes they promote either. The amount of animals killed for meat vs. the amount of animals killed for fur is exponentially higher for meat, but they promote the hell out of their fur campaign because people will actually follow it, yet really, there isn't a lot of good done.

I don't know. Not a big fan.

[LostTeen011]

I'm just suprised they haven't criticized all those turtles in the game getting smashed yet.

[Rainbow Dash]

http://features.peta.org/mario-kills-tanooki/

/dying. Haven't PETA got better things to do? Y'know, actually helping animals and not making weird games spoofs.

By the way, the video is quite disturbing.

[The Goblins Blade]

I knew that mario was an evil bastard.

[BDF]

Originally Posted by Mudkip

http://features.peta.org/mario-kills-tanooki/

/dying. Haven't PETA got better things to do? Y'know, actually helping animals and not making weird games spoofs.

By the way, the video is quite disturbing.

The video is pretty fucked up. I'm with PETA in so far that all the skinning and animal cruelty is bad. But how mario is to blame... is beyond me.

I can't imagine a kid going "hey, Mario's tanooki suit gives him special powers, I want one too, mum", then getting a real one.

[Rainbow Dash]

Originally Posted by The Man And XX Master

Just about anyone can understand without being told, there's a clear difference between moving some pixels on a screen resulting in them changing shape and colour versus skinning an animal alive so it changes colour and shape. Forget about not being on the same page, it's not even the same book. Besides, if PETA feels so strongly, why did they wait 23 years to rag about it and make a diddly shit remake game?

I often wonder if PETA is just a large organization that trolls for the lulz.

It's not a remake by the way. It's a stand alone game.

[BDF]

On a positive note I managed to get a time of 0 seconds in that game where you Mario in his tanooki coat.

[Rainbow Dash]

Originally Posted by BDF

On a positive note I managed to get a time of 0 seconds in that game where you Mario in his tanooki coat.

How the hell did you get zero? lol

[dr2005]

And this is why, for all my desire to improve animal welfare standards and stamp out cruelty to animals, I will never join PETA as long as I have breath in my lungs. They are idiots. It's also somewhat hypocritical given their record with destroying animals...

[BDF]

Originally Posted by Mudkip

How the hell did you get zero? lol

Time bonuses for every 10 coins you get

[XxMallyPrydexX]

I'm just suprised they haven't criticized all those turtles in the game getting smashed yet.

Haha they have in SuperChick Sisters (another PETA game) the KFC version, they show activists of PETT (People for the Ethical Treatment of Turtles) attacking Mario Those games are so much fun... but I do think they should be using the money that is donated to them for a better purpose...

EDIT: And in their defense... they aren't doing it to attack the game, they're using its popularity as leverage to spread awareness of the fur farms that breed and sell raccoon-dogs (tanooki) fur.

[Skeleton]

Now that is just stupid. It's a game, in which a character collects something and gets a suit. If Mario ran around killing animals and wearing their skin then I'd understand but collecting leafs or something isn't really that bad.

[XxMallyPrydexX]

Now that is just stupid. It's a game, in which a character collects something and gets a suit. If Mario ran around killing animals and wearing their skin then I'd understand but collecting leafs or something isn't really that bad.

Charlie, they aren't doing it to attack the game... like I said above...

And in their defense... they aren't doing it to attack the game, they're using its popularity as leverage to spread awareness of the fur farms that breed and sell raccoon-dogs (tanooki) fur.

[chickenonsteroids]

PETA.

Trollin' fools since 1980.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by Mudkip

http://features.peta.org/mario-kills-tanooki/

/dying. Haven't PETA got better things to do? Y'know, actually helping animals and not making weird games spoofs.

By the way, the video is quite disturbing.

I don't know about you but I thought it was a decent game. It certainly needs a lot of work but it has potential, sort of a Super Mario Bros-Texas Chainsaw Massacre hybrid game.

[MacGuffin]

This is my beef with PETA. There is nothing wrong with standing up for animal rights and trying to obtain safer living conditions for animals. But PETA is just really over the top about the whole thing. They seem to care more about saving animals than saving humans, and that really bugs me. So really my opinion is if you want to save the rights on animals so bad you infringe on those of humans, go be an animal yourself.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by Superstar

This is my beef with PETA. There is nothing wrong with standing up for animal rights and trying to obtain safer living conditions for animals. But PETA is just really over the top about the whole thing. They seem to care more about saving animals than saving humans, and that really bugs me. So really my opinion is if you want to save the rights on animals so bad you infringe on those of humans, go be an animal yourself.

Humans are animals so PETA should be protecting us.

[Iridescence]

It's just a video game for crying out loud! Last time I checked, video games are virtual. Virtual as in, NOT IN REAL LIFE.
The 'fur' is made out of pixels and bytes and what not. Not made from actual animal fur.

[Dream]

I've played multiple Mario games. I never noticed the Tanooki Suit, or I guess I never thought about it.

It is things like this that alienate many people who would otherwise support PETA. It isn't like Nintendo is actually killing tanooki, and it isn't as if the fact that Mario wears one inspires people to do so anymore than it inspires people to grow a mustache, gain some weight, and wear overalls all of the time.