PETA are apparently no strangerS to videogames. In their chequered past they’ve publicly attacked the likes of Resident Evil, Battlefield and Super Meat Boy for incidental portrayals of animal death. Well let it not go unsaid that PETA don’t keep current because now they’ve also spoken out about the famed Tanooki suit in Super Mario Land 3D.
“When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemy—even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers.
Tanooki may be just a “suit” in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur. Play Super Tanooki Skin 2D and help Tanooki reclaim his fur!” This is taken from PETA’s new Mario Kills Tanooki campaign site.
The site also comes complete with a dodgy 2D Mario rip off game where you play as a skinless Tanooki running after a bloodthirsty Mario in a twisted and rather frightening version of the mushroom kingdom. Does a quick blast on Super Mario Land 3D make you more inclined to wear fur? No, I don’t think so. While the ethical treatment of animals is a valid and legitimate concern to have I think PETA could only help their cause by not chasing whimsical dead-ends like Tanooki’s in a Mario game.
