PETA - the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - have moved to calm irate fans of Nintendo's much loved Italian plumber. Many defensive Mario activists have been dealing with serious disgruntlement after PETA released a videogame spoof of their favourite character that is playable here.
As reported by Kotaku, PETA spokesperson Ashley Palmer replied to the outrage with a call for calm.
"Mario fans: Relax! PETA's game was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, a fun way to call attention to a serious issue, that raccoon dogs are skinned alive for their fur," she said via a statement. "We wish real-life tanukis could fly or swat enemies away with their tails and escape from those who profit from their skins. You can help them by never buying real fur."
It seems that there was quite a backlash in using Mario to make a political point, with fans contesting that the harsh portrayal of the gaming icon isn't really justified when you consider that his Tanooki suit was made for him by a tailor, not skin off the back of an animal.
You can see our thoughts on the game by checking out this article.