Eurogamer

Nintendo has responded to animal rights group PETA's attack on Super Mario 3D Land, saying the Italian plumber's animal-based transformations are "lighthearted and whimsical".

Yesterday PETA launched its Mario Kills Tanooki campaign, claiming the Nintendo mascot's famed Tanooki suit power-up sends out a message that it's okay to wear real animal fur.

"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," reads a post on its website.

"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."

PETA even launched its own Flash-based platformer called Super Tanooki Skin 2D, in which you play as a skinless raccoon trying to chase down Mario and retrieve its hide.

Now Nintendo has had its say.

"Mario often takes the appearance of certain animals and objects in his games," a spokesperson 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."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-15-nintendo-responds-to-peta-mario-pro-fur-claim

Quick. Someone make a video jumping on a live turtle.

if you enhance the graphics it turns out it may not be real fur after all!
http://obsoletegamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/tanooki_cosplay.jpg " border="0">

Heh, oh peta. You inspire Puff Daddy into killing. Again.

"PETA even launched its own Flash-based platformer called Super Tanooki Skin 2D, in which you play as a skinless raccoon trying to chase down Mario and retrieve its hide."

Nintendo lawyers probably could sue their dumb asses over that move. Deformation of character based on bullshit.  I have a wildlife management degree and I love animals.  PETA can pick up some decent cause sometimes but it seems most of the times they pick retarded fights.  That is why they don't that much respect.  If they actually tried to help wildlife like WWF (World Wildlife Fund) then they would gain more respect.

where were these dumbasses in 1990 when Mario had the tanooki suit in SMB3?

Oh PETA.

C'mon seriously how ironic is it that PETA's stupid flash game's full of the "disgusting gore" it's speaking up against when Super Mario 3D Land itself doesn't show all these cruel depictions.

Frigging attention seekers. I mean, how infamous are they already.

And I'm wondering whether Nintendo could sue PETA over the usage of an edited Mario logo?

i remember their cooking mama spoof

We have a wonderful expresion in my country, impossible to translate:
"se están colgando de sus tetas".
Mario sells, Nintendo is noticeable, is news material... he's a mascot, he's a worldwide icon, he's what Mickey Mouse would like to be... he's and industry that media usually attacks...
Good job PETA! Getting some space on the web for free, even when its price might be to lean lots of people to think of you as stupid fanboyism!

Doesn't matter what Nintendo says, Mario is an animal torturing, Tanooki skinning, Turtle crushing, Mushroom eating man who hallucinates and envisions living in a world of walking mushroom things, giant bullets with faces and helpless princesses.

Mario has also been skinning these Tanooki and killing poor defenseless animals since he was only 5-10 years old. That kind of behaviour sometimes leads to becoming a serial killer.

Mario is a terrible animal abusing man and drug addict and good on PETA for finally exposing the horror that is Mario Mario.

When you find your kid eating those no good mushrooms in your yard, expecting to grow bigger, you know who to blame!! When your child decides to use turtles as a bicycle ramp or a trampoline you know who to blame!!

When your kid tries to shoot himself out of a cannon, YOU KNOW WHO TO BLAME!!