That is pathetic, I wonder if the British know their games are being delayed because some idiot didn't like a word in his game

It's not really pathetic. Spastic is as much of an insult as retard here. Nintendo wouldn't let a family game go out with the word retard so why would they let the word spastic through.

This confused me as well, since my English is something of a mish mash between British spellings and American meanings.

Apparently the word spastic means pretty much the same as silly in American English, but in British English has pretty much the same connotation as retard.

Do you think a game should say "You retard!" to the player? Turning disabilities and diseases into insults is awfully lame IMHO, and offends some people enough that it's bad for business.

Oh wait, lame used to mean the same as crippled, before it became un-PC to use it for people with disabilities and turned into a pejorative. Looks like it can't be helped sometimes. =P

I agree they should have checked for any words that are offensive to British people...

Sucks for Wii owners in the UK though...they get to wait even longer...

Magikoopa magic!
Turn the train spastic!
Make the ticket tragic!

Okay, here's what I don't get though, the word isn't even pointing at the player, it's talking about the freaking... train.
And if you hadn't already noticed, the word spastic was clearly used for rhyming.
Assuming "idiot" is the worse possible word I can use to insult someone. Does calling a train idiot suddenly offend me?

Now, try replace the word spastic and make it rhyme and also keep the meaning...

I would say spastic is as bad as retard here.

Well in that case Nintendo should have done more research...I certainly have never considered the word any more offensive than "silly"

I should bookmark that link just so I can point out why European gamers are treated like they are third class by video game companies. Too many laws, social differences, taxes and whatnot for one region that's not really even 1/3 of the business the companies do.

you didn´t know beeing spastic was a medical condition Ben ??? watch some ER (it plays in Chicago so you have a reason to) I´m no doctor but I´ve heard of people having spasms, you loose control of muscle functions so its also used when someone is uncoordinated with his hands, here in germany (as the U.S.) we went through different phases of words beeing used for physically challenged people, (I hate that term, they have a deseas, a challange is something you choose and can overcome) its still better than retard or cripple

You could think of them as permanently challenged, in order to overcome your dislike of that term.