PETA: Mario Is Sick

Animal rights group PETA is up in arms about Mario's latest colourful adventure, Super Mario 3D Land.

In a statement issued via its website, PETA protested that Mario at one point appears to 'wear fur' in a costume. Yep, you know the one. We're all guilty of e-wearing it.

In the real world a tanuki suit is fashioned from the fur of raccoon dogs, which are skinned alive. Usually, fully grown, fat plumbers can't fit into just the one.

“When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemies—even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers,” outlines PETA via its “Mario Kills Tanooki” website. “By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.” The sicko.

Highlighting its fury PETA has even launched an online side-scrolling game called Super Tanooki Skin 2D, in which an angry skinned Tanooki pursues Mario in an attempt to retrieve its fur. When you catch up with the wheezy blue-collar worker it reads: “@#&$ you Mario!”