We've just had a tip from Dtoid artistic guru Lauren letting us know about some bizarre news relating to yet another case of videogame controversy in the UK, and this time the perpetrator of offense is none other than everyone's favourite turtle killer Mario.
The GAME retail chain has recalled the seemingly innocent Mario Party 8 mere hours after its release, citing the fact that the game contains "a swear word" as the reason. Of course, this isn't the first time a supposedly benevolent Nintendo game has turned out to harbour linguistic horrors able to corrupt the sweet lexis of our poor children. A brief but moronic media outrage hit out at the DS version of Animal Crossing a couple of months ago as a result of the discovery of some bad words contained in the game's online user-generated content. Nintendo, you fiends! But what's the reason this time?
After some detective work, Lauren has discovered that the game features a minigame in which a Magikoopa uses the word "spastic", but while the phrase has obviously got some seriously offensive colloquial connotations in terms of mockery of the disabled, it seems the whole thing might well be a really unfortunate mix up. In the context of the game, the word is used with it's original meaning, which as the ever lovely Dictionary.com tells us is as follows.
Spastic
–adjective
1. pertaining to, of the nature of, or characterized by spasm, esp. tonic spasm.
The minigame in question instructs the player to make a train shake, presumably through some manner of Wii remote-related malarkey, but while the word is used legitimately, Nintendo's translators really shouldn't have tried to be so impressive with the thesaurus this time. Seriously guys, I know you don't want to incurr the mighty wrath of muscle-man Reggie, but really, sometimes less is more. Anyone for Prince Phillip as an unlockable character in Mario Party 9?
[Thanks to Lauren for the tip and the pic]
Contest:
8:01 PM on 07.13.2007
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4NiFnDhrrA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4NiFnDhrrA
It's now clear that he was taken out due to his unacceptable offensive language.
Kamek was also one of the main characters in the classic Super Mario Bros cartoon, (which as we all know had the most amazing voice acting, a standard yet to be beaten in terms of utter shitness) and again he was later taken out.
I for one, think it's about time Kamek took back his natural position as one of Nintendo's main characters, Donkey Kong has become an endorser of gimmicks, Link only comes out to play every two years, kirby needs it's head smashed in, Pickachu is so 20th century, and the whole Animal Crossing thing has creepy undertones of the Wicker Man, and you wouldn't get Mario calling anyone a spastic...and this is why Kamek rules, the Kamek revolution starts here fools.
Although, there's even a charity that changed their name from "The Spastic Society" to avoid this sort of thing, it was once acceptable.
I kinda just wanted to right the spastic society heheheheee
The spastic train would win so easy. All it would have to do is use a Fenix Down.
Ha haha "faled unglish"
I don't pin any malice on Nintendo if they used it in a game except to question who the hell they are employing to localise their content.
@Pangloss - hahaha I laughed hard. I hope you meant for me to read it as Fenix Downs.
Coming soon: Mario and Sonic at the special olympics.
Seriously though, while Nintendo seriously need to look at whoever is localising their UK content (and please, stop making shitty Mario Party games, thanks) the question is who is actually getting offended by this unfortunate but correct use of English? The many, many differently abled people I have enjoyed the company of are no doubt far too busy being wonderful, charming, rewarding and altogether lovely people to really give a shit.
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