American Fans Upset Over Portrayal Of Mario, Others In Super Mario Strikers
02.28.06 - Angry and disconcerted over the portrayal of fabled Nintendo character Mario in the soccer-themed game Super Mario Strikers, hundreds of Americans staged protests outside the Los Angeles office of the Canadian-based company Next Level Games, the game’s developers.
“Mario would never put on short shorts and play soccer like a sissy. Ditto Wario. Maybe Luigi, and that’s a big maybe” explained Jeff Bronson, one of the protesters who gathered outside the Next Level Games building. “It’s bad enough we’ve had to watch two weeks worth of curling at the Olympics, but this is just unacceptable” said Brian Robinson, another demonstrator at the scene.
About 5 LAPD officers were no match for the unruly crowd of hundreds, who chucked tree branches and empty beer cans toward the office building. “You see that can? That’s Miller Lite, an American beer!” exclaimed one of the protesters after doing little more than littering the gaming company’s headquarters. After the crowd grew increasingly violent, more officers were called to the scene, and soon several dozens of minority protesters were subdued and placed under arrest.
A spokesman for Next Level Games could not be reached for comment, but estimates of the damage to the Los Angeles building are estimated at a $37.85 price tag.