Peta: Tanooki suit shows Mario is pro-fur

Animal rights activist group Peta has lined up videogames in its sights again, saying Super Mario 3D Land's Tanooki suit shows Mario thinks it's okay to wear fur.

"When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary - even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers," the group's website reads.

"Tanooki may just be 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 okay to wear fur."

Peta has released another Flash game in which it subtly makes its point. Called Mario Kills Tanooki, it's a one-button platformer in which players, as a skinned tanuki, chase after an airborne Mario, his new animal hide flapping in the breeze, dripping blood from the sky.

We're assuming that Peta has no issue with over 25 years of turtle abuse. Just last week we reported that Peta had a problem with a single scene in EA's military shooter Battlefield 3, in which the player kills a rat, and the group has also taken issue with Super Meat Boy and Cooking Mama in the past.

Super Mario 3D Land will be released for 3DS in Europe this Friday, November 18. 

Source: Peta