Nintendo to Remove 'Cat-Calling,' 'Fat Shaming' From Popular Mario Game
Apparently “Paper Mario” is a little too sexist and fatphobic for Nintendo.
The Japanese video game company is set to release a remake of the popular 2004 game “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door” for its Switch platform on May 23.
The remake will be almost an exact copy of the original game updated for the modern console… albeit with a few small politically correct changes.
Screenshots of the game shared on Reddit reveal certain dialogue scenes throughout the game have been slightly edited.
For example, in the original game, the villain Bowser teases one of his Koopa underlings for being overweight.
Bowser no longer fat shames. Here’s the before and after. Which do you prefer?
byu/Fragrant_Call7983 inpapermario
“In that case, I order you to do some sit-ups, Tubby,” Bowser said in the game.
In the remake, that teasing has been completely removed. Rather than badger his underling, the villainous Bowser appears to be encouraging him.
“In that case, I order you to do some sit-ups. And don’t stop until even your hammer has abs!” the new dialogue reads.
Another change for the remake involves a scene featuring a gang of villainous cat-calling Goombas — a mushroom-looking race from the world of Mario.
In the original game, Mario and a female Goomba named Goombella run into the gang, who proceed to cat-call her.
The Goombas even refer to her as “hottie” and “baby.”
All of this dialogue has been removed and toned down for the remake, per another Reddit post.
They removed the cat calling. Here’s the before and after. What do you prefer?
byu/Fragrant_Call7983 inpapermario
As reported by Nintendo Everything, “Nintendo ultimately felt that the updated dialogue would be better suited for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.”
It should be noted that within the context of the original “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door” game, the fat-shaming and cat-calling were treated as villainous acts.
In both cases, the dialogue was meant to be seen as bad guys exhibiting bad behavior.
Apparently, even then the dialogue went too far for modern-day Nintendo.
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