The Super Mario Bros. Movie has been a worldwide success, but its release in Japan is still pending. Through its social networks, Nintendo confirmed that it will change a small detail of the movie for this debut, as it is considered racist.
Specifically, the company will modify the name of a character that is known differently in the West and in Japan. We are referring to Spike, whose original Japanese name is Burakk, which is transcribed as Blackie. Nintendo wants to avoid any kind of controversy, as it knows that this name refers to a racist insult.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie will avoid criticism with a simple change
Nintendo informed that Blackie will change his name and will also be called Spike in the Japanese release of the film. Many gamers and fans of the franchise are familiar with this character, as he was part of the Wrecking Crew game.
"The name of the character Blackie that appears in the title Wrecking Crew will be changed to Spike, which is the same name used in Europe and the United States. In addition, the name in The Super Mario Bros. Movie released on April 28, 2023 is also Spike," Nintendo reported.
Some Japanese fans stated that they have no problem with the change; however, they pointed out that it will be weird to see the character with another name, as those who played Wrecking Crew are used to the original name.
Other players were simply surprised that Nintendo is paying attention to this character after so many years. Finally, there are people who believe that the change makes no sense in Japan despite the reasons, as the character has always been known as such in that region.
ファミリーコンピュータ向けソフト『レッキングクルー』などに登場するキャラクター「ブラッキー」の名称を、欧米での名称と同じ「スパイク」に変更いたします。なお、2023年4月28日に公開される『ザ・スーパーマリオブラザーズ・ムービー』での名称も、同様に「スパイク」となっています。 pic.twitter.com/HhTXEOmzxn
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) April 20, 2023
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