PETA parody 'Pokemon Black and Blue' fights for fictional animal rights
In celebration of Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 launching yesterday, animal-rights group PETA today released Pokemon Black and Blue, a parody game with the tagline "Gotta free 'em all." Pokemon Black and Blue has players embody Pikachu as he fights against trainers for liberation from what PETA sees as a torturous, imprisoned life.
"Much like animals in the real world, Pokemon are treated as unfeeling objects and used for such things as human entertainment and as subjects in experiments," PETA writes. "The way that Pokemon are stuffed into pokeballs is similar to how circuses chain elephants inside railroad cars and let them out only to perform confusing and often painful tricks that were taught using sharp steel-tipped bullhooks and electric shock prods."
This isn't PETA's first foray into activist gaming; in December 2010 it released Super Tofu Boy, a parody of Super Meat Boy. Team Meat responded to PETA by including Tofu Boy as a playable character in a Steam update of Super Meat Boy.
Pokemon Black and Blue demonstrates that while it's terrible to punch, kick, cut or hit fictional animals with bats, it's perfectly acceptable to electrocute humans. Also, words can hurt just as much as quick attacks. And hugs. Give Pokemon Black and Blue a shot in the embedded game below (Warning: It has music and will auto-play).
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PETA'S NEW PARODY GAME ENCOURAGES KIDS TO FIGHT FOR POKÉMON RIGHTS
'Pokémon Black and Blue' Teaches Players That Animals-and Pokémon-Aren't Ours to Use or Abuse in Any Way
Norfolk, Va. - Pokémon Black and White 2 hit store shelves on Sunday, but the big news from PETA is that its parody of the game series, which paints a rosy picture of what amounts to thinly veiled animal abuse, is being released today and will give kids a chance to help Pikachu and his Pokémon pals fight their cruel oppressors and gain their freedom. PETA's Pokémon Black and Blue makes it clear that Pokémon and other nonhuman species are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment. Rather than "catch 'em all," in PETA's game players get to "free 'em all."
"Games such as Pokémon send kids the wrong message that exploiting and abusing those who are defenseless is acceptable when it's not," says PETA Director of Marketing Innovations Joel Bartlett. "But with Pokémon Black and Blue, children can experience the great feeling that comes from saving others from harm."
Much like animals in the real world, Pokémon are treated as unfeeling objects and used for such things as human entertainment and as subjects in experiments. The way that Pokémon are stuffed into pokéballs is similar to how circuses chain elephants inside railroad cars and let them out only to perform confusing and often painful tricks that were taught using sharp steel-tipped bullhooks and electric shock prods.
PETA explains on the game page that if "PETA existed in Unova, our motto would be: Pokémon are not ours to use or abuse. They exist for their own reasons. We believe that this is the message that should be sent to children."
To play Pokémon Black and Blue, click here. For a kid-friendly version of the game, click here. For more information, please visitPETA.org.
