Nintendo shows cultural sensitivity by altering Spike’s name in Mario movie for Japanese audience.
Nintendo has revealed that Spike, the foreman who appears in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, will have his Japanese name changed. Spike first appeared as an enemy in the arcade game Wrecking Crew from 1984, which was then made available for the Famicom and NES in 1985.
Spike has been a familiar character in the Mario franchise.known for his role as a rival to Mario and Luigi when they are working in Brooklyn. Since the release of the game in the mid ’80s, Spike’s character was referred to as Blackie in Japan. The name has changed, though Nintendo’s Japanese Twitter account hasn’t given a reason, it has now announced. The name might be construed as a racial epithet, that much is certain.
On April 28, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released. The Super Mario Bros. Movie won’t be available in Nintendo’s home country of Japan until April 28.
The decision to change Spike’s name in Japan may be due to the potential racist connotations associated with the original name. Nintendo may have chosen to prevent any offence by altering the name to “Spike” because it is consistent with the names used in Europe and the United States because “Blackie” could be regarded as a disparaging slur.
More than $716 million has already been made by The Super Mario Bros. Movie globally.On April 28, Box Office Mojo is scheduled for release in Japan. The movie’s box office success indicates its popularity among audiences, despite receiving mixed reviews from professional critics.almost 10,000 verified reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has an average score of 96%, indicating a positive reception from viewers.
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
While the movie has a 58% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes among professional critics, it appears to be doing notably better with audiences. VGC’s own review of The Super Mario Bros Movie called it the best video game film yet, claiming that both children and series lovers will enjoy this faithful rendition of the games.
The VGC review argues that even if The Super Mario Bros Movie doesn’t take any major risks, it is a realistic replica of the games and will appeal to both children and fans of the series.
Nintendo’s decision to change the Japanese name of Spike in The Super Mario Bros Movie is likely aimed at avoiding potential offense due to the original name’s potential racist connotations.
