Nintendo Thwomps Pvda Party News

Thankfully the world of politics and videogames very rarely come into close contact with each other. Whilst we enjoy a good political-thriller such as Elixir Studios Republic: The Revolution or David Braben's forthcoming The Outfit, this video reminds us of the dangers involved when the two attempt to match.

A promotional video for the Dutch Pvda Party or Labour Party (hence the steroid inducing powers of the red rose) aimed to entice younger voters, may have notched them a preliminary landslide win in the 2006 municipal elections; however, it's also landed them in hot water as far as Nintendo goes and likely sets a new standard for the most aggravating thing to be found on the net in the process.

Famously protective over its IP, reports suggest Nintendo are currently looking at legal proceedings against the party for its use of their iconic franchise - it's like the Great Giana Sisters all over again.

However whether Nintendo will be as successful in this case remains to be seen. Despite its cringing nature, the video is obviously a homage to the fact Mario is popular amongst a younger demographic. Closer scrutiny reveals that many of the major aspects - music, character and logo - are sufficiently different to Nintendo's iconic designs, whilst the fact remains that the Pvda Party are not in the business of selling video games.

It's worth noting that Nintendo has yet to officially comment on the situation - who knows perhaps they're just having a big laugh over it all like the rest of us...