PETA said in a statement issued to Eurogamer: "Mario fans: Relax!" The organisation said that its spoof flash game - Mario Kills Tanooki - was "meant to be tongue-in-cheek, a fun way to call attention to a serious issue, that raccoon dogs are skinned alive for their fur."
Since the campaign launced, PETA has said that it was a "little surprised" by the reaction and how the campaign was "taken so literally". Do you believe them, or do you think PETA knew what it was doing the whole time? Let us know your perspective down in the comments.