Dumbest animal in Japan

[Jingles]

PETA doesn't care for your antics, Mario!

[Yami CJMErl]

It's funny how they'll do this for Nintendo games, but a game like Skyrim--that specifically involves killing great big huge animals (even if dragons are technically not real)--gets nothing.

[G.Silver]

in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur.

I found this pretty shocking, but probably only because I couldn't get my mind away from the association with raccoons (they are not closely related) and the thought that any fur from such animal would be about as glamorous as wearing garbage, at least based on my own exposure to the real thing. It turns out that raccoon dog fur is quite sought after and subspecies have actually been bred specifically to improve their fur quality. Relocated raccoon dogs (for fur, I assume) in eastern Europe are now considered an invasive species destructive to local wildlife. Their conservation status is rated "Least Concern."

[G.Silver]

Going back to manual talk for a moment, I picked up Shinobi for 3DS and it does include a manual, but as a fine indicator of the sad state of things, it's 12 pages long (half English, half French) and consists entirely of warnings, legal and warranty information, generic information about wifi, and a single page listing the default button assignment. A small blurb on the same page ensures me that the "full instruction manual" can be found online. (But at the moment, that leads to a dead link!) Not all traditions are forsaken though, the final two pages are left blank for "notes." Maybe I'll write some Metroid passwords in it or something.

[Farmer]

Now I don't know about you, but I've never played SMW and been interrupted by a sudden desire for a fur coat.
Admittedly that minigame is quite fun.

[Green Gibbon!]

I jump on turtles every day of the week, myself.

I picked up Shinobi for 3DS

Well, how is it? Apart from the manual?

[Arcade]

I have wanted to link this for ages:

http://petakillsanimals.com/

[Green Gibbon!]

So has anyone tried the new Mario Kart?

[K2J]

I got it yesterday. It's pretty good; though they did make the Spiny Shell hit anyone in its path (a la 64) on its way to the leader, it's still way too common. A lot of the levels are nice, and the new flying mechanic seems to add a little bit of replay value to stages. Online is still a bit obtuse, but it's functional, at least.