We all know that Nintendo doesn’t mess around when their products are prone to piracy. Just last year, Nintendo struck major ROM-hosting websites with legal action, requesting statutory damages of up to $100 million.
The company’s fight against piracy has been a long one. Back in 1994, measures taken were just as drastic, but it seems the methods were quite different.
When I tell you that Nintendo steamrolled bootleg Game Boy games in this year, I mean it literally.
According to the Video Game History Foundation on Twitter, sourced from a finding by user @gamegeschied, pirated cartridges were seized by customs at the border in Netherlands — and swiftly dealt with by Nintendo.
The funniest yet creepiest part about this stunt is that there is someone in a Mario costume watching the destruction ensue. Anticipating press to cover this event, Nintendo was clearly out to send a message — a bold one at that, having their smiling mascot shovel tons of bootlegs to be flattened, before curb-stomping some of them for good measure.
Don’t pirate, kids. Mario and his steamroller will be sad.
