Getting blisters from gaming was a rite of passage in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Whether it was from an intense game of Tekken or mashing your way to victory in Mario Party, blisters were worn like badges of honour for young players. Sadly, they also hurt a lot.
One of the more infamous causes of these button-mashing blisters was a particularly intense Mario Party minigame called Tug o’ War which saw a team of three players attempting to pull one player off the edge of a cliff. To win, players would repeatedly rotate a single controller stick as fast as possible – an act which often caused major friction and burns to fingers and palms.
According to a 2002 report from CNET, injuries from the minigame were so prevalent in the early 2000s that
While that would have been the end of the matter, it appears Tug o’ War is now rearing its ugly head again. In fact, a whole new generation of children will now have the opportunity to experience the pain for themselves with the upcoming release of Mario Party Superstars.
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This new entry in the Mario Party franchise remasters classic minigames and maps from the
Importantly, it’ll now include a safety warning.
When players begin their practice round for the minigame, a new box will pop up stating that players should not rotate the stick with the palm of their hand (aka the classic method) to avoid skin irritation and damage to the controller.
The only problem? Tug o’ War still looks the same, so it’s likely the ‘palm twist’ method will still be the best way to win the game.
The safest bet is to play the game as
You’ll have some tough decisions waiting for you when Mario Party Superstars arrives on 29 October.
