After the release of the game, the animal rights group PETA created a website and Flash game called "Mario Kills Tanooki." The game involves a skinless raccoon dog chasing Mario, who is wearing the suit. According to Eurogamer, Nintendo later made a statement saying:

"Mario often takes the appearance of certain animals and objects in his games. These have included a frog, a penguin, a balloon, and even a metallic version of himself. These lighthearted and whimsical transformations give Mario different abilities and make his games fun to play. The different forms that Mario takes make no statement beyond the games themselves."

PETA later stated that the game was "tongue-in-cheek", and intended to draw attention to real issues.