A satirical video game called Syrian Super Mario illustrates the current situation involving Syrians trying to cross Europe and find refuge.
The migrant crisis in Europe has been a hot topic lately, drawing fiery debates, responses and opinions from all over the world. Some countries are opening their gates to welcome Syrian refugees; others are firmly opposed, and the whole situation is getting increasingly severe.
Syrian satirist Samir al-Mufti came up with an original and controversial manner of depicting Europe's migrant crisis, turning it all into a video game. Instead of having Super Mario go through the usual adventures in the fictional kingdom, the Syrian Super Mario turns the popular game character into a refugee making his way across Europe.
In a video posted on Facebook, the satirist shows Syrian Super Mario struggling with difficulties in his journey, such as smugglers, a dangerous sea and others. When Syrian Super Mario misses the raft and falls into the sea, the game shows the score "World: 5-1," listing below the number of Syrian Marios left: 22,500,000.
"Five months ago my best friend drowned in the sea while traveling from Ismir (Turkey) to Greece. The engine of the boat exploded. That's when I got the idea for the video," explained Samir.
The satirist further clarified how he wanted to make it simple for everyone, regardless of what language they speak. He chose Super Mario as the protagonist because the character is famous worldwide, acting as a "universal language."
Online for Media Production, a company that makes satirical content about the political state of Syria, posted the video on YouTube a few days ago, drawing even more attention to it. Tens of thousands of people all over the world watched the YouTube video of Syrian Super Mario, significantly widening its reach.
While the video game shows refugee Mario facing several obstacles in his journey, like in the real world, it also shows how he receives several chances. What the satirist aims to do is turn a popular video game into a powerful message regarding the migrant crisis in Europe, hoping to raise awareness and change things for the better.
Without further ado, check out the video below to see Syrian Super Mario in action.
