Porn in Super Mario Odyssey is why we can't have nice things

Critics have bemoaned Nintendo's approach to online play for years, complaining that the company is overly restrictive when it comes to connecting players via the internet. But if you've ever wondered why that might be, look no further than the porn currently filtering into Super Mario Odyssey.

Thankfully, the imagery is relatively easy to avoid. For starters, you can disable online connectivity in the console settings. Otherwise, simply avoid participating in Luigi's Balloon World challenges. The hack uses Luigi's Balloon World to inject indecent content by way of custom profile pictures, which appear on balloons that players can place throughout the worlds of Odyssey.

In other words, modders are taking advantage of an exploit that lets them upload custom profile pictures and, naturally, this has led to people using dick pics to represent themselves online. These pictures then show up on the balloons in Super Mario Odyssey.

Mods and hackers can be a problem in any online community, but Odyssey being a family-friendly game makes this act feel particularly egregious. Some theorize this is the work of "white hat" hackers, ie. good guys, who are simply trying to bring attention to Nintendo's security flaws. But I've seen enough dicks spray painted onto the sides of buildings to know vandalism for the lolz when I see it, and I'd bet good money that's what this is.

Hopefully Nintendo does find a way to plug this metaphorical leak, but don't be surprised if this incident leads to more stringent online policies in the future. This is why we can't have nice things.

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