Nintendo Agrees to Provide Protective Gloves to ‘Mario Party’ Game Owners

Nintendo of America has agreed to provide protective gloves to owners of a video game blamed for cuts, blisters and other hand injuries.

The “Mario Party” game on the Nintendo 64 home game system can cause hand injury because players are encouraged to rapidly rotate a joystick with a grooved tip, New York state Atty. Gen. Eliot Spitzer said Wednesday.

Consumers report having to use the palms of their hands to rotate the joystick, he said.

Nintendo agreed to provide up to four protective gloves to each household of consumers owning the video game, Spitzer said.

The fingerless gloves have padded palms.

Beth Llewelyn, spokeswoman for the unit of Japan’s Nintendo Co., said the company had sold more than 1 million of the games since February 1999 and had received about 90 complaints, none serious. She said it also included instructions on proper use of the joystick.

Nintendo is committing $80 million for the gloves and agreed to provide $75,000 for the cost of the attorney general’s investigation, Spitzer said.

Consumers seeking information about how to obtain the protective gloves may call Nintendo at (800) 521-0900 or go to https://www.nintendo.com/home/features/

caution.html. Consumers seeking more information on the attorney general’s announcement may call (212) 416-8345 or go to https://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2000/mar/mar08a_00.html.