When Nintendo Accidentally Made Poisonous Merch
Channel: Video Game Story Time
Date: 2023-02-10

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Did you ever heard the tragedy of the Nintendo merchandise that accidentally contained an illegal neurotoxin? 

I thought not. It's not a story Nintendo would tell you. Unless, of course, you've read their surprisingly smug recall notice, in which they want credit for "voluntarily informing" customers about the health risks of these poisonous Nintendo products.

The short version of the story is this: in the mid 2000s Nintendo's official store in the Rockerfella Center in New York City sold a range of metal lapel pins featuring Mario, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, Samus, Waluigi and more. These pins were, it turns out, made with an illegal paint that contains harmful chemicals which, according to the World Health Organisation, can lead to "irreversible neurological damage".

All those times grown-ups told you that Nintendo would rot your brain? Turns out they were actually right!

Oops, in writing this description I've just realised that I drew a Link pin, but one doesn't actually exist. Let's pretend I drew a Samus one instead.

As an important disclaimer for this video: if you happen to own any poisonous metal pins, be very careful when handling them, and don't put them in your mouth.

Anyways, here's hoping you're enjoying your day and that you're not being exposed to deadly neurotoxin. GlaDOS would be proud, Nintendo.

Sources for this video:
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2008/nintendo-recalls-lapel-pins-due-to-risk-of-lead-exposure
https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=4759
https://kotaku.com/the-coolest-things-in-nintendos-american-headquarters-5834386
https://ipen.org/news/china-adopts-new-lead-paint-standards-protect-children%E2%80%99s-health
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/business/worldbusiness/10iht-lead.5.7455679.html
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240037632
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/30/one-in-three-children-dangerous-levels-lead-in-blood
https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/pinrecall.jsp
https://web.archive.org/web/20081031160818/https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/pinrecall.jsp
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-recalls-lapel-pins/1100-6190086/

This video was sponsored by Brilliant.