Bundesfighter II Turbo

The browser game gained notoriety when the public prosecutor's office in Stuttgart refused to investigate the game for its use of the swastika, leading to a rekindling of the debate on the ban of unconstitutional symbols in German video games as well as the definition of video games as an art form, ending in a reform of the USK's ruleset.^[2]

Gameplay

Playing like a traditional

Players can choose between a story mode, where they have to face off against a series of CPU-controlled opponents on a set path, or a versus mode, in which human players take control of both fighters.^[3]

Characters

The playable cast of Bundesfighter II Turbo consist of satirical depictions of the leading candidates of the 2017 German federal election, representing the CDU, SPD, Left, FDP, AfD and A90/Greens parties.^[4]

• federal chancellor and leading candidate of CDU. She is depicted as a lizard person (in reference to the Reptilian conspiracy theory), which is why the majority of her attacks consist of hits with her tail and tongue, whereas her special attacks have her summoning former federal chancellor Helmut Kohl or a literal wave of refugees. Her stage is based on the German Chancellery in Berlin
  .
• MAGA politics.^[5] This meme is also represented in Schulz's home stage, which takes place during a SPD party meeting in Würselen
  .
• Karl-Marx-Stadt
  in-game).
• rooftop bar of a Frankfurt
  skyscraper.
• Gauland: As the leading candidate of the AfD, his moveset consists mostly of punches, kicks, and pokes with his nose, which he can extend in a similar way to Pinocchio. Additionally, one of his special attacks has him use a garden gnome as a projectile in a similar manner to Street Fighter's Hadouken, while he transforms into a German Dachshund for the other. The duel against him takes place during a Pegida demonstration at the Neumarkt in Dresden.
• Özdehardt: The candidate duo of
  Waldorf school in Freiburg
  .

Reception

Shortly after release, Bundesfighter II Turbo received generally favourable reviews.

Spiegel Netzwelt described the game as a "stripped down version of 'Street Fighter'", which "is quite fun", but criticized one of Merkel's special attacks, which has her summoning Helmut Kohl as an angel falling from heaven as a projectile, as "macabre", due to him passing away only three months before the game's release.^[1] Ghacks Technology News praised the game's humour, while acknowledging that its appeal was mostly limited to "gamers who follow German politics".^[7] Eurogamer recommended Bundesfighter II Turbo to all those, who "want to get at least some fun, entertainment and aggression from this election campaign".^[8] Quick-Save.de noted that this officially non-monetised title effectively cost €17.50 (the broadcasting fee in Germany at that time) to play, due to the game's development being entirely financed by Germany's public-law broadcasting, but closed by stating: "Despite the minor control issues, this game finally delivers a true election campaign, just as the player deserves“.^[9]

Swastika controversy

The jumping variation of playable character Gauland's heavy attack has the far-right politician contort his limbs in a way that make his entire body look like a swastika.

As a

unconstitutional organisations, including those of the NSDAP, such as the swastika.^[11] The ban extends to most media as well, with only pieces whose primary purpose is to serve as art or education being exempt from it. That exemption, known as the Sozialadäquanzklausel (lit.: social adequacy clause), is usually applied to most movies, books or paintings, but was deemed as not applicable to video games, when the Oberlandesgericht of Frankfurt ruled in a 1998 case concerning Wolfenstein 3D

, that video games can neither be art nor educational material.

Serving as

Section 86a. In addition, the public prosecutor's office noted in its official reasoning: "In technical literature, the 1998 ruling of the OLG Frankfurt is considered outdated.“^[10]

Despite this decision not setting a new

unconstitutional organisations, now it is up to the USK to decide on a case-by-case basis.^[2]

.

Silberstein, head of Browser Ballet and initiator of Bundesfighter II Turbo's development, claimed the game's main purpose was to raise political interest amongst young voters and denied the existence of national socialist symbolism in the game, saying: "That's no swastika, it's merely a jumping attack."^[1]

External links

• Official website of Bundesfighter II Turbo

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Jörg Breithut (22 September 2017). "Browserspiel "Bundesfighter II Turbo": Wenn der Schulz-Zug die Biotonne rammt". Spiegel Netzwelt (in German). Spiegel-Verlag Rudolf Augstein GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
2. ^ ^{a b} Sebastian Maas (9 August 2018). "In Deutschland dürfen Videospiele nun Hakenkreuze zeigen". Spiegel Netzwelt (in German). SPIEGEL-Verlag Rudolf Augstein GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
3. ^ CHIP-Redaktion (22 September 2017). "Download - Bundesfighter 2 Turbo". chip.de (in German). Hubert Burda Media. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
4. ^ Browser Ballett (21 September 2017). "Bundesfighter 2 Turbo - Das Prügelspiel zum Wahlkampf". YouTube. Google LLC. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
5. ^ Fabian Reinbold (31 January 2017). "Netz-Kult um den SPD-Kandidaten: Schulz? MEGA!". Spiegel Netzwelt (in German). SPIEGEL-Verlag Rudolf Augstein GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
6. ^ Ferdinand Otto (8 August 2017). "FDP-Wähler: Partei der alten, wohlhabenden Männer". Zeit Online (in German). Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
7. ^ Martin Brinkmann (21 September 2017). "The German Election: Street Fighter II Turbo Style". ghacks.net. Softonic. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
8. ^ Benjamin Jakobs (21 September 2017). "Spielt jetzt Bundesfighter 2 Turbo". Eurogamer (in German). Extent Media GmbH & Co.KG. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
9. ^ Sven Festig (22 September 2017). "Bundesfighter II Turbo • Der letzte Schlag im Wahlkampf". quick-save.de (in German). Retrieved 22 April 2023.
10. ^ ^{a b} Michael Herold (9 May 2018). "Bundesfighter 2 Turbo - Staatsanwaltschaft ermittelt nicht wegen Hakenkreuz im Spiel, ändert sich die Rechtslage?". GameStar (in German). Webedia Gaming GmbH. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
11. ^ "§ 86a Verwenden von Kennzeichen verfassungswidriger und terroristischer Organisationen". Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) (in German). Bundesministerium für Justiz. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
12. ^ Dominik Rehermann (28 March 2022). "Geschichte der Videospiele: vom Technikmotor zum Kulturgut". bpb.de (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Retrieved 22 April 2023.