The satirical video game Bundesfighter II Turbo is based on Sunday’s German national election and features main party candidates fighting each other with unique special moves like a “migrant wave” for German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The game, which was released earlier this week, was designed by the German internet comedy group Bohemian Browser Ballet.
Loosely based on the classic Capcom fighting game Street Fighter II, the game features the leaders of the main political parties in Germany as playable characters.
Angela Merkel, who is part reptile in the game, uses a variety of moves including her special move which consists of a tidal wave of migrants that is hurled at the opposing character.
bundesfighter.de
Social Democrat leader Martin Schulz is shown with a halo and on roller skates. His special move shows him turning into a “Make Europe Great Again (MEGA)” train and ramming his rival.
The phrase comes from early campaign efforts by SPD members to ape the phrasing of President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” and provide a populist message from the former European Parliament president.
bundesfighter.de
The co-leader of the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) Alexander Gauland is shown in his trademark tweed jacket with a pair of jackboots. When jumping, the Gauland character makes the shape of a swastika; though in an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel Christian Brandes, a member of the comedy group, denied it was a swastika and claimed it was just a “jumping trick”.
bundesfighter.de
Perhaps the most difficult character to win a fight in the game with is the co-leaders of the Green party Cem Özdemir and Katrin Göring-Eckardt. They are both shown inside a recycling bin and when they attempt an attack, they only hit each other. “For the Greens, it is just as difficult in reality,” Brandes said.
Bohemian Browser Ballett receives funding from the German government and claims the game is “educational” saying they want to target young voters as hardly any of them read election pamphlets.
Sunday’s German national election is expected to see a clear victory for Chancellor Merkel and her Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The SPD, under Schulz, looks to have one of their worst election results after the former European Parliament president largely failed to impress at the televised debate with Merkel earlier this month.
The AfD will likely come out in third according to a new YouGov study which shows the populist party coming away with over 80 seats in the German parliament. The AfD has been a tough critic of the migrant policy of Merkel and has made huge gains over the last year in regional elections.
Germany, Emnid poll:
CDU/CDU-EPP: 35% ↓
SPD-S&D: 22%
AfD-ENF: 11%
LINKE-LEFT: 10%
FDP-ALDE: 9%
GRÜNE-G/EFA: 8%#btw17 #Umfrage— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) September 22, 2017
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