When Cannon Fodder was first showcased at the Future Entertainment Show, 1993, it caused a bit of an uproar due to the fact that it featured a Poppy on the box and on the loading screen, which the British Legion felt was offensive and shameful (?).

Following is two articles concerning the issue. The first is from The Daily Star, and the latter is a reaction to this article from Amiga Power.

POPPY GAME INSULT TO OUR WAR DEAD (Daily Star '93)

War veterans and MP's have slammed as "monstrous" a decision to use a Remembrance Poppy to illustrate a new computer game.....called Cannon Fodder.

The game, tipped to be the year's biggest seller, will make it's debut at a show in Londons Olympia from November 11 to 14 - Remembrance Sunday. Manufacturers Sensible Software say : "War has never been so much fun." The distinctive poppy symbol is featured on the front page of leading computer magazine, Amiga Power, out on Armistice day. British Legion chiefs and MP's have branded the use of the poppy as appalling.

OFFEND

Royal British Legion spokesman Dennis York said : "This will offend millions at a time when they remember loved ones who gave their lives in war." Liberal democrat MP Menzies Campbell stormed :

"It's monstrous that the poppy should be used in such a way."

Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, son of Britains great field marshall said :

"It is very unfortunate that anyone should see fit to detract from the poppy's place as a symbol of remembrance."

But a spokesman for Virgin Interactive Entertainment, which is marketing the game, said :

"The poppy is there to remind consumers war is no joke."

SHAMEFUL

The poppy is a sacred reminder of the men and women who gave their lives
to two world wars.

How sickening it is to see it being abused to sell a savage computer game. The distributors say that the poppy is there "to remind the consumer that war is no joke". That's just publicity writer's hypocrisy. Computer games designers compete to glorify war and viciousness. How dare they use the poppy to turn truth on it's head.

Make sure you don't buy this shameful game.

ROW OVER POPPY GAME

Virgin remove 'offensive' image from Cannon Fodder.
(Amiga Power, Issue32, December '93)

Virgin Interactive have decided to remove all references to poppies from theur top new game, Cannon Fodder. Virgin were asked not to use the poppy by The Royal British Legion, who sell Remembrance Day poppies every November and were concerned that it might give the impression that they were in some way endorsing the product.

The poppy originally appeared on one of the loading screens for Cannon Fodder, the eagerly awaited arcade wargame from Sensible Software. The Sensible team (authors of previous Amiga classics such as Wizball, and, of course, Sensible Soccer had intended the picture to remind players of the harsh realities of war. But after seeing the image in a 'Future Entertainment Show' piece in the Sunday Mirror, the Daily Star ran a story in which war veterans and MP's described the illustration as "monstrous". The Star advised its readers to "Make sure you don't buy this shameful game".

Anyway. letters and faxes were exchanged and it was decided to withdraw the picture rather than risk causing further offence. Tim Chaney, Managing Director of Virgin Games, told Amiga Power that the decision was made "more out of sensitivity rather than anything else. In the cold light of day, I don't want to upset anybody, especially the people that this could upset."

We had originally intended to use a similar picture on the cover of this issue of the magazine (which is why you may have seen ads for Amiga Power featuring this image), but in light of these developements, we;ve decided to go for a screenshot of the game instead. Anyway, seeing as you're reading this now, you've clearly managed to spot the new cover and (hopefully) bought the magazine into the bargain. Well done.

At our time of going to press, Cannon Fodder is still on schedule to be release in November (in a box, Virgin tell us, featuring "a soldier against a camouflaged background or something"). And, all reports indicate , it really is the game of the year. Turn to our world-exculsive review on this site to find out for yourself.