'Salsa wars' video game launched to attract young voters

Fed up with the election and politicians already? Feel like lobbing rotten tomatoes at the lot of them?

Well, now voters can do just that, thanks to an unusual election entertainment developed by Napier's Young Nats.

Their newly released computer game, Salsa Wars, puts the player in the parliamentary chamber with a supply of genetically engineered tomatoes.

Players who manage to hit a politician in the schnozzle earn a point and the chance to interact with a politician or their party leaders.

They can guess which house Phillida Bunkle is living in today, or design a garish outfit for Michelle Boag. Parekura Horomia misses the school bus, and Rodney Hide inspects a dodgy pyramid scheme.

Imogen Gear, chairwoman of the Napier Young Nats, said the game was not about getting votes.

"The whole idea is to get young people interested -- it doesn't matter which party. Everyone hates election time and this takes a bit of the seriousness out of it," she said.

The game can be ordered from National MP Anne Tolley's website www.annetolley.co.nz which also has a free demo featuring six of the 30 MPs.

The game's highlight? A campaign theme song that spares no party:

Attack the MPs with rotten tomatoes

They preen, they pout, they strut, they fight

They're always out to lunch

Another pay rise, what a useless bunch ...

Caption: Politicians duck for cover in the Salsa Wars computer game.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY

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