Perhaps it came with Nintendo's philosophy of creating a family console with bloodless "Mortal Kombat" titles or even the SNES version of Disney's "Aladdin" where you threw apples instead of the "incredibly violent" Genesis version with...a sword.
Nevertheless, the historic home of Marios, Links, and Pikachus alike has had a few titles that are certainly "not for kids."
Some are much better than others, but one thing can be certain, they tried their hardest to please hardcore gamers who wanted something a little edgy from their Nintendo console:
Perfect Dark (N64)
First and foremost, Perfect Dark is simply the best mature title on any Nintendo console. Following the hugely popular GoldenEye 007, Rare developed what has to be known as one of the best first-person shooters ever created. The visuals, gameplay, controls, and multiplayer were all nearly perfect and gave hungry N64 owners something to chew on in the wanning years of the console.
Why was it Mature: The ESRB gave the title an "M" rating due to "Animated Violence" and "Animated Blood" although the game itself was relatively tame. Surprisingly, GoldenEye 007 was given a "T" rating for the same reasoning. I would have to think that Perfect Dark would receive a "T" these days.
Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube)
Just as Perfect Dark was a last glimpse of hope for the N64, Resident Evil 4 was a last-ditch effort to bring some mature action in the final years of the Gamecube. Thankfully they pulled it off. Debuting on the Gamecube, Resident Evil 4 was a beautiful and horrifying shift in the series with it's re-imagined camera scheme which yielded even more terrifying gameplay. This was an amazing title that later found itself on other consoles including the Wii, but don't forget that it was on the Gamecube first.
Why was it Mature: Resident Evil 4 rightly received a mature rating for its "Blood and Gore" and "Intense Violence." This was one rating that was well earned and incredibly terrifying.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Gamecube)
With the soon-to-be-released Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots arriving in just a few days, we have to mention Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes for the Gamecube. Six years after the release of the classic Playstation game, the updated version made its way to a Nintendo console. Twin Snakes took a complete graphical and control overhaul from the classic with newly rendered cinematics and control elements that were similar to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty for the Playstation 2. What yielded was a title that is more well-known for being an excellent game rather than its "Mature" rating.
Why was it Mature: The ESRB noted "Blood and Gore," "Suggestive Themes," and "Violence" as its reasoning for the "M" rating. However, they could have also noted that the storyline was so complex and bizarre that it would be wasted on a small child anyway.
Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64)
This was a title that looked similar to Super Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie, but definitely was not for kids. Rare's 3D-plateformer ran on the Banjo-Kazooie graphics engine, but its suggestive themes and rather provocative humor made this a title not suitable for children, which made it an instant classic with them anyway.
Why was it Mature: The ESRB went to town on this one: "Strong Language," "Mature Sexual Themes," and "Animated Violence" as well as a warning on the front of the box stating "Advisory: This Game Is Not For Anyone Under Age 17."
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (Gamecube)
Personally, I did not like this game, but critics disagreed. Gamespot gave it a 9.4! This psychological-horror title was a time-traveling mix of visual cues and hack-and-slash action. You had a sanity meter and if you let it get to low, the game would play strange tricks on you like pretending to shut itself off or remove the sound. That was all fun - and little bit like Metal Gear Solid - but it didn't happen very often or at all if you played the game decently. Without the psychological gags, the story was uninteresting, the gameplay was boring, and the controls were difficult. There were three different endings, but I don't think you would want to play the game three times to see them all. Oh well, I guess everyone was so excited that there was a mature title exclusively on a Nintendo console that they forgot that it had to be good too.
Why was it Mature: "Blood and Gore" and "Violence." However, I think that they forgot "boredom" as well.
Well there you have it, 5 titles that have brought some more maturity to Nintendo's "kiddy" consoles. With the release of "MadWorld" for the Wii we will see what direction Nintendo will take its hardcore gaming image. Will it be a turn toward more mature titles or simply one mature title in a sea of "Animal Crossings," "Pikmin," and "Pokemon?"
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