Top 10 Most Controversial Kids Video Games Ever

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we’re taking a look at the Top 10 Most Controversial Kids Video Games Ever. For this list, we’re looking at games that are known to have a younger audience but have found themselves under hot water for one thing or another. Which of these surprised you the most? Let us know down in the comments.

#10: “LittleBIGPlanet” (2008)

Sackboy and friends are some of the most charming and innocent characters to ever grace our consoles. So, how is it that they could potentially rile up anyone? Well, in the first level of The Savannah, known as “Swinging Safari”, the BGM is a licensed song called “Tapha Niang '', which uses lyrics taken from the Qu’ran. Despite the composer of the song, Toumani Diabate, being Muslim himself, Muslim gamers called for the removal of the lyrics, claiming using the Qu’ran for music was offensive. “LittleBIGPlanet” was recalled from retailers, causing the game to be delayed from October 17 to October 27. Patch 1.02 removed the lyrics of the song altogether.

#9: “Mario Party 8” (2007)

When it comes to launches in the United Kingdom, “Mario Party 8” was a bit of a trainwreck. For starters, Nintendo delayed the game’s UK launch from June 22, 2007 to July 17, 2007 due to a supposed “production issue”. However, “Mario Party 8” was instantly recalled on launch day because of “an assembly error”. It wasn’t until after the re-release that Nintendo clarified the strangely sudden re-launch. Nintendo stated that the word “spastic”, which is uttered by Kamek in one of the game’s levels, is an offensive term to disabled people, and the word was replaced with “erratic”. The publisher further elaborated that some original prints might still have been floating around at the time.

#8: “Whiplash” (2003)

For those who didn’t play it, “Whiplash” was a 3D platformer where players controlled Spanx the weasel, who uses his chained friend, Redmond the rabbit, to attack foes and solve puzzles as they make their escape out of a malicious corporation that conducted animal testing. While the game wouldn’t make much of a splash in most parts of the world, certain UK organizations had something to say about it. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the British House of Commons, the Police Federation of England and Wales, and the Research Defence Society all took umbrage with the game, claiming it condoned violence and did not take animal cruelty seriously. Publisher Eidos Interactive refuted these complaints, arguing that “Whiplash” would actually bring awareness to the issues of animal cruelty and testing.

#7: “Cooking Mama: Cookstar” (2020)

“Cooking Mama: Cookstar” was one of the worst games to come out of 2020. However, it wasn’t just the quality of the game that burned down Mama’s kitchen. "Cookstar" was a problem in both a technical and legal sense. For starters, this wasn't a game that had been authorized by Office Create, the company that owns “Cooking Mama”. This would result in a legal battle between them and “Cookstar’s” publisher, Planet Entertainment. On the customer’s end, concerns were raised due to the game’s use of blockchain technology and allegations arose that the game hid a program that would mine cryptocurrency off users. In the end, Office Create won the lawsuit against Planet Entertainment, and “Cooking Mama: Cookstar” was delisted from all digital storefronts in November 2022.

#6: “Flappy Bird” (2013)

Throughout its time being available to the public, “Flappy Bird” was widely discussed in various corners of the internet and the real world. For every fan, you had someone scrutinizing it for its simplistic, addictive gameplay or accusing it of plagiarism due to the totally not Mario-esque green pipes. Suddenly, on February 8, 2014, developer Dong Nguyen stated on Twitter, “I’m sorry, ‘Flappy Bird’ users, 22 hours from now, I will take ‘Flappy Bird’ down. I cannot do this anymore.” A few days later, Nguyen told Forbes in an interview that he had designed the game to be for relaxation, and knowing how addictive the game was had been affecting his conscious and sleep. “Flappy Bird” would get a re-release on Amazon in August 2014 called “Flappy Bird Family”, featuring new obstacles, a multiplayer mode, and a new design that Nguyen hoped would be less addictive.

#5: “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” (2020)

Much like PlayStation’s Sackboy, one has to wonder who in their right mind would have a problem with the adorable and care-free world of “Animal Crossing”. Well, this wasn’t just another case of Resetti’s voice being scary for kids like the original game did. In “New Horizons”, a wide variety of players both Chinese and international had begun making in-game designs that showed their support for the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests. It wasn’t long before the game was removed from the Chinese marketplace. Though no specific reason was given as to who gave the order for removal or why it was removed in the first place, Nintendo implemented a new policy that prohibits users from using the game as a platform for political activism. It is worth mentioning that the game was also being used by campaigns for now-U.S. President Joe Biden and then-Japanese Prime Minister candidate Shigeru Ishiba prior to the new policy.

#4: “Fortnite” (2017)

There are a number of folks who voice their disdain for “Fortnite” just because of its huge success. In all seriousness, there are some glaring problems in terms of how “Fortnite” carries itself through identity, management, and business partnerships. Since it exploded after its battle royale mode was added, various outlets and communities have learned about mismanagement at Epic Games, staff being overworked and underpaid, and jobs being put on the line over trivial matters. On top of that, the inclusion of characters from various adult-oriented movies, games, and television shows have led some to question Epic Games’ responsibility over their younger players. This concern stems from the fact that “Fortnite'' holds an incredibly large playerbase even when counting only kids.

#3: “Roblox” (2006)

“Roblox'' is another live service game that holds a massive playerbase consisting primarily of children, and the issues it has undergone are far darker than one might think. Over the last few years,”Roblox” has been used for grooming, abuse, harassment, hacking, and various other criminal activities, some of it being committed by younger players themselves. And this all goes without mentioning certain corners of the service where these users create and upload games that incite malicious acts. “Fortnite” has seen similar problems, but when it comes to “Roblox”, parents should absolutely be wary.

#2: “Pokémon Go!” (2017)

Of all the live service and mobile games, “Pokémon” is perhaps the most prolific example of crimes and controversy in kids games. Within the first several weeks of the game’s launch, there were dozens upon dozens of incidents where users had gotten themselves injured while playing the game, trespassed on various properties including museums and memorials dedicated to tragic historical events, and multiple accidents where users played the game while driving, often ending in the loss of human life. As expected several political parties across the globe began remarking on “Pokémon Go’s” impact, and most of what they had to say consisted of potential bans across multiple companies and heavy regulation on where and when users could play the game. As for the questionable implementation of sponsored PokéStops and Gyms, well, that’s a topic for another day.

#1: “Pokémon” Series (1996-)

We could have lumped in “Pokémon Go” with this general entry, but both the mobile game and the series as a whole have received controversy for vastly different reasons both inside and outside of the “Pokémon” community. On one side, you have parents, politicians, activists, and religious leaders who have spent decades accusing “Pokémon” of promoting animal cruelty, Satanism, gambling, and even bigotry. On the other side, you have a community that has grown tired of Game Freak’s newest releases that are filled with performance issues, bugs, glitches, and halfhearted animation work. There just hasn’t been any other gaming franchise for kids that has seen as much scrutiny for this long as “Pokémon”.