Top 10 Mature Nintendo Games

Top 10 Mature Nintendo Games

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When you hear the word Nintendo, you tend to think family fun. But that’s not always the case. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down the Top 10 Mature Nintendo Games. For this list we’re exclusively looking at games released on a Nintendo console that received a “Mature” ESRB rating.

A commercial and critical success, Turok showed the world just how much could be accomplished on the N64 console, and did so in style. Nintendo had a reputation for shying away from potential titles that might conflict with their generally family-friendly reputation. But with the release of Turok, they showed that they wouldn’t faint at the sight of blood, so long as it was backed up by a solid story and worthy gameplay experience. At the time of it’s release, Turok established itself as one of the standards by which other console shooters would be judged, especially in terms of graphics. Often compared to Doom and Duke Nukem, Turok brought all the bloodshed, but with greater freedom to explore.

#9: “No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle” (2010)

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No More Heroes, released in 2008, introduced us to one of the more memorable characters in modern gaming, Travis Touchdown, in a title that was as unique in it’s gameplay and storytelling as it was stylish. The sequel managed to live up to its predecessor and even further refined the many elements that made the original such a great game. It’s a truly unique game that is self-aware of it’s position as one of the few mature titles on the Wii, a position of privilege it shows off at every turn, with sexually suggestive material, adult humor and buckets of blood. This game always keeps you guessing, never letting up on the fun or quirky charm.

Oh the carnage… In case you’re not familiar with this title, imagine a Sin City video game, but with more blood spatter. Yes, you heard us correctly. BLOODIER than Sin City. The more elaborate, creative or explosive you manage to make your kills in the various open-environment levels, the more points you score. Every design choice, including the hyper-stylized graphics, seems as if it were made to emphasize the gore. The sound effects are sickeningly satisfying. As for game’s plot, it’s equal parts American Gladiators and Battle Royale, but with more specific events called bloodbath challenges, like man darts, or trapping enemies in front of trains. It’s sick, remarkably replayable, and buckets of fun.

#7: “Shin Megami Tensei IV” (2013)

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When you hear an RPG on a Nintendo system that involves collecting monsters, your mind tends to jump straight to Pokemon, which is nothing if not family friendly. But Shin Megami Tensei IV, released on the 3DS is most definitely not an appropriate choice to keep your kids busy while waiting for the next Pokemon title to be released. Some of the demons and monsters you collect are cute and cuddly, whereas others are downright terrifying. It brings excellent gameplay and an original creature fusion system, but the copious amounts of blood, partial nudity (we’re looking at you Alraune,) and sexually explicit content keep it in the M-rated category.

#6: “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars” (2009)

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This game franchise requires little introduction. Probably the most notoriously violent video game franchises in gaming history, GTA has it’s fair share of detractors. Thankfully for Rockstar, the number of avid fans outnumber the haters 100 to 1. No one ever really expected to see a GTA game on a Nintendo console, let alone a game initially released exclusively on the Nintendo DS. Although later made available on the PSP, the dual screen of the DS made for a unique Grand Theft Auto Gameplay experience. Along with the usual GTA violence, was an extensive drug dealing side quest that allowed players to buy and sell drugs for the best profit possible. Adult-only indeed. When Rockstar videos Nintendo, they don’t hold back.

Something really special needs to be brought to the table in order for Nintendo to release a hyper-violent mature action game. When it comes to horror-based mature titles however, their quality control seems less strict, resulting in some lackluster horror entries from the company over the years, like “Escape From Bug Island”. Thankfully Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, is not one of these titles. This award-winning game puts players in the shoes of 12 distinct characters, spread throughout various time periods. Thanks to Nintendo’s patented “sanity effects” the gameplay is as unnerving as it is unique and brilliant. There’s nothing quite like a game that manages to both terrify and wow you simultaneously. We recommend leaving the lights on.

#4: “Perfect Dark” (2000)

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It was hard not to think of this game as GoldenEye Part 2, but that isn’t really a bad thing. GoldenEye was an excellent FPS that surprisingly got away with a T for Teen rating. Then Perfect Dark came in as a spiritual successor and upped the ante in every regard, including the ESRB rating. Area 51: Infiltration taught us the true meaning of the the word “infuriating”, but like every level in the game, successful completion of it gave us the a pretty significant sense of accomplishment. Compared to many of the other games on this list, Perfect Dark is relatively tame. It still brings the bloodshed though, and happily embraced the M-rating in letting loose some foul language.

#3: “Bayonetta 2” (2014)

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Bayonetta development is a very interesting tale, the first game was originally released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 to widespread acclaim and gaining a strong fanbase, but when publisher Sega ran into financial difficulties a sequel seemed unlikely. Then as a surprise to everyone, Nintendo announced that they’d picked up Bayonetta 2 as a Wii U exclusive and the result was one of the finest hack ‘n slash games ever made. We’re not sure if bloodshed has ever been more beautiful than in Bayonetta 2. The game’s striking artwork and sense of style is balanced almost impossibly well with the coordinated movement and truly overwhelming action sequences. Plus with Bayonetta’s trademark over the top sexual references, the game earned it’s rating.

#2: “Conker’s Bad Fur Day (2001)

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This game was originally set to be released as “Twelve Tales: Conker 64” and was to feature happy go lucky squirrel in a kid friendly adventure. However facing criticism of being yet another “Kiddy platformer” especially after the release of Banjo Kazooie, Rare decided to completely rework the cuddly squirrel Conker into a foul mouth, hungover deadbeat. As a result, this guy would now jump on the breasts of a sexy sunflower and violently gun down his enemies. He was lewd, crude, and had parodying famous films down to an art. The multiplayer… never gets old. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Dead Space: Extraction” (2009) “Silent Hill: Shattered Memories” (2009) “The House of the Dead: Overkill” (2009) “ZombiU” (2012)

#1: “Resident Evil 4” (2005)

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It’s surprising to think that one of the best 3rd Person Shooters ever made, was originally released as an exclusive for the Gamecube at a time when the system was struggling to get new games. It was intense, captivating and terrifying all at once and even released with an awesome looking (if not impractical) chainsaw controller. Eventually, the game would also be ported other consoles, including Nintendo’s follow up the Wii, and that version showed how motion controls were a viable alternative to using a stick to aim. Which made it all the more satisfying to blow off the enemy’s heads. Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite mature Nintendo game? For more mature top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.