13 Best: Leisure Suit Larry In The Land Of The Lounge Lizards Now, Night Trap is remembered mostly for causing the ESRB-as it sure isn’t known for quality. The game’s mechanics actually reward the player for succeeding in thwarting the attackers, but the outcry superseded contextual information. Unfortunately, Night Trap became the subject of a US hearing that was much ado about nothing Senator Joe Lieberman, who didn’t even play the game, claimed that the capture of a woman in nightwear constituted significant enough violence to warrant intervention. So is it any surprise that Night Trap, a thinly veiled movie, began its shelf life polarized and only got worse with time? Even in games that otherwise hold up over the years, you can’t help but chuckle a little at how out of place the video segments are (I’m looking at you Red Alert 2). Movies and games often don’t mix anyway, but live-action footage in games always looks kitschy. This paired well with the unique stylistic choices, creating an experience that not only diversified the Wii catalog, but also created one of the most compelling titles of the seventh generation. Australia, usually strictly regulated, passed the game through its censors unchanged.Ĭritically, the gamble worked adding a wealth of complexity to the standard hack and slash combat system allowed MadWorld to highlight the absurdly violent without compromising depth. However, the cartoonesque violence and distinctly unrealistic art style led others to disagree with the harsh assessment. Parental watchdog groups decried its inclusion on the Wii and Germany banned the title altogether. The peculiar, over-the-top nature of the violence led to both usual and very unusual reactions. MadWorld is far from the first M-rated Nintendo exclusive, but it is no overstatement to say that it may have been the most violent at the time of release. Maybe you’ll like our other disturbing content. Of course, while I’ve censored some of the more blatantly problematic screenshots and I will treat the more disturbing allusions with the respect they deserve, some of this stuff isn’t for the faint of heart. So strap in and prepare to argue, because things are going to get messy. Here, the controversy is the context, but the quality is what we’re exploring sure, your game might have a lot of blood and guts, nudity, and questionable moral choices, but is it actually any good? Too often, controversial games get attention without respect, or just simply undeserved attention, both of which need to be addressed. Rather than take that well-tread road, for this list, we’re going to be looking at controversial games on their own merits. Controversy is often remembered, for better or worse, and a lot of people devote an inordinate amount of time parsing out who’s in the right. Just as often - a cynic would argue, more - there’s something not quite as appealing, be it just a marketing stunt for shock value or simply a poor concoction unleashed by some unwitting agent. Sometimes, that difference is good: boundaries are pushed, new ideas are explored, and conventions are reconsidered, lampooned, or broken altogether. You Are Reading : Good Publicity The 8 Best And 7 Worst Controversial Games Of All TimeĬontroversy often equates to difference. Too often, controversial games get attention without respect, or just simply undeserved attention, both of which need to be addressed. 2 Worst: A Game So Terrible, We Can’t Use Its Name In A Title.13 Best: Leisure Suit Larry In The Land Of The Lounge Lizards.Good Publicity: The 8 Best And 7 Worst Controversial Games Of All Time.