Top 10 Games the ESRB Has Rated Most Incorrectly
The original Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64 was rated E. Its sequels, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (this one), are both rated T, despite having less violence than the original (no blood, no gore, only characters getting punched and sent flying). All of the sound effects in the first game were replaced with cartoon ones when released outside of Japan. The higher rating was likely because the graphics in Melee and Brawl were more realistic. For the fourth game, the rating dropped to E10+ (Melee would have gotten E10+ as well, had that rating existed at the time).
It should have been rated E. The reason given for the T rating was Giga Bowser, but you had things like the evil piano in Super Mario 64, the demon resident minecart (and the catacombs before) in Donkey Kong 64, and some of the jokes in the Banjo series. All of those got an E rating.
It should have been rated E. The reason given for the T rating was Giga Bowser, but there were a lot darker things in E-rated games than that.
This was back when the E10+ rating didn't exist, so the ESRB probably thought it was a little too much for an E-rated game.
E10+ for language isn't too unreasonable. Anything with damn, hell, or bastard (when not used properly) gets the E10+ rating automatically.
They should up the rating or change the title on all consoles to "Bombing Busters."
I think it could possibly get away with an E rating, since in many countries, words like "damn," "hell," "bitch," "bastard," and "ass" are considered so mild that they aren't even profanity, just impolite slang. But I sort of understand the E10+ for having "bastards" in the title.
The sole content descriptor is Mild Cartoon Violence, and 3D World is rated E for the same reason.
It has the same features as the other games in the series, and they rated it E10+?
This game should be rated E. England rated it for 3+. Maybe the 3D graphics pulled the ESRB toward E10+.
The sequel was worse. It should be E10+. Maybe it was rated higher because it came packaged with four M-rated games and had some blood.
Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask were way more graphic and had blood. Heck, even some parts of Skyward Sword were worse, such as the Koloktos fight where you pick up these gigantic swords, chop off all his limbs, and stab him in the heart until he dies while red specks fly out. (By worse, I mean more violent, not worse gameplay because the Koloktos fight = awesome.) Anyway, the ESRB screwed up. E10+ is a better rating.
This game should be rated E10+ or even E. It's actually less dark and gritty than Wind Waker, despite the art style.
A Tom and Jerry game got rated T. Enough said.
Get that higher on the list! That's nothing compared to The Incredibles!
How is this the same rating as The Dark Knight?
Why E10+? Shadow the Hedgehog should've been the first game to get an E10+!
The very first game rated E10+? Wouldn't that go to a Harry Potter game or something?
The Newcomers
I would rather have put Oblivion here instead. It was re-rated after discovering some cut content and mildly disintegrated corpses. The second issue is something you see in TV-14-rated crime shows in even harsher ways, so I don't think it warrants a higher rating.
What the heck is up with this game? It's an educational game about learning how to type, but it has blood and scary stuff! Who was this made for?
Is this game about zombies showing you how to type? What the heck is this?
I agree, there's no need at all for an E10+ rating for this game.
It's SpongeBob. Silly, so it's getting an E rating.
Wow. A movie made for kids has a video game rated T for Teen.
A game based on The Incredibles was given a T rating. Enough said.
T for a PG movie? There's no blood. It should've been re-rated to E10+ for the Greatest Hits release.
This game should be rated T. The swearing is censored, and the difficulty was dumbed down. Come on. The Simpsons is a PG-rated show, and Conker: Live and Reloaded has nothing that hasn't been seen in The Simpsons.
No, there is still adult humor, violence, and everything else you don't want your kids watching. Sure, the cussing is beeped, but it's still there!
This should be rated Teen. It's strange how in early development, they were going to uncensor the F-word, but they changed it to censor both the F-word (which was the case in the N64 version) and the S-word.
A cruel, oppressive dictatorship run by the clone of your former disciple, robots getting killed rather brutally, and your original body gone evil who literally claims that he's the messiah... Y'know, for kids!
This game and its sequels should've been rated T for Teen instead, because they are a bit too dark and bloody even for E-rated game standards.
I can understand the Japanese version being rated M. Do you know how much they censored this game before it was released in the USA?
I played Earthbound when I wasn't even 10. It's got fantasy violence, but not much of anything else.
The ESRB rates it T for Teen for blood? Other than a tiny bit coming out of one of the enemies' mouths, there is no blood. E10+ at most.
It should be E10+ or PEGI 11. Just because there are a few words like hell, damn, and ass doesn't mean only teens should play this game.
Because the violence here is SO realistic with its 1997 graphics...
Rated T for Teen? COME ON, RATERS! Harry Potter is appropriate, and they rate the series T and PG-13?!
It should be rated E10+. Maybe some of the songs are slightly inappropriate, but it's not something you wouldn't hear on pretty much any radio station. Plus, it's not like we're blasting Eminem lyrics.
How is it rated T? All you do is play guitar.