This text originally ran in the Spring issue of the Wii Gamer's Guide, but because we like you internet folks so much, we're reproducing it here in its entirety. The text is by myself and Dave Rudden, and the subject is M-rated games on the Wii. It's one of the more interesting topics I've written about, since I don't ordinarily seek out games based on their gore factor alone. A lot of these games I had played, but hadn't thought much about before in terms of rating. Basically, this was interesting to write, and I hope it's also interesting for you guys to read. Jump behind the cut to get started.
What comes to mind when you think of the Nintendo Wii? Is it the gentle, starlit landscapes of Super Mario Galaxy? Grandma and the kids, all gathered around a rousing game of Wii Bowling? Cutesy casual games like Smarty Pants?
The Wii has more to offer than that. Despite its family-friendly image, the Wii plays host to a growing library of games rated M for Mature by the ESRB. We've rated the six biggest bloodfests in two key categories: gameplay and gore.
No More Heroes: Star Wars Swordplay, Kill Bill Violence
The Game
From the twisted mind of Killer7 director Suda51 comes the gaming equivalent of Kill Bill in No More Heroes. Samurai geek Travis Touchdown faces off against an assortment of oddball assassins in a quest to become America's Next Top Contract Killer. You'll face off against some seriously weird opponents, like a professional magician with a penchant for executions, a faux-superhero bent on killing at any cost, and a baseball-bat-wielding, miniskirt-wearing hottie.
No More Heroes manages to be fun by boiling sword fighting to its most essential elements. Instead of mimicking every sword strike, all you do is determine whether Travis attacks high or low by tilting the Wii Remove accordingly. Most sword strikes are pulled off with the A button, and pulling off finishing moves or punishing throw attacks by moving the Wii Remote or both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in accordance with a random prompt. It's simple, but the combat is made highly enjoyable as a result. In fact, our only major qualm in the game is the relatively boring open world sections, wherein Travis usually keeps his sword sheathed.
Game Score: 4.75/5.00
The Gore
No More Heroes is arguably the most mature game on the Nintendo Wii. On the gore front, you've got bucketfuls of blood and constant eviscerations and decapitations, the most brutal of which ou must mimic with finishing sword strikes.
The mature content doesn't stop there. The dialogue is filled with double entendres and swear words, and Travis himself is the poster boy for potty humor. Heck, the guy has to have a bowel movement to save his progress! You'll want to keep this out of younger sibling's hands, but locked in your console at all other times.
Gore Score: 4.00/5.00
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles: Relive the Resident Evil saga behind the barrel of a gun.
The Game
Umbrella Chronicles is a retelling of the storylines chronicled in the three classic Resident Evil games, and prequel Resident Evil Zero on the GameCube. The twist is that the gameplay is massively simplified from the original Resident Evil games, and re-engineered with two-player co-op in mind. Umbrella Chronicles retells the story of Resident Evil in the format of an on-rails light-gun shooter.
Umbrella Chronicles isnt all rehash, though. Longtime Resident Evil fans can look forward to an all-new storyline that becomes available after completing the retrospective chapters, which covers the final destruction of the nefarious Umbrella Corporation. This lost chapter serves as the bridge between the classic Resident Evil titles and the plot of the smash hit Resident Evil 4.
Game Score: 4.25/5.00
The Gore
The gore factor in Umbrella Chronicles is pretty mild, at first. You see blood-spatters for successful shots, and if you foul up and let a zombie take a bite out of you. Much like Resident Evil 4, though, the farther you get into Umbrella Chronicles, the uglier the situation gets. It's not long before you're fighting nasty creatures like the Tyrant (who'd be unstoppable if his heart wasn't mounted outside his chest).
Umbrella Chronicles is a true Mature title in a more subtle way, though. It's the first and only Resident Evil title to let you play through the plot of the classic games as long-running series villain Albert Wesker. He's a nasty guy who does a lot of nasty things to people, and you see this all from a first-person perspective. While plenty of games depict evil, ruthless acts, few are willing to offer you the chance to step into the shoes of a truly evil person.
Gore Score: 3.00/5.00
Manhunt 2: Go hands-on with Rockstar's bloodiest franchise.
The Game
Honestly, this isn't the best thing that Rockstar's ever published, but it's not bad. The story is an incomprehensible mess, something about psychotic killer Leo Kaspar's mind existing in mild-mannered Daniel Lamb's body. Mostly it's an excuse for Leo and Daniel to struggle with how to deal with the countless large, nasty people who are out to kill them. You can let Daneil dominate and keep the body count low, or let Leo run wild with gory and disgusting executions.
The Wii remote controls are creative, letting you easily and intuitively guide your protagonist through the game. This also lets you control how violent particular kills are, and take advantage of your environment when setting up an execution. Leo and Daniel get different endings, so there's good reason to play with different ways of wasting the bad guys.
Game Score: 3.25/5.00
The Gore
Manhunt 2 is probably the single most gory and starkly violent title ever created. This is the toned down version of the game we're talking about, too. Rockstar's original vision of Manhunt 2 was so brutal that it got an AO rating from the ESRB, which meant it couldn't even be published.
It's the innocuous little Wii Remote that makes Manhunt 2 seem so sadistic. Thanks to the game's motion controls, you aren't just watching simulated people hacking at each other. You feel like you're right in the action, swinging your own bloody axe. It's the difference between Saw and becoming a crazed serial killer like Jigsaw. You decide who lives, who dies, and how much they'll suffer in the meantime.
Gore Score: 5.00/5.00
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition: The Gory GameCube classic gets upgraded
The Game
An updated port of the original Resident Evil 4 for the GameCube, along with the bonus material added to the later PlayStation 2 version. The Wii version also adds in all-new motion controls designed to take advantage of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, although you can still play it with the Classic Controller if you want.
RE4 was one of the greatest games of its generation to begin with, but the Wii version actually managed to make it better. While the original RE4 went out of its way to speed up the traditional Resident Evil gameplay by introducing the speedy and intelligent Los Ganados zombies, the Wii Remote controls made combat even faster by simplifying the controls. Now mowing down enemies was a simple matter of pointing your Wii remote at the desired zombie and blowing his head off.
Game Score: 4.75/5.00
The Gore
Resident Evil 4 is a game where you absolutely hate to get killed. Part of it is that the protagonist, Leon Kennedy, is actually a pretty likable and sympathetic guy. Also, every time you fail, you see Leon die very graphically. Early on it starts simple: a cleaver to the head, a pitchfork through the chest, knife to the throat. Blood spurts and then Leon falls down. It's not too hard to watch.
As the game grows more dangerous, Leon's deaths start getting uglier. Chainsaw decapitation, his throat torn out by wolves, eaten alive, spiked tentacle through the chest& if you screw up, the consequences of your mistake play out in Leon's blood and screams. It makes you really want to bring your A-game to Resident Evil 4, and if you suck, it's the motivation you need to get better.
Gore Score: 4.50/5.00
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon: Get blood on your fists with this arcade classic.
The Game
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon builds off of the 3D engine used in the previous Deception titles to create one of the most expansive 3D fighting titles ever (let alone on the Wii, which doesn't have many fighters to offer yet). It's a game rife with unlockables to purchase and alternate play modes like the frankly delightful Motor Kombat, a Fatality-ridden parody of Nintendo's own innocuous Mario Kart franchise, and the Kreate-a-Fighter mode that lets you build custom characters.
The roster features a whopping 63 characters (thanks to exclusive bonus fighter Khameleon), more than almost any other 3D fighter ever released. Of course, this huge roster means that Armageddon isn't exactly the deepest fighter ever made. There are a lot of clone characters and generic moves. Still, Armageddon is a great party game if your friends don't take the multiplayer too seriously.
Game Score: 3.00/5.00
The Gore
Mortal Kombat without buckets of excessive gore is like pizza without cheese, or nachos without salsa. It's just not right. With Armageddon especially, the sometimes eye-meltingly over-the-top Fatalities and crazy super moves are much of the reason why you'd even bother with it. They're especially why Armageddon is so much fun at a party. Ha ha! Ripped your spine out, Jody!
The Wii version of the Armageddon has a set of surprisingly good optional motion controls. While not the most precise way to play the game, they can add to the visceral thrill of the game's famous gore and Fatalities. All Fatalities are interactive now, letting you decide how to execute your hapless foe. Chop his head off with a sword? Rip her heart out of her chest and show it to her before she keels over? Oh, my. Decisions, decisions...
Gore Score: 4.50/5.00
The Godfather: Blackhand Edition: An offer you can't Wiifuse
The Game
Another updated port, this time a new iteration of the original 2006 title, this one featuring all of the new content featured in the PS3 iteration, The Don's Edition. This meant new areas and improved skill trees that let you customize your character more meaningfully. The Wii's Blackhand Edition also introduces intuitive and much-needed new controls using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
The traditional controls for the Godfather on the 360 and PS2 weren't bad, but certain aspects of the game--especially fighting--were just too slow to feel satisfying. The Blackhand Edition let you throw punches by moving the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and strangle enemies with your bare hands by using the cord . With a sense of speed and immediacy returned to combat, the Godfather could finally shine as one of the best open world games on the market.
Game Score: 4.00/5.00
The Gore
There isn't actually much gore in The Godfather, beyond the odd blood-burst. The film license the game works with is really a bit too dignified for that. This is not to say that the Godfather game is anywhere near the level of subtlety and tension of the original Coppola film. Instead, it earns its rating by letting you engage in the full range of awful behavior available to a gangster in the early 50's.
Want to break a shopkeeper's fingers to wring more protection money out of him? Bribe police officers until they're so crooked they'll help you rub out the opposition? Strangle rival crime bosses with your bare hands? Hell, you even get to drop the infamous severed horse head into Jack Woltz's bed. You couldn't get away with any of that in a T for Teen game.
Gore Score: 3.00/5.00
Sidebar: Gun Play
Make your shots really count with these Wii gun accessories.
Wii Zapper ($25)
Nintendo's official attachment is sturdy, matches your Wii's design, and ships with a bonus Link's Crossbow Training game for only $19.99. The downside is that it looks and handles more like a crossbow than a proper gun, so may be dissatisfying to use in most shooters.
Nyko's Perfect Shot ($18)
For a pistol-shaped attachment, Nyko's accessory is hard to beat. Sturdy and detailed, it really looks like a white-and-blue pistol, and locks your Wii remote in place as you play.
Brando Wii Blaster ($20)
If you want to feel like you're carrying heavy artillery, go with Brando. This casing is shaped and feels like an authentic shotgun or rifle, and lets you mount the Wii Nunchuk in the handle. It's a little hard to find, but it's worth the effort.
Sidebar: Old Blood
While Nintendo's early years were devoid of blood n' guts, there's still some great 16 and 64-bit bloodfests yet to hit the Virtual Console.
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Can you believe that Nintendo published this? What a change the ESRB brought. While you can play a remade version in Conker: Live & Reloaded for the Xbox, we think the N64 original controlled a lot better. Full of wicked parodies, gross jokes, and amazing violence, Conker was the twisted parody of cute mascot games that everyone's pot-smoking older brother always wanted.
The Turok series
Well, really, just the first two excellent Turok games (Dinosaur Hunter and Seeds of Evil) are what we want. We can take or leave the forgettable third and fourth installments, Shadow of Oblivion and Evolution (respectively). Anyway, Turok offered gamers some amazing first-person action back in the day, and they still stand up pretty well. You've got a crazy variety of weapons to use in order to kill a world full of ravenous dinosaurs that want to eat your face, with plenty of blood and gore to go around.
Time Killers
Sidebar: Gory GameCube Classics
The GameCube had its share of memorable M-rated titles, but these are the best. Just pop em into your Wii!
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem: Developed by Silicon Knights and published by Nintendo, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is one of the greatest horror games ever made. As you play you need to keep an eye on your sanity meter, which depletes whenever you encounter one of the game's many Lovecraftian, horrible things. The lower it gets, the more likely you are to experience insanity in the form of strange cries, a tilting camera, and bizarre hallucinations.
Killer 7: Honestly, you make not like Killer 7. The stiff controls or and character-swapping take some getting used to, at best. Still, if you dig No More Heroes (and you should), then you need to check this game out. Killer 7 was the last outrageous work by Suda 51, and it's just as gloriously gory and off-kilter. The sluggish gameplay in Killer 7 may bug you, but the story and the amazing graphic design definitely won't.
Resident Evil series: While RE4 may be better on the Wii, you can relive the rest of the series on your Wii courtesy of the GameCube. Resident Evil was completely remade for the 'Cube, and every facet of the game has been spruced up--graphics, gameplay, and new voice acting! Resident Evil Zero is an interesting twist on the standard RE formula, making you switch between two characters on the fly to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. The versions of Resident Evil 2, 3, and Code: Veronica are exactly as they appeared on the PS and PS2, and are inexplicably rare. Still, if you can find them on the cheap, they're worth picking up.
Sidebar: Bloody Awful
Not every M-rated game is going to promise a good time for the discerning gamer. It's easy to use some blood-splats to try and disguise a game's otherwise complete lack of fun.
Escape from Bug Island: You shouldn't be able to screw up a game that's about hacking giant bugs apart with scythes and swords, but here we are. Escape from Bug Island is the textbook example of a bad game: poor controls, ugly graphics, and gameplay that's mind-numbingly repetitive. What's sad is that publisher Eidos released an improved version for the US market--Japanese players who picked up the original version apparently played something even worse.
Far Cry: Vengeance: This is an enhanced port of the solid if unspectacular title Far Cry Instincts: Evolution. While the controls weren't too bad, the port was otherwise a total botch. The original's respectable textures got stripped down to a bare and blocky minimum, the AI got hopelessly broken, and the multiplayer was ruined. Vengenace ended up as a game that wasn't worth looking at, let alone trying to play for very long.
