GTA, Dragon Ball, and Duke Nukem are some of the big franchises that have had their video games censored or even banned for showing sexual or extreme content. The concern with growing adults or controversial content in video games led to the creation of age rating bodies for games.

8 Video Games That Were Banned Or Censored For 18+ Or NSFW Content

One such rating organization is the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) from the United States, created in 1994 because of the releases of the video games Mortal Kombat and Night Trap, whose content was considered too violent or sexual at the time.

These are the other 8 video games that have been the centers of controversy and had to suffer "punishment" for their scenes of nudity, sex or violence, which ranged from censorship to even getting banned:

8 Video Games that Have Been Censored or Banned For NSFW Content

1. GTA: San Andreas (2004 - PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC)

One of the best-known cases of them all, the famous "Hot Coffee" scandal from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The name "Hot Coffee" refers to an unfinished game mission in which there would be sex scenes, but without nudity and would be accessible through a minigame.

8 Video Games That Were Banned Or Censored For 18+ Or NSFW Content

The content was cut out of the official release, however, it could still be unlocked in modified versions of the game on the PC or using cheating software such as Game Shark on consoles. Unfortunately, the presence of the content alone was enough for the ESRB to change the classification of the game and caused Rockstar to temporarily stop the game's sale.

After the "Hot Coffee" was fully removed, GTA: San Andreas returned to the stores.

2. Dragon Ball: Origins (2008 - Nintendo DS)

Based on the popular animated series of Goku and his friends, Dragon Ball: Origins had some problems when it was released in Australia. The game has some scenes that went unnoticed by the Australian age rating agency and caused the game to be retracted later.

8 Video Games That Were Banned Or Censored For 18+ Or NSFW Content

There are moments, for example, when the protagonist Goku appears completely naked or the character Bulma lifts her dress to show what's underneath. Although, these scenes are identical to the original manga and anime, which have also been censored in several countries. The game went back on sale after adjustments were made.

3. Duke Nukem 3D (1996 - PC)

At its launch, Duke Nukem was considered a big leap over previous shooter games and its content drew a lot of attention. In addition to the violence, there were many sexual references, such as pornography and striptease dancers who showed their breasts when the player interacted with them.

8 Video Games That Were Banned Or Censored For 18+ Or NSFW Content

This led to the game being banned and censored in several countries. Modified versions of the game were released for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation One.

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018 - Nintendo Switch)

In Japan, the United States, and Europe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate had to be censored to keep the game's age rating accessible. Some characters that appear as spirits in the game had to be edited to give them more clothing.

8 Video Games That Were Banned Or Censored For 18+ Or NSFW Content

When Masahiro Sakurai, creator of the series, commented on the addition of Terry Bogard from SNK to the game, he also said that many fans asked for "Mai Shiranui", a female fighter known for her large...personality and skimpy clothes. As a result, Sakurai said it would not be possible to include her because the game was only for "good boys and girls of many different ages".

5. Cruis'n USA (1996 - Nintendo 64)

The racing game developed by Midway Games for arcades had to undergo some changes when it was converted for the Nintendo 64 in the United States. Among the minor changes that were made in this version, the one that drew the most attention is the woman who hands the trophy to the player.

While in arcades she wears a bikini, but on the Nintendo 64, the character appears more covered in a T-shirt. The model herself was not replaced, which is curious because she was a well-known adult actress at the time, whose name is Shyla Foxx.

6. Super Real Mahjong PV (2019 - Nintendo Switch)

This is a video game based on the classic tile-based game Mahjong which had some problems with the Nintendo store in Japan. Super Real Mahjong PV was the updated version of a title released for Sega Saturn in 1995. The original game rewarded the player for their victories by forcing the opponents to strip.

8 Video Games That Were Banned Or Censored For 18+ Or NSFW Content

Normally, when undressing the characters, a white light would help cover up certain parts of the body. In the Switch version, the lights were misaligned and revealed more than the age rating allowed. The game was temporarily removed and then returned to the store.

7. Earthbound (1995 - Super Nintendo)

Nintendo's classic Earthbound RPG was known for including some unusual ideas for the time. The game was even sold in a large box, with a guide to help play it. Some of these concepts, however, ended up being censored in the US version of the game.

8 Video Games That Were Banned Or Censored For 18+ Or NSFW Content

One of the lesser-known differences between the two versions is that, in the Japanese version, the protagonist Ness is totally naked when visiting the kingdom of Magicant, a place that exists inside the character's mind. In the USA, he appears dressed normally.

8. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (2010 - PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

The second chapter of the Kane & Lynch series disappointed fans and ended the franchise when it was looking like it would become big. One of the main points of the video games was their extreme violence and nudity, which were censored by blurring what needed to be covered up.

In the PC version, players were quick to remove the blurring effect to have the game uncensored. In Japan, this was not possible because the game was released with less violence and characters would be dressed during parts that they would normally be naked.

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