Nintendo may family-friendly, but these games sure aren't. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 M-Rated games to grace Nintendo’s consoles.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 M-Rated Games
00:11to Grace Nintendo's Consoles.
00:13We won't be including games that were ported from other platforms, but as long as they
00:17hit Nintendo's consoles first, they were considered.
00:28Number 20 – Geist
00:36With not a lot of M-Rated games that come to Nintendo first, we have to start with one
00:40that's, well, just okay.
00:43The GameCube's Geist is one of the few mature titles that was actually published by Nintendo.
00:47It follows a scientist who digs too deeply into a shady corporation and must fight to
00:51reclaim his body once his soul is removed from it.
00:54It definitely had interesting ideas in gameplay, at least when it came to signature scare mechanics
00:58that came from being a disembodied character.
01:01However, the performance wasn't up to par, and the other half of gameplay was mediocre
01:05FPS gunplay, which got it negatively compared to many other shooters at the time.
01:14Number 19 – Zombie U
01:23Although the initial marketing behind the Wii U confused consumers, it still had solid
01:26launch titles.
01:27Among the bunch was Ubisoft's Zombie U, a zombie survival horror game set in London.
01:32While it took a lot of inspiration from those that came before it, there were a few things
01:36that set it apart.
01:37One was the console's gamepad, which added an extra layer of difficulty in balancing
01:41your attention to the dismay of some players.
01:44While there wasn't much to the story and visuals were lacking, the survival aspects were strong.
01:49Specifically, if your character died, they turned into a zombie.
01:52You'd take control of someone new, and were forced to go hunting for your former self
01:55in order to reclaim your supplies.
02:05Number 18 – Fatal Frame – Maiden of Blackwater
02:17It isn't the best entry in the Fatal Frame series, but Maiden of Blackwater is still
02:20a worthy installment and was initially published by Nintendo itself.
02:24Another game to launch first on the Wii U, it follows three protagonists investigating
02:28a mysterious mountain whose spirits have turned angry due to an evil force known as the Blackwater.
02:33The story and characters may have been a bit weak, but the scares that populated earlier
02:36games were still there.
02:38Using the gamepad as the camera obscura to dispel violent spirits was a ton of fun.
02:42It added a thrilling layer of interactivity to the well-worn mechanic, making it feel
02:46fresh.
02:52Number 17 – The House of the Dead – Overkill
03:02Mostly known as an arcade heavyweight, The House of the Dead was reimagined splendidly
03:06with the Wii's Overkill.
03:07It throws players into the middle of a mutant outbreak in Louisiana and tasks them with
03:11shooting their way through all kinds of vicious monsters.
03:14The Wiimote is a perfect tool for an on-rails shooter.
03:16It's plenty of fun to bask in the gore, even if the difficulty will never really challenge
03:20you.
03:21It also never takes itself too seriously, going full on camp with its storyline characters
03:25and style.
03:26Although the hardware could cause framerate dips with too many enemies, and the game is
03:30a bit too short, it's still a bloody good time.
03:42Number 16 – Castlevania – Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate
03:53While Nintendo fans didn't get Konami's rebooted Lords of Shadow duology, they did
03:56get Mirror of Fate on the 3DS, sandwiched in between the two games.
04:00Within this new continuity, it gave access to a new fan-favorite character with their
04:04own storylines, including Simon Belmont and Alucard.
04:07It was more violent than any Castlevania that had been released on Nintendo's handhelds
04:11and took advantage of darker subject matter.
04:13Returning to the side-scrolling routes was definitely a plus, and the game's combat
04:17shined.
04:18While it was a bit too easy compared to other entries, it still proved to Nintendo that
04:21Mercury Steam could handle Metroidvania as well, as the studio was enlisted to handle
04:25two future Metroids.
04:33Number 15 – Emio the Smiling Man – Famicom Detective Club
04:45The first entry in the Famicom Detective Club series in 27 years, Emio the Smiling Man came
04:50as a complete surprise, and a welcome one.
04:53The visual novel puts you in the shoes of a private investigator, aiding the police
04:56in solving the murder of a young boy.
04:58Creepily, the crime also concerns an urban legend, a killer named Emio, who wears a paper
05:03bag with a smiling face drawn on it over his head.
05:06Naturally, the dark subject matter and violent imagery necessitated a mature rating.
05:10While the slow style won't be for everyone, the way the core mystery unravels is sure
05:14to get under the skin of adventure game players.
05:24Number 14 – Doom 64
05:34Doom is one of gaming's oldest FPS franchises, and still one of the best.
05:39Back in 1997, the Nintendo 64 received its very own installment.
05:43As the Doomguy, we were recruited once again for demolishing demons after their return
05:46from the previous games.
05:48Back then, it was an incredible feat to get Doom on Nintendo's latest console.
05:51One of the biggest criticisms at launch was that it was too similar to previous entries,
05:55not that we felt it needed to be all that different.
05:58It was still fun to rip our way through demonic hordes with extreme prejudice.
06:02With this much exciting carnage, it didn't need to be that deep.
06:10Number 13 – Silent Hill – Shattered Memories
06:13We said we weren't doing ports, but we said nothing of reimaginings.
06:23The Wii's Shattered Memories takes the first Silent Hill and flips it on its head.
06:27It begins the same way, with Harry Mason entering the haunted town in search of his missing
06:31daughter.
06:32However, it changes things up by alternating between his therapy sessions and his time
06:36in Silent Hill.
06:37The player's answers in the former impacting what happens in the latter.
06:41There were certainly some difficult changes to accept for long-time fans, like the complete
06:44absence of combat, but the positives can speak for themselves, including a great spin on
06:49the original story and a tense, moody atmosphere.
07:01Number 12 – 999 – Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
07:06One theory going around is that a man named Lord Gordain bought her.
07:10Seemed like he'd been one of the few to survive the Titanic sinking.
07:13The first entry into the tense Zero Escape series, 999, released on the Nintendo DS back
07:18in 2010.
07:19As they awaken on a cruise ship after being abducted, players find themselves among eight
07:23others and are given nine hours to escape before the ship sinks.
07:26Complicating matters are the sealed doors and windows, puzzles that require teamwork,
07:30and booby traps that can result in a very messy end.
07:33There's immediate intrigue in the setup and the desire to make it out alive is maintained
07:37throughout.
07:38The other characters are also well-written, making you want to help them reach the outside
07:41just as much as you want to reach it yourself.
07:53Number 11 – Dead Space Extraction
07:55If you're even a little bit familiar with the Dead Space series, it should be pretty
08:06obvious why Extraction received a mature rating.
08:08As a prequel to the original game, it showed exactly what happened to the mining colony
08:12on the Ishimura spaceship before Isaac Clarke arrived.
08:15And it wasn't pretty.
08:16While the game leaned much more into action over horror, the Wiimote proved once again
08:20that it was an excellent controller for an on-rails shooter.
08:23Blasting apart each Necromorph's limbs was undeniably thrilling.
08:26And while it obviously wasn't as visually strong as the other games, it was impressive
08:30for the Wii.
08:31That's on top of getting some engaging world-building within the overall Dead Space universe.
08:41Number 10 – Turok – Dinosaur Hunter
08:49A commercial and critical success, Turok showed the world just how much could be accomplished
08:53on the N64 console, and did so in style.
08:57At the time, Nintendo had a reputation for shying away from potential titles that might
09:01conflict with their generally family-friendly reputation.
09:03But with the release of Turok, they showed that they wouldn't faint at the sight of
09:07blood, so long as it was backed up by a solid story and worthy gameplay experience.
09:11At the time of its release, Turok established itself as one of the standards by which other
09:15console shooters would be judged, especially in terms of graphics.
09:18When compared to Doom and Duke Nukem, Turok brought all the bloodshed, but with greater
09:22freedom to explore.
09:28Number 9 – No More Heroes 2 – Desperate Struggle
09:38No More Heroes, released in 2008, introduced us to one of the more memorable characters
09:42in modern gaming, Travis Touchdown, in a title that was as unique in its gameplay and storytelling
09:47as it was stylish.
09:48The sequel managed to live up to its predecessor, and even further refined the many elements
09:52that made the original such a great game.
09:54It's a truly unique game that is self-aware of its position as one of the few mature titles
09:58on the Wii, a position of privilege it shows off at every turn with sexually suggestive
10:02material, adult humor, and buckets of blood.
10:05The game always keeps you guessing, never letting up on the fun or quirky charm.
10:15Number 8 – Bad World
10:24Oh, the carnage.
10:25In case you're not familiar with this title, imagine a Sin City video game, but with more
10:29blood spatter.
10:30Yes, you heard us correctly, bloodier than Sin City.
10:34The more elaborate, creative, or explosive you manage to make your kills in the various
10:37open-environment levels, the more points you score.
10:40Every design choice, including the hyper-stylized graphics, seems as if it were made to emphasize
10:44the gore.
10:45The sound effects are also sickeningly satisfying.
10:48As for the game's plot, it's equal parts American Gladiators and Battle Royale, but with more
10:52specific events called Bloodbath Challenges, like Mandarts, or trapping enemies in front
10:57of trains.
10:58It's sick, remarkably replayable, and buckets of fun.
11:11Number 7 – Shin Megami Tensei V
11:19The Persona series may get all the love these days, but the franchise it spun off from has
11:23proven it's still worthy of the attention of JRPG fans.
11:26Case in point, the Switch's Shin Megami Tensei V. Players control a high school student caught
11:31in the middle of a war between angels and demons.
11:34Exploration is a bigger focus than in previous games, as we go between modern-day Tokyo and
11:38the post-apocalyptic battleground where the war takes place.
11:41The turn-based combat is on par with Persona, even if it isn't as stylish, with the player
11:45able to summon demons to help them fight.
11:47Outside of having a few violent deaths, the coarse language and several demons designed
11:50pretty explicitly earned this game its maturity.
11:58Number 6 – Grand Theft Auto – Chinatown Wars
12:09This game franchise requires little introduction.
12:11One of the most notoriously violent video game franchises in gaming history, GTA has
12:15its fair share of detractors.
12:17Thankfully for Rockstar, the number of avid fans outnumber the haters, 100 to 1.
12:22No one ever really expected to see a GTA game on a Nintendo console, let alone a game initially
12:26released exclusively on the Nintendo DS.
12:29Although later made available on the PSP, the dual-screen of the DS made for a unique
12:33Grand Theft Auto gameplay experience.
12:35Along with the usual GTA violence was an extensive drug-dealing side-quest that allowed players
12:39to buy and sell drugs for the best profit possible.
12:42Adult only, indeed.
12:50Number 5 – Eternal Darkness – Sanity's Requiem
13:00There are few games on Nintendo's platforms that can mess with your mind as well as Eternal
13:03Darkness – Sanity's Requiem.
13:06This award-winning game puts players in the shoes of 12 distinct characters spread throughout
13:09various time periods.
13:10Thanks to Nintendo's patented sanity effects, the gameplay is as unnerving as it is unique
13:14and brilliant.
13:16While the sanity meter goes down, you might experience alarming fake deaths, blood pouring
13:20down the walls or statues turning to look at you, or a trick that makes you think your
13:23save has been deleted.
13:25There's nothing quite like a game that manages to both terrify and wow you simultaneously.
13:29We recommend leaving the lights on.
13:39Number 4 – Perfect Dark
13:49It was hard not to think of this game as GoldenEye Part 2, but that isn't really a bad thing.
13:54GoldenEye was an excellent FPS that surprisingly got away with a T for Teen rating.
13:58In addition, Perfect Dark came in as a spiritual successor and upped the ante in every regard
14:02including the ESRB rating.
14:04As Joanna Dark, players fight to stop a thrilling conspiracy and every level in the game offers
14:09a significant sense of accomplishment.
14:11Compared to many of the other games on this list, Perfect Dark is relatively tame.
14:15It still brings the bloodshed though and happily embraced the M rating in letting loose some
14:19foul language.
14:22Number 3 – Bayonetta 2
14:39Bayonetta development is a very interesting tale.
14:41The first game was originally released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 to widespread acclaim
14:46and gained a strong fanbase.
14:47But when publisher Sega ran into financial difficulties, a sequel seemed unlikely.
14:51Then, as a surprise to everyone, Nintendo announced that they'd picked up Bayonetta
14:552 as a Wii U exclusive and the result was one of the finest hack and slash games ever
14:59made.
15:00We're not sure if bloodshed has ever been more beautiful than in Bayonetta 2.
15:03The game's striking artwork and sense of style is balanced almost impossibly well with
15:07the coordinated movement and truly overwhelming action sequences.
15:10Plus, with Bayonetta's trademark over-the-top sexuality, the game earned its M rating.
15:19Number 2 – Conker's Bad Fur Day
15:28This game was originally set to be released as Twelve Tales – Conker 64 and was to feature
15:32a happy-go-lucky squirrel in a kid-friendly adventure.
15:35However, facing criticism of being yet another kiddie platformer, especially after the release
15:40of Banjo-Kazooie, Rare decided to completely rework the game.
15:43Conker the cuddly squirrel turned into a greedy, foul-mouthed, hungover deadbeat.
15:47As a result, this guy would now jump on the breasts of a sexy sunflower, violently dispose
15:52of enemies, and ruin the lives of nearly everyone he came across.
15:56He was lewd, crude, and had parroting famous films down to an art.
15:59The multiplayer also never gets old, but the perfectly ridiculous single-player mode remains
16:04a classic.
16:29Number 1 – Resident Evil 4
16:37It's surprising to think that one of the best survival horror games ever made was originally
16:41released as an exclusive for the GameCube at a time when the system was struggling to
16:45get new games.
16:46As Leon Kennedy, we brave the rural countryside of Spain to search for the President's missing
16:50daughter who had been kidnapped by a deadly cult.
16:53It was intense, captivating, and terrifying all at once, and even released with an awesome-looking
16:57– if not impractical – chainsaw controller.
17:00Eventually, the game would be ported to many other consoles, including Nintendo's follow-up,
17:04the Wii.
17:05That version showed how motion controls were a viable alternative to using a stick to aim,
17:09which made it all the more satisfying to blow off the enemy's heads.
17:19Know of any other great M-rated games that launched with Nintendo first?
17:22Let us know down in the comments!