With each country having its own set of laws and restrictions, there are bound to be changes in how video games are represented for the different markets. Video games already take years of passion and hard work to develop, so sometimes the best way to censor a game for another country is to have fun with it.
Companies are often advised or told to censor their art and ideas based on a specific country’s marketplace rules. These can range from a reference to more blatant activities like murder and violence. Some of these censorships are hilarious for a multitude of reasons.
10 Flat Crash - Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
In the original Crash Bandicoot 2, when the video game mascot, Crash Bandicoot, is squashed by a large pillar, he cartoonishly wobbles around with just a head and a pair of shoes. It adds to the Looney Tunes-like death animations that provide a goofy charm to a game over screen. This death animation was not found in the Japanese release of the game.
Instead, for Japan’s Crash Bandicoot 2, Crash does not wobble around with a head and two feet; he just waddles completely flat and 2D. This is partly due to the reminiscence of a series of serial killings happening in Japan.
9 Grey Blob Keyes - Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
Fans of the iconic gaming franchise Halo know all too well of the tragedy of Captain Keyes and the emotional and traumatizing way that the character dies in Halo: Combat Evolved. When Halo: The Master Chief Collection was released, it came complete with a set of brand-new Anniversary Graphics.
The Anniversary Graphics make Keyes’ death even more horrific as he is absorbed into the Flood’s proto-Gravemind. Yet, in the China release, the proto-Gravemind is just a grey blob, as if it is missing all gruesome textures. Keyes’ face isn’t even there, which makes the scene seem glitched rather than emotional.
8 Murder Mystery - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
For a franchise as wholesome and child-friendly as Nintendo’s Super Mario, it’s strange to think it could be so violent. It turns out that not even the Mushroom Kingdom is safe from murders. If Mario ventures to the abandoned shack in the back alley of Rogueport’s main square, they can find blood stains and a chalk outline of a murdered Toad.
The United States version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door lacks this gruesome detail and instead is just a busted-up shack that looks like it has been ransacked. However, there is still a noticeable blood stain left on the wall. Either the murderer covered his tracks in the U.S. version, or the developers forgot to remove the blood.
7 No Bones - Fortnite
It is considered to be culturally insensitive to include the use of skeletons in entertainment, especially video games. China is renowned for having rather strict censorship laws in its games, and most titles released in China lack skeletons.
This is partly due to people in China finding skeletons disturbing and unsettling. It isn’t only skeletons that China’s censorship board does not like. They also often turn blood into blue goo. In the case of Fortnite, some skins that depict skeletons are removed from the Chinese servers or have their faces changed completely to avoid the censor board.
6 Hungry For Dolphin - Super Mario World
In Super Mario World, Yoshi loves to eat Mario's enemies. Despite the global love for dolphins, Yoshi will happily devour them too. This was a feature in the Japanese release but was changed for Western releases.
These cute blue dolphins, with swimming goggles, will happily dance in the scenery of the levels they are in. If Yoshi tries to eat them anywhere other than the Japanese version, he will be unable to. It can make the levels harder somewhat, but at least the cute mammal can avoid being a snack.
5 Kitty Love - GTA: Vice City
It won't surprise many people that a series as controversial as Grand Theft Auto has been censored in the past. The series is known for being rather vulgar, with violence, nudity, and profanity all common. One such scene of censorship happens in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - a title from Rockstar that is adored by many - which ends up with some photographs being censored.
These photos in question are from an adult film set and feature in the Western releases of the game. However, in the Japanese release, these images are replaced with adorable kittens frolicking. It doesn’t line up with the scenes and makes GTA: Vice City seem even crazier.
4 No Human Casualties - Half-Life
Due to restrictions in Germany, Half-Life was heavily censored to be released in the country. These censors included the fact that no human dies on-screen in Half-Life. If Gordon Freeman decides to shoot a scientist, they will just sit down and shake their head in disapproval.
Yet, what of the military forces that come to kill the scientists and Freeman? These beings are replaced with entirely new character models, for they are now robots. Their blood is now black oil, and their body parts that fly off are mechanical components. It turns Half-Life into a man vs. robots vs. aliens.
3 Censored Descriptions - South Park: The Stick Of Truth
South Park is an adult cartoon known for its vulgarity. The series, depicting children in a quiet little mountain town, is often under controversy for its depiction of real-world events and themes. South Park: The Stick of Truth remains true to the show in this regard.
Pairing with Ubisoft, the team at South Park knew that some scenes in their game would not pass certain countries’ censorship boards. So, they elected to do it themselves. In what would be some graphic scenes, the game informs the player in detail as to what the scene would entail while having the screen show a facepalming marble statue.
2 Clean Shaven Fascist - Wolfenstein 2: The New Order
Wolfenstein, a series famous for murdering Nazis and bringing freedom back to a fascist-controlled world, featured a highly detailed model of Adolf Hitler in Wolfenstein 2: The New Order. Of course, this act is in itself controversial, considering the real-life horrors caused by the Nazis and Hitler. However, Germany at the time did not allow such depictions.
To keep the scene in the game, the team behind Wolfenstein elected one simple change: Shave Adolf Hitler. The fascist dictator is already a mockery in Wolfenstein 2, but perhaps the removal of his mustache provides a Clark Kent effect for Germany.
1 Tickle Torture - Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear Solid is a series famed for its real-world themes and horrors of war. In Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Big Boss is tortured for information. This scene involves the character Strangelove using electrified rods to shock Big Boss in a violent torture scene for information.
To receive a better rating so that everyone could play the game, Japan censored this scene. Although the electric rods remain, and Snake’s skeleton flashes from the voltage, he can be heard merrily laughing, as it’s a mere “tickle.” Ironically, tickling was also an old form of torture; it may just sound cheerier.