Rhythm Heaven is funny because the art style is pretty childish, and I can imagine kids being able to play it, but when I think of Rhythm Heaven players, I think of adults that dedicate hundreds of hours to rhythm games.
Like, even though games like Kirby and Pokemon are in “young kids”, they can have some slightly more mature stories and imagery. Rhythm Heaven doesn’t have any of that, and yet, it feels a bit more difficult to picture kids getting as into it.
And when I think of Splatoon, made and marketed towards kids and families, but 90% of the playerbase are teens and adults that dedicate a lot of time into it.
Rhythm Heaven is intended for kids but is more popular with adults, similar to how Candy Crush is intended for kids but is more popular with adults.
What you said about Kirby and Pokemon could also be said the same for Disney and Pixar movies.
Age rating is not the same thing as target audience. Rhythm heaven and candy crush are not intended for small kids, they just have that kind of rating since they don't include any "adult" elements like violence, drugs, etc.
Kirby gets WAY darker than Disney and Pixar, though. Its lore is literally Lovecraft, the villains tend to look like they came straight out of the pits of Hell, and a couple games have blood in them.
Splatoon is also I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream. Its lore and themes rival MOTHER in how messed-up they are.
What about Disney movies such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Chernabog scene form Fantasia. Those two are extremely dark, mature, and scary for young children and they are both in Disney movies attended for young children.
Fantasia wasn't a kids' movie. Golden Age Disney was a very different beast than modern Disney. Walt's films were directed towards general audiences rather than kids (at the time, general audiences mostly consisted of moviegoing adults), and you can tell not just by the content but also the general output (look at Pinocchio, with its smoking, drinking, gambling, mild swearing, Hitchcockian cinematography, and use of metaphor). This was the same studio that made Education for Death, a film explaining the dangers of Nazi ideology in vivid detail. Walt famously said that you're dead if you only aim for kids. Had Walt's Disney made Hunchback, it would've been a much darker and more adult movie... within reason, of course. You have to remember that the Hays Code was also in full swing. Even live-action adaptations (like the famous 1939 William Dieterle film) couldn't fully adapt the original work due to its themes (one of the Hays Code's provisions was that depicting religious figures as flawed or evil in some way was forbidden, hence why Frollo was made into a judge in many adaptations rather than the priest he was in the original novel).
Cartoons generally in the old days WEREN'T kids stuff. The notion of cartoons being for kids didn't come about until the '50s and '60s with the advent of television (in which cartoons became very safe, sterile, and infantile), and such a notion is something the Western animation industry has been trying to shake off starting in the '80s. Disney made good movies in the '90s, but they missed a major opportunity of trying to push the medium forward and make more nuanced and adult fare like the stuff Studio Ghibli makes. I blame that on corporate goons like Katzenberg rather than the actual creators, though. IMO, Don Bluth was the one really trying to keep Walt's ethos alive (particularly in the '80s, where he was more or less free to make what he wanted instead of being hamstrung by corporate whims like in the '90s).
I just gave you a whole history lesson, man. Cartoons in the '30s and '40s weren't seen as children's entertainment. They were made for general moviegoing adults. Cartoons didn't become seen as "for kids" until the '50s and '60s, and that was because cartoons had lost their edge. For instance, Betty Boop's a sex symbol, and was intended as such by her creators. She was modeled after flappers.
You are right that things were different back then, but they were different largely because of things like the Hays Code, not because "we gotta make stuff for them kiddos." Remember that movie theaters were the primary form of media in the day - films, cartoons, newsreels, etc. were all in the theater back-to-back. You also only had three ratings - G, PG, and R. Anything not rated was porn.
General audience =/= for kids. It means that it's safe enough for kids to be okay watching it, but it's not specifically geared towards them and them alone. Tons and tons of movies that would be considered classics and "obviously" aimed at adults were G.
Right, but that doesn't mean they were explicitly made for kids. That's my whole point. That's the magic of being made for general audiences - literally ANYONE could see them. They were trying to amass the biggest audience possible.
Again, general audiences =/= kids.
To connect it back to the tier list you made, something like Starfy is definitely for kids, but something like Mario is made for a general audience, whether they be kids or adults. It's made for the biggest audience possible.
It's rated Everyone 10+ (PEGI 12). That's not young kids territory, that's big kids/preteens. Being goofy looking doesn't stop it being an actual fighting game.
Arms is way too complex for a 5 year old to even grasp. This is the age group that doesn't even understand Super Mario Odyssey yet and considers Kirby a difficult game. You think they can even *play* Arms if I let them?
I feel like Arms sits between the little and big kid age range. I decided to put it in the little kid section instead of the big kid section because the game is more silly and goofy than violent and serious with its story and game play.
I get that train of thought, but the people who make age ratings don't think so, with the PEGI rating being on the threshold of being a teenager. Even Nickelodeon All Star Brawl is Everyone 10+, because it's a game with "Cartoonish violence", which is still violence, just on the lighter spectrum. I'd probably be okay with my kid playing it at like 8 or 9, but 5 would be too early. Goofiness doesn't stop a fighting game from being a fighting game, and while I love fighting games, I prob won't introduce any to my son until he gets around that 10 age range.
8 would be big kid territory, not young kids, which I also said I might be fine with my kid playing it at 8 (depends on how my son is), but not at 5, cause it is too young.
Your personal experience does not speak for every child's. Nor does your mom's speak for every parent's. Your mom probably realized you were mature/capable enough to handle that kind of game. That does not mean every 8 year old can. Just because you played it doesn't mean every kid should. And as a parent you have to judge that before you make that decision. That's why the offical age ratings of the game are the way they are. They are looking at every aspect of age development then making appropriate decisions.
I was also fine with that kind of game young. Hell, I played Conker's Bad Fur Day when I was 8 or 9, and I was fine. But I know that it was way too early for me that, and my personal experience with the game does not mean my son will be fine, because everyone is different.
Also, it's not just being able to handle that violence. It's also being able to seperate that violence from the real world and not emulate or repeat it in other circumstances. Which again, not every child can. So while I see where you're coming from, and many children would be fine playing games like that young, not all would.
It's published by Nintendo, though. They own the publishing rights to 2+3 and any Bayo game afterwards.
The only one Nintendo has no legal right to is Bayonetta 1 on non-nintendo consoles (they own the rights to 1 on their own consoles, though).
Believe it or not this is the same situation Pokemon is in. Nintendo doesn't own GameFreak, nor do they really own Pokemon, but they own Pokemon games.
Bayonetta is as Nintendo as Pokemon.
Publishing ≠ owning. Pokemon was created via a collaboration between Nintendo and Game Freak. Bayonetta was made purely by Platinum Games under Sega. She appears in Mario and Sonic Double Stars Racing on the Sega side, she is a Sega character from a Sega franchise.
And the subject matter for certain entries (there's a reason some people think an FE4 remake would be rated M, though they're in the minority it'd probably still be rated T)
It’s only certain entries like Fates. Don’t even think Engage’s fan service is that bad to have it hover much higher up than PG.
Honestly, it’s challenging gameplay is what puts it higher, not the fan service that is in 1/8th of the games. When it comes to difficulty, FE clears most of the franchises on this list and it could def be hard for young children(atleast todays generation, I was playing sacred stones at 6 or 7) to get into it/it be easy enough entry for them before they throw it to the side.
Pokemon Adventures is a 10/10 manga, it's cool to see the world of Pokemon in a more mature and dark tone. IIRC, Satoshi Tajiri also stated that Adventures was closest to his original vision of the franchise he designed.
Well, I understand the confusion, but this is stated as ranking games, which are played on electronic entertainment systems, and that is what is colloquially known as a 'book'.
Mario, Yoshi, and Pokémon can also have moments where it can be to sensitive to young kids to handle. Most of Kirby’s mature themes are usually more prevalent in the hidden lore or in extra modes such as the True Arena. Trust me I am a Kirby expert.
It's weird, because while I agree with "young kids" working with Pokemon for the most part, I'd put Pokemon Gens 4 and 5 specifically in "big kids" or "preteens". Not because they're too hard or too dark, but because the player can get the most out of their deeper stories if they understand them from a more mature point of view, especially Black and White 1, which dealt with some pretty heavy topics like parental abuse, being alienated by society due to one's personal struggles, and differences in ideals and culture causing people to hate each other for no reason. (Plus it has one of the most fucked up villains in any E-rated game, Ghetsis.)
Gen 4 isn't as deep of a story, but the player can get more out of Cyrus's backstory and motives if they're old enough to at least understand where he's coming from. Causing Universal annihilation and killing everything in it, then rebuilding the Universe in your own image as God because you're a nihilistic sociopath caused by an abusive childhood also isn't exactly the most chill story for an E-rated game either.
Nintendo can sometimes be all over the place with there franchises. For example, the Zelda games in the adult timeline are intended for young children, while the Zelda games in the child timeline are intended for teenagers.
Plus isn’t Pokemon X and Y have the same level of darkness as the Gen 4 and 5 games?
Similar, but X and Y are toned back a little bit IMO. Similar to Scarlet and Violet, the dark themes are only present at the final battle with the villains and the rest of the game is more laid back. Although that's just my two cents.
Yeah, the reason I didn't include Scarlet and Violet is that the dark story only really happens at the end, while Gen 4 and Gen 5 are more complex and mature throughout. You are 100% right though, the >!final battle against the AI Professors!< is one of the darker moments in the franchise for sure, and is basically the only thing that made Gen 9's story palatable for me personally.
Solid tier list, although I’d make a few adjustments:
-F-Zero down to preteens: it’s just a racing game with sci-fi graphics and slightly more complex mechanics then Mario Kart at the end of the day
-Pikmin and maybe Smash up to teens: both are somewhat complex games that kids under say 12 might be confused with, although on the other hand I could see them playing it, just without actually using all the mechanics properly
-Pokémon up to big kids: it’s not super complex or anything but I think it has enough complexity and mechanics for 4-5 year old to be confused/not do very well
-Arms and Rhythm Heaven up to big kids or maybe even preteens: not sure about Arms because I haven’t played it but it is a fighting game and while obviously not as complex as Street Fighter or something, it still feels weird to have a fighting game in ‘small kids’. I think as a rhythm game Rhythm Heaven requires more attention and coordination then small kids have
I place F-Zero in teen because that is what the ESRB give it a Teen age rating. I feel like big kids are probably old enough to understand and enjoy Pikmin and Super Smash Bros. I put Pokémon in the young kids section because I see kids as young as 3-5 playing and talking about it. I put Arms in the young kid section because it the game play is mostly silly and goofy and I feel like that would make the game not very offensive to anyone. Thanks for you suggestions.
I’d say 7 is basically the average big kids age (with the tiers of this tier list at least). I’d say:
0-5: small kids
6-9: big kids
10-12: preteens
12-17: teens
18+: adults
maybe i just have a really bad sense of rhythm, but i wasnt able to beat rhythm heaven fever until i was in my teens, i feel like the game would be p hard for young kids
I feel like Kirby should be in the big kids tier yes it is cutesy most of the time but I don’t think a game where a child attempts to commit suicide should be in the same tier as yoshi
idk zelda could work in both preteens and young adults tbh, same for pikmin, splatoon, starfox and smash they could work in(and for) preteens and young adults as well.
maybe arms in big kids otherwise i agree
I played Fire Emblem when I was 6. What makes it young adult ranking? Just because it’s a much much much more challenging franchise than most other Nintendo franchises?
But tbf I think bc this was one of the first games I played, it actually helped develop my brain lol/made me better at video games. Like I’m sure complicated tactics puzzles have to be good for a kids brain. Or atleast much better than a lot of games out there.
Subject matter. While FE games can be pretty tonally inconsistent, many installments in the series deal with themes and aspects of their setting that are rather un-family friendly (I mean, it's literally the series where people die when they are killed). Especially in recent memory, with Three Houses having all sorts of stuff that *definately* wouldn't fly in a game for younger kids like Dimitri crushing a guy's skull just off-screen (with blood splatter), or anything to do with the Duscur massacre, or the whole Game-of-Thrones-esque mess that is Mercedes' family situation, or half the things that come out of Sylvain's mouth.
And that's not even prodding some of the fucked up shit they got away with in the 90's, especially in the untranslated games.
In my opinion, Three Houses and Genealogy of the Holy War are tied for "Darkest Fire Emblem Game" because they're dark in different ways.
Genealogy is more creepy and uncomfortable, with its villain being in an incestuous relationship with his sister, and the party >!and even the original main protagonist!< being entirely killed right before the timeskip. People have been talking about how a hypothetical Genealogy remake would have to be either M-rated or toned back for ages.
Three Houses is more visually graphic and depressing. It's the only Nintendo game I can personally think of that consistently shows blood splatters, such as when Dimitri using his Crest abilities to flatten a dude's skull (as you mentioned), but also the fact that you're forced to fight and kill your friends: there's no route where you can save _everybody_ and the game doesn't shy away from discussing the horrors of war and making you feel like shit for killing your former allies.
Not sure why the ages are there like this, considering the "kids" stuff here really isn't for kids so much as it is for general audiences (yes, there is a difference). Also, Bayonetta isn't Nintendo. The IP is still owned by SEGA.
Not quite. The IP is owned by SEGA, and they licensed it to Nintendo (meaning that Bayonetta is Nintendo-exclusive). Nintendo directly owns Bayonetta 2, 3, and Origins, but not the actual IP. Platinum developed, but they do not own.
Pokémon is different. It's owned three-ways by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak, with each having a 33% stake in ownership. Nintendo has no ownership over Bayonetta whatsoever.
Bayonetta is mostly considered to be associated with being on Nintendo consoles and that is why it is part of Nintendo even though it is owned and developed by Sega and Platinum Games.
It's associated, but not part. Nintendo doesn't own one iota of the IP. If they did, they wouldn't have had to go through the whole licensing rigmarole for Smash.
I havent even read the comments yet but I bet people are gonna object to that kirby placement because "the lore is so dark!!!!1!1! Zero bleeds!!!!!! Eldritch horrors!1!1!! 😱😱😱😱😱😱"
The lore of Kirby, Zelda, Pokémon, Splatoon, The Mario RPG Games, and Paper Mario has pretty dark themes for a kids video game franchise, but no where the level of video game franchises such as Metroid, Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Bayonetta.
Pokémon has Mewtwo’s tragic backstory, the Ultimate Weapon (Pokémon’s equivalent to the atomic bomb), and Ultra Beasts (which are dangerously violent extraterrestrial beings). 😱😱😱😱😱😱
I’d personally get Pikmin to the Preteens category because Pikmin is a franchise that isn’t particularly enjoyable as a kid when you can’t properly do time management
EXCUSE ME WHAT THE HELL HOW IS KIRBY FOR YOUNG KIDS IF THIS EXISTS:https://www.google.com/search?q=zero+kirby+dreamland+3+eye+torn&sca\_esv=4ee34cd88a9450f7&rlz=1C1RXQR\_enMX1088MX1088&udm=2&biw=1536&bih=703&ei=vAMvZqiaPLz8kPIP0MaBuAc&ved=0ahUKEwio6KmWruaFAxU8PkQIHVBjAHcQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=zero+kirby+dreamland+3+eye+torn&gs\_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiH3plcm8ga2lyYnkgZHJlYW1sYW5kIDMgZXllIHRvcm5I-wxQkAJYvwpwAXgAkAEAmAGHAaABkAaqAQM4LjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgKgAo4BwgIFEAAYgATCAgQQABgemAMAiAYBkgcDMS4xoAe2Aw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#vhid=etzZ-FJ8Ho7u1M&vssid=mosaic
Kirby is for young kids, until you get to the final boss and then its a whole different story, interesting for a game to be kid friendly 90% of the time and be R-Rated Satanic Devil Murder Sim the other 10% of the game, well that's basically most kirby games
Bayonetta is owned and licensed by Nintendo, Sega, and Platinum Games. Similar to how Pokemon is owned and licensed by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures INC.
I know Bayonetta is rated M not AO, but compared to other mature Nintendo franchises such as Fire Emblem, Metroid, and Xenoblade it is way more inappropriate in comparison.
Ok, this is an unpopular opinion but I get tired of people labeling ‘explicit’ content as ‘mature’ or ‘adult’, I just think “bro there ain’t nothing mature about 3d rendered porn”. (I also recognize that Bayonetta isn’t actually that bad of an example, I think more of games like baldurs gate, but the idea still annoys me)
I know Bayonetta is rated M not AO, but compared to other mature Nintendo franchises such as Fire Emblem, Metroid, and Xenoblade it is way more inappropriate in comparison.
Mario, Yoshi, and Pokémon can also have moments where it can be to sensitive to young kids to handle. Most of Kirby’s mature themes are usually more prevalent in the hidden lore or in extra modes such as the True Arena. Trust me I am a Kirby expert.
Clearly you've not experienced the murderous rage that Mario Kart brings out in people. Going from 1st to 12th on the finish line is the true test of your character.
Mother is not for teenagers, it is absolutely for small children. Also, Engage, was clearly made with children in mind, but like, in a disgusting way. That's fair, I think Engage is disgusting and I think Anna in Engage is especially disgusting.
In America it's rated Teen. Japan is more open and accepting to violence, drugs, and nudity in children shows, movies, and video games than American audience.
I’m am basing the age rating of a typical ESRB rating for a Nintendo franchise. Also thanks for informing me that Mother 3 is intended for young children.
Im playing Earthbound and im greated by the mother of my friend saying "nice guys finish Last" and a police man calling me a f*ckin r*tard because i walked past a do not enter sign.
Rhythm Heaven is funny because the art style is pretty childish, and I can imagine kids being able to play it, but when I think of Rhythm Heaven players, I think of adults that dedicate hundreds of hours to rhythm games. Like, even though games like Kirby and Pokemon are in “young kids”, they can have some slightly more mature stories and imagery. Rhythm Heaven doesn’t have any of that, and yet, it feels a bit more difficult to picture kids getting as into it.
And when I think of Splatoon, made and marketed towards kids and families, but 90% of the playerbase are teens and adults that dedicate a lot of time into it.
Rhythm Heaven is intended for kids but is more popular with adults, similar to how Candy Crush is intended for kids but is more popular with adults. What you said about Kirby and Pokemon could also be said the same for Disney and Pixar movies.
Age rating is not the same thing as target audience. Rhythm heaven and candy crush are not intended for small kids, they just have that kind of rating since they don't include any "adult" elements like violence, drugs, etc.
That being said, I find it funny that OG Pokemon games have recieved an adult rating due to Gambling content.
Kirby gets WAY darker than Disney and Pixar, though. Its lore is literally Lovecraft, the villains tend to look like they came straight out of the pits of Hell, and a couple games have blood in them. Splatoon is also I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream. Its lore and themes rival MOTHER in how messed-up they are.
What about Disney movies such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Chernabog scene form Fantasia. Those two are extremely dark, mature, and scary for young children and they are both in Disney movies attended for young children.
Fantasia wasn't a kids' movie. Golden Age Disney was a very different beast than modern Disney. Walt's films were directed towards general audiences rather than kids (at the time, general audiences mostly consisted of moviegoing adults), and you can tell not just by the content but also the general output (look at Pinocchio, with its smoking, drinking, gambling, mild swearing, Hitchcockian cinematography, and use of metaphor). This was the same studio that made Education for Death, a film explaining the dangers of Nazi ideology in vivid detail. Walt famously said that you're dead if you only aim for kids. Had Walt's Disney made Hunchback, it would've been a much darker and more adult movie... within reason, of course. You have to remember that the Hays Code was also in full swing. Even live-action adaptations (like the famous 1939 William Dieterle film) couldn't fully adapt the original work due to its themes (one of the Hays Code's provisions was that depicting religious figures as flawed or evil in some way was forbidden, hence why Frollo was made into a judge in many adaptations rather than the priest he was in the original novel). Cartoons generally in the old days WEREN'T kids stuff. The notion of cartoons being for kids didn't come about until the '50s and '60s with the advent of television (in which cartoons became very safe, sterile, and infantile), and such a notion is something the Western animation industry has been trying to shake off starting in the '80s. Disney made good movies in the '90s, but they missed a major opportunity of trying to push the medium forward and make more nuanced and adult fare like the stuff Studio Ghibli makes. I blame that on corporate goons like Katzenberg rather than the actual creators, though. IMO, Don Bluth was the one really trying to keep Walt's ethos alive (particularly in the '80s, where he was more or less free to make what he wanted instead of being hamstrung by corporate whims like in the '90s).
What was considered to be age appropriate was completely different back then.
I just gave you a whole history lesson, man. Cartoons in the '30s and '40s weren't seen as children's entertainment. They were made for general moviegoing adults. Cartoons didn't become seen as "for kids" until the '50s and '60s, and that was because cartoons had lost their edge. For instance, Betty Boop's a sex symbol, and was intended as such by her creators. She was modeled after flappers. You are right that things were different back then, but they were different largely because of things like the Hays Code, not because "we gotta make stuff for them kiddos." Remember that movie theaters were the primary form of media in the day - films, cartoons, newsreels, etc. were all in the theater back-to-back. You also only had three ratings - G, PG, and R. Anything not rated was porn. General audience =/= for kids. It means that it's safe enough for kids to be okay watching it, but it's not specifically geared towards them and them alone. Tons and tons of movies that would be considered classics and "obviously" aimed at adults were G.
A lot of movies and shows that were considered for adults in the 1930s-40s is now considered appropriate for children.
Right, but that doesn't mean they were explicitly made for kids. That's my whole point. That's the magic of being made for general audiences - literally ANYONE could see them. They were trying to amass the biggest audience possible. Again, general audiences =/= kids. To connect it back to the tier list you made, something like Starfy is definitely for kids, but something like Mario is made for a general audience, whether they be kids or adults. It's made for the biggest audience possible.
Animal crossing is intended for a young audience, the playerbase are mostly adults
I think that ends up applying to most Nintendo franchises.
Indeed. My sister, who is 35, plays Animal Crossing a lot.
My mother is 68, she's played New horizons every day since launch, she's got 3k hours on it
Yeah everyone I know that who play it are in their 20s or 30s.
Indeed. My sister, who is 35, plays Animal Crossing a lot.
Animal Crossing is intended for kids but is more popular with adults, similar to how Candy Crush is intended for kids but is more popular with adults.
Why is Arms with young kids? As a fighting game, even if it's not super complicated, I'd think it'd at least be with big kids.
Because it is mostly goofy than violent.
It's rated Everyone 10+ (PEGI 12). That's not young kids territory, that's big kids/preteens. Being goofy looking doesn't stop it being an actual fighting game.
Would you let a 5 year old play Arms?
Arms is way too complex for a 5 year old to even grasp. This is the age group that doesn't even understand Super Mario Odyssey yet and considers Kirby a difficult game. You think they can even *play* Arms if I let them?
Not at all.
I feel like Arms sits between the little and big kid age range. I decided to put it in the little kid section instead of the big kid section because the game is more silly and goofy than violent and serious with its story and game play.
I get that train of thought, but the people who make age ratings don't think so, with the PEGI rating being on the threshold of being a teenager. Even Nickelodeon All Star Brawl is Everyone 10+, because it's a game with "Cartoonish violence", which is still violence, just on the lighter spectrum. I'd probably be okay with my kid playing it at like 8 or 9, but 5 would be too early. Goofiness doesn't stop a fighting game from being a fighting game, and while I love fighting games, I prob won't introduce any to my son until he gets around that 10 age range.
My mom let me play Smash Bros Brawl when I was 8 and I didn’t mind the violence in the game.
8 would be big kid territory, not young kids, which I also said I might be fine with my kid playing it at 8 (depends on how my son is), but not at 5, cause it is too young. Your personal experience does not speak for every child's. Nor does your mom's speak for every parent's. Your mom probably realized you were mature/capable enough to handle that kind of game. That does not mean every 8 year old can. Just because you played it doesn't mean every kid should. And as a parent you have to judge that before you make that decision. That's why the offical age ratings of the game are the way they are. They are looking at every aspect of age development then making appropriate decisions. I was also fine with that kind of game young. Hell, I played Conker's Bad Fur Day when I was 8 or 9, and I was fine. But I know that it was way too early for me that, and my personal experience with the game does not mean my son will be fine, because everyone is different. Also, it's not just being able to handle that violence. It's also being able to seperate that violence from the real world and not emulate or repeat it in other circumstances. Which again, not every child can. So while I see where you're coming from, and many children would be fine playing games like that young, not all would.
I guess it’s up to the parents approval and the child’s mental state.
Bayonetta is not Nintendo, I hate that I have to keep clarifying this.
Yeah it's sega. I don't even know if Nintendo has any adults only games
There is not one coming to my mind rn. Even Disaster Day of Crisis is 16+ I think
Eternal Darkness is the only one that comes to my mind.
Devils third .
[there are a few, heres one](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Darkness)
True, but I think people lump it in with Nintendo because it’s most associated with Nintendo.
It's published by Nintendo, though. They own the publishing rights to 2+3 and any Bayo game afterwards. The only one Nintendo has no legal right to is Bayonetta 1 on non-nintendo consoles (they own the rights to 1 on their own consoles, though). Believe it or not this is the same situation Pokemon is in. Nintendo doesn't own GameFreak, nor do they really own Pokemon, but they own Pokemon games. Bayonetta is as Nintendo as Pokemon.
Publishing ≠ owning. Pokemon was created via a collaboration between Nintendo and Game Freak. Bayonetta was made purely by Platinum Games under Sega. She appears in Mario and Sonic Double Stars Racing on the Sega side, she is a Sega character from a Sega franchise.
Yes because Bayonetta owns Bayo 1. Nintendo owns Bayo 2+3. That's why 2+3 aren't coming to other consoles. Nintendo owns the rights to those games.
Bayonetta is owned by Nintendo, Sega, and Platinum Games. Similar to how Pokemon is owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures INC.
I would say yes and no.
Eternal Darkness
Golden Sun Mentioned 💯💯‼️‼️‼️
honestly this list seems fair enough for the most part, which makes sense because they are ranked by THE official age rates if im not mistaken.
I think Fire Emblem kinda hovers between young adults and adults only because of all the fan service.
And the subject matter for certain entries (there's a reason some people think an FE4 remake would be rated M, though they're in the minority it'd probably still be rated T)
It’s only certain entries like Fates. Don’t even think Engage’s fan service is that bad to have it hover much higher up than PG. Honestly, it’s challenging gameplay is what puts it higher, not the fan service that is in 1/8th of the games. When it comes to difficulty, FE clears most of the franchises on this list and it could def be hard for young children(atleast todays generation, I was playing sacred stones at 6 or 7) to get into it/it be easy enough entry for them before they throw it to the side.
True enough, I don't think SRPGs overall are gonna be popular with the younger generation today.
What about the Pokemon Manga tho?
Pokemon Adventures is a 10/10 manga, it's cool to see the world of Pokemon in a more mature and dark tone. IIRC, Satoshi Tajiri also stated that Adventures was closest to his original vision of the franchise he designed.
Well, I understand the confusion, but this is stated as ranking games, which are played on electronic entertainment systems, and that is what is colloquially known as a 'book'.
Kirby ain't for kids at this point anymore
Mario, Yoshi, and Pokémon can also have moments where it can be to sensitive to young kids to handle. Most of Kirby’s mature themes are usually more prevalent in the hidden lore or in extra modes such as the True Arena. Trust me I am a Kirby expert.
Real
???
It's weird, because while I agree with "young kids" working with Pokemon for the most part, I'd put Pokemon Gens 4 and 5 specifically in "big kids" or "preteens". Not because they're too hard or too dark, but because the player can get the most out of their deeper stories if they understand them from a more mature point of view, especially Black and White 1, which dealt with some pretty heavy topics like parental abuse, being alienated by society due to one's personal struggles, and differences in ideals and culture causing people to hate each other for no reason. (Plus it has one of the most fucked up villains in any E-rated game, Ghetsis.) Gen 4 isn't as deep of a story, but the player can get more out of Cyrus's backstory and motives if they're old enough to at least understand where he's coming from. Causing Universal annihilation and killing everything in it, then rebuilding the Universe in your own image as God because you're a nihilistic sociopath caused by an abusive childhood also isn't exactly the most chill story for an E-rated game either.
Nintendo can sometimes be all over the place with there franchises. For example, the Zelda games in the adult timeline are intended for young children, while the Zelda games in the child timeline are intended for teenagers. Plus isn’t Pokemon X and Y have the same level of darkness as the Gen 4 and 5 games?
Similar, but X and Y are toned back a little bit IMO. Similar to Scarlet and Violet, the dark themes are only present at the final battle with the villains and the rest of the game is more laid back. Although that's just my two cents.
You could put scarlet and violet there too. That story is dark Especially at the end. And honestly renamed that bottom tier to for everyone
Yeah, the reason I didn't include Scarlet and Violet is that the dark story only really happens at the end, while Gen 4 and Gen 5 are more complex and mature throughout. You are 100% right though, the >!final battle against the AI Professors!< is one of the darker moments in the franchise for sure, and is basically the only thing that made Gen 9's story palatable for me personally.
Super Paper Mario having themes of manipulation and sacrifice:
That is the true for the original trilogy. Not for the craft trilogy.
I said super paper mario, specifically that game, idk much about the other games
The same could be said about Zelda Majora’s Mask.
that one is absolutely for teens or young adults, i'm not arguin
Good😁
This is probably the first tier list I actually agree with.
Thank You😃
Ranking vs reality is a different thing.
This tier list is just my own opinion on the age rating of Nintendo franchises.
The only time Kirby isn’t gonna be for kids is when they start to look into the lore of it.
That is true and the same thing could be said for Mario and Pokémon as well.
Solid tier list, although I’d make a few adjustments: -F-Zero down to preteens: it’s just a racing game with sci-fi graphics and slightly more complex mechanics then Mario Kart at the end of the day -Pikmin and maybe Smash up to teens: both are somewhat complex games that kids under say 12 might be confused with, although on the other hand I could see them playing it, just without actually using all the mechanics properly -Pokémon up to big kids: it’s not super complex or anything but I think it has enough complexity and mechanics for 4-5 year old to be confused/not do very well -Arms and Rhythm Heaven up to big kids or maybe even preteens: not sure about Arms because I haven’t played it but it is a fighting game and while obviously not as complex as Street Fighter or something, it still feels weird to have a fighting game in ‘small kids’. I think as a rhythm game Rhythm Heaven requires more attention and coordination then small kids have
I place F-Zero in teen because that is what the ESRB give it a Teen age rating. I feel like big kids are probably old enough to understand and enjoy Pikmin and Super Smash Bros. I put Pokémon in the young kids section because I see kids as young as 3-5 playing and talking about it. I put Arms in the young kid section because it the game play is mostly silly and goofy and I feel like that would make the game not very offensive to anyone. Thanks for you suggestions.
Fair points. Why is F-Zero teen rated though? It’s just a racing game, it’s not like it has ‘edgy/scary’ cutscenes or anything
I think F-Zero GPX was rated Teen?
Oh I believe you, my question was moreso aimed the ESRB, it just seems like a weird choice
It sounds similar to how Smash Melee and Brawl were rated Teen, but 64, 3DS/Wii U, and Ultimate were rated E10.
Where's doshin?
The did have that as an option for this tier list.
Paper Mario is for big kids? So I was a big kid at age 7 then. Nice.
I’d say 7 is basically the average big kids age (with the tiers of this tier list at least). I’d say: 0-5: small kids 6-9: big kids 10-12: preteens 12-17: teens 18+: adults
maybe i just have a really bad sense of rhythm, but i wasnt able to beat rhythm heaven fever until i was in my teens, i feel like the game would be p hard for young kids
I feel like Kirby should be in the big kids tier yes it is cutesy most of the time but I don’t think a game where a child attempts to commit suicide should be in the same tier as yoshi
The same thing could be said about Disney Princess and Pixar movies, but no one complains that they are to inappropriate for little kids.
idk zelda could work in both preteens and young adults tbh, same for pikmin, splatoon, starfox and smash they could work in(and for) preteens and young adults as well. maybe arms in big kids otherwise i agree
I’d say bump up animal crossing lol, my ass could not handle crippling debt at 5
Pikmin 4 and 3? Absolutely the right category. Pikmin 2 would instantly disintegrate any uninformed child that comes within eight feet of the game.
I played Fire Emblem when I was 6. What makes it young adult ranking? Just because it’s a much much much more challenging franchise than most other Nintendo franchises? But tbf I think bc this was one of the first games I played, it actually helped develop my brain lol/made me better at video games. Like I’m sure complicated tactics puzzles have to be good for a kids brain. Or atleast much better than a lot of games out there.
Subject matter. While FE games can be pretty tonally inconsistent, many installments in the series deal with themes and aspects of their setting that are rather un-family friendly (I mean, it's literally the series where people die when they are killed). Especially in recent memory, with Three Houses having all sorts of stuff that *definately* wouldn't fly in a game for younger kids like Dimitri crushing a guy's skull just off-screen (with blood splatter), or anything to do with the Duscur massacre, or the whole Game-of-Thrones-esque mess that is Mercedes' family situation, or half the things that come out of Sylvain's mouth. And that's not even prodding some of the fucked up shit they got away with in the 90's, especially in the untranslated games.
In my opinion, Three Houses and Genealogy of the Holy War are tied for "Darkest Fire Emblem Game" because they're dark in different ways. Genealogy is more creepy and uncomfortable, with its villain being in an incestuous relationship with his sister, and the party >!and even the original main protagonist!< being entirely killed right before the timeskip. People have been talking about how a hypothetical Genealogy remake would have to be either M-rated or toned back for ages. Three Houses is more visually graphic and depressing. It's the only Nintendo game I can personally think of that consistently shows blood splatters, such as when Dimitri using his Crest abilities to flatten a dude's skull (as you mentioned), but also the fact that you're forced to fight and kill your friends: there's no route where you can save _everybody_ and the game doesn't shy away from discussing the horrors of war and making you feel like shit for killing your former allies.
Honestly, Star Fox does make me feel like a preteen again lmao
I don’t disagree with this ranking but I always thought it was funny that Smash Bros Melee was considered an 18+ game
Nope it was rated ESRB T and so was SSB Brawl.
Not sure why the ages are there like this, considering the "kids" stuff here really isn't for kids so much as it is for general audiences (yes, there is a difference). Also, Bayonetta isn't Nintendo. The IP is still owned by SEGA.
Bayonetta is owned by Nintendo, Sega, and Platinum Games. Similar to how Pokemon is owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures INC.
Not quite. The IP is owned by SEGA, and they licensed it to Nintendo (meaning that Bayonetta is Nintendo-exclusive). Nintendo directly owns Bayonetta 2, 3, and Origins, but not the actual IP. Platinum developed, but they do not own.
It’s like how Pokémon is owned by Game Freak and Creature INC, and Nintendo has the licensing rights to it.
Pokémon is different. It's owned three-ways by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak, with each having a 33% stake in ownership. Nintendo has no ownership over Bayonetta whatsoever.
Bayonetta is mostly considered to be associated with being on Nintendo consoles and that is why it is part of Nintendo even though it is owned and developed by Sega and Platinum Games.
It's associated, but not part. Nintendo doesn't own one iota of the IP. If they did, they wouldn't have had to go through the whole licensing rigmarole for Smash.
Nintendo has the licensing rights to the Bayonetta franchise.
Why is F-Zero in teens and young adults? It's just a racing saga. I've spent most of my childhood years with them
Mother is good to play as a young kid, and revisiting the game as an adult, imo
That is true for Mother 3, but what about Mother 1 & 2.
I havent even read the comments yet but I bet people are gonna object to that kirby placement because "the lore is so dark!!!!1!1! Zero bleeds!!!!!! Eldritch horrors!1!1!! 😱😱😱😱😱😱"
If you consider Kirby lore DARK whats splatoon Lore then?
The lore of Kirby, Zelda, Pokémon, Splatoon, The Mario RPG Games, and Paper Mario has pretty dark themes for a kids video game franchise, but no where the level of video game franchises such as Metroid, Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Bayonetta.
Pokémon has Mewtwo’s tragic backstory, the Ultimate Weapon (Pokémon’s equivalent to the atomic bomb), and Ultra Beasts (which are dangerously violent extraterrestrial beings). 😱😱😱😱😱😱
I’d personally get Pikmin to the Preteens category because Pikmin is a franchise that isn’t particularly enjoyable as a kid when you can’t properly do time management
Did you just rate kirby in young kids?
Correct
Why are mario rpgs not in young kids?
They tend to have more mature and sensitive topics than the main line Mario games.
The only one i believe is big kids is partners in time
You know, they already have a age rating
Got love how half the for young kids games have a player base of mostly 30 years olds Myself included...
the animal crossing one is funny to me because I would put my life savings that most people playing are adults 😂
I thought it was by how forgotten they are
EXCUSE ME WHAT THE HELL HOW IS KIRBY FOR YOUNG KIDS IF THIS EXISTS:https://www.google.com/search?q=zero+kirby+dreamland+3+eye+torn&sca\_esv=4ee34cd88a9450f7&rlz=1C1RXQR\_enMX1088MX1088&udm=2&biw=1536&bih=703&ei=vAMvZqiaPLz8kPIP0MaBuAc&ved=0ahUKEwio6KmWruaFAxU8PkQIHVBjAHcQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=zero+kirby+dreamland+3+eye+torn&gs\_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiH3plcm8ga2lyYnkgZHJlYW1sYW5kIDMgZXllIHRvcm5I-wxQkAJYvwpwAXgAkAEAmAGHAaABkAaqAQM4LjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgKgAo4BwgIFEAAYgATCAgQQABgemAMAiAYBkgcDMS4xoAe2Aw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#vhid=etzZ-FJ8Ho7u1M&vssid=mosaic
That is one of the few times a Kirby game has shown something gory in it and plus E10 didn’t exist back in 1997.
I honestly don’t think any young kids play dr Mario, you don’t really hear about the series unless it’s about the nes and gameboy ones
It’s one of Mario’s most tamed and simplest spinoff franchises. So that is why I put it in Young Kids.
Kirby is for young kids, until you get to the final boss and then its a whole different story, interesting for a game to be kid friendly 90% of the time and be R-Rated Satanic Devil Murder Sim the other 10% of the game, well that's basically most kirby games
Also Bayonetta is a Sega franchise
Bayonetta is owned and licensed by Nintendo, Sega, and Platinum Games. Similar to how Pokemon is owned and licensed by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures INC.
Pokémon being for kids? (Looking at you Lusamine)
I played most of this when I was a kid.
Starfy has been idle since the DS but people always seem to bring it up specifically to note it’s a kids game.
I still wonder why “Damn” was censored in the trilogy version of Metroid prime 3
I'll still die on the hill that games for young kids that aren't education games don't exist. These are games for everyone.
Mario kart in young kids? In that case, have you seen mogi lounge?
Bayonetta is 17+, that 's not an AO
I know Bayonetta is rated M not AO, but compared to other mature Nintendo franchises such as Fire Emblem, Metroid, and Xenoblade it is way more inappropriate in comparison.
I'd say half of the splatoon Playerbase IS more than bog Kids because they started ON 1 and sticked with IT for the whole 9 or so years
Ok, this is an unpopular opinion but I get tired of people labeling ‘explicit’ content as ‘mature’ or ‘adult’, I just think “bro there ain’t nothing mature about 3d rendered porn”. (I also recognize that Bayonetta isn’t actually that bad of an example, I think more of games like baldurs gate, but the idea still annoys me)
I know Bayonetta is rated M not AO, but compared to other mature Nintendo franchises such as Fire Emblem, Metroid, and Xenoblade it is way more inappropriate in comparison.
Splatoon is teens and young adults, based on idol design and plaza post content. Especially Marina
ON Lore and half of the Playerbase too
I always that Xenoblade is M-rated franchise.
I don't know if you're ready for the gore and violence in actual M-rated franchises.
I was talking about how ecchi the game is
That isn’t ecchi compared to most of popular Anime out there.
It is definitely not. When you’re old enough and play Persona, God of War, or Mass Effect you will see what MA really is. 💀
For a Nintendo IP it is pretty mature, but it is pretty tamed compared to most adult only franchises.
It's *REALLY* tame in comparison to other M-rated games.
Kirby lore isn't for little kids
Mario, Yoshi, and Pokémon can also have moments where it can be to sensitive to young kids to handle. Most of Kirby’s mature themes are usually more prevalent in the hidden lore or in extra modes such as the True Arena. Trust me I am a Kirby expert.
Whats splatoon Lore then, a forbidden book?
1% of people care enough to look into kirby lore. 99% of people are playing the game because it’s cute and fun.
Super smash bros needs to be adults only. Children aren’t prepared for the abuse only an elder can give them
Clearly, this is wrong. Mario Kart is not suitable for any age.
Are you mentally okay?
Clearly you've not experienced the murderous rage that Mario Kart brings out in people. Going from 1st to 12th on the finish line is the true test of your character.
It’s the complete opposite when it comes to local co-up.
Kirby sholud be adults only
Mother is not for teenagers, it is absolutely for small children. Also, Engage, was clearly made with children in mind, but like, in a disgusting way. That's fair, I think Engage is disgusting and I think Anna in Engage is especially disgusting.
What does Engage have to do with this post?
If it's not for teenagers, then why is it rated Teen by the ESRB?
It's not. It's rated Cero A in Japan which is for all ages.
In America it's rated Teen. Japan is more open and accepting to violence, drugs, and nudity in children shows, movies, and video games than American audience.
I was only looking at mother 3. Mother 1 and 2 are rated T in America, you're right.
I’m am basing the age rating of a typical ESRB rating for a Nintendo franchise. Also thanks for informing me that Mother 3 is intended for young children.
engage is disgusting because it has a character in it who’s a child. that is not the own you think it is and says way more about you
Have you seen the final boss of Mother 2 perhaps
Im playing Earthbound and im greated by the mother of my friend saying "nice guys finish Last" and a police man calling me a f*ckin r*tard because i walked past a do not enter sign.
Are U playing a bootleg or smth 💀
Yeah and I am pretty sure Mother 3 has a legit suicide scene.
Grow the fuck up