10 Controversial Video Game Levels That Were Completely Misunderstood

7. Mario Party 8 - Shy Guy's Perplex Express

This entry is amazingly intriguing for two reasons - not only is it the only game on this list to actually be recalled but it's also one of Nintendo's most family-orientated games - Mario Party. The Mario Party series is based around board games; players move around the board to collect stars while also playing mini-games in between rounds for various advantages. It's a simple enough game but back in 2007, a translation error was made that could easily have ruined the game's reputation. The level Shy Guy's Perplex Express is set on a train and there's a scene where Kamek (a Mario baddie) will move the traincars around and alter the order of the board. This scene is accompanied with the lines: "Magikoopa magic! Turn this train spastic! Make this ticket tragic!". Yep, that line was actually included in the game. If you're from the UK, you probably realise that spastic is a pretty offensive term, yet in America (and presumably, the majority of the world) it's pretty inoffensive and is used simply to describe something shaky. Either Nintendo weren't aware of the word's implications over here in Britain or it simply slipped through the net; either way, the game was suddenly recalled almost as soon as it was released and a new version came out about a month later with the offending word changed to "erratic". Kudos for sticking with the rhyme scheme, Nintendo. Some copies of the game are still in circulation (knowing the internet, they might actually be sought after as collector's items) but the controversy was nipped in the bud before it could really grow. Still, it's pretty unbelievable that Nintendo's reputation was very nearly demolished by one offensive word which may have been completely overlooked.