10 Controversial Video Games Your Parents Never Wanted You To Play

9. MadWorld

MadWorld may not be as well known as Platinum's other work, but it is unquestionably one of the goriest games ever made; a surprising fact considering its status as a Wii exclusive. Given the perception that this was the family friendly console, MadWorld's reputation was bolstered by being an outlier - but in doing so, this made it into something of a 'video nasty' for the machine itself.

Seeing you participate in a game show were your goal is to survive and win, gameplay involves slaughtering as many other competitors as possible in the most sensational ways possible. There are many methods with which to eviscerate your opponent, and you are encouraged to experiment in order to accumulate points. The violence is over the top and highly stylized; heightened by black and white cel-shading that pops with routine splatters of claret.

MadWorld is one of the few games on the Wii that truly earns its mature rating. Many parents expressed their disappointment that Nintendo would release such a blatantly violent game on their console; outraged that a game that seemingly glorifies violence could wind up in the hands of their children. It was banned in Germany, and some in the UK called for the BBFC to refuse classification altogether.

Thankfully it sold relatively well, but never turned into another Grand Theft Auto - much to the relief of parent groups the world over, I'm sure.