10 Genius Ways Video Games Got Past The Censors

In almost the exact same vein as the previous entry, Left 4 Dead 2, Super Mario RPG also had its issues with censorship in regards to gestures and obscenities. Relating to both the western and PAL regions, Nintendo had specific changes to make in order to be as inoffensive as possible. Firstly, Bowser’s winning pose showcases him holding up both fists. This seems innocent enough. However, dependent on where you’re from, this gesture can imply different meanings. As a result, it was changed to Bowser simply crossing his arms. A small, neat little change which allowed for the character to keep his aggressive nature without offending anyone.

The second example is a bit more specific. In the original version of the game, Croco would use the word “Bugger.” Now, in this day and age the term has lost all its meaning. If you call someone a cheeky bugger you’re not meaning to be insulting, you might even intend to be endearing. However, buggery is the act of… Well, you can look that one up. So! Croco’s line was changed to “Pest” and all was right in the kingdom.