10 Video Games That Broke The Rules
1. The Blood Code - Mortal Kombat (Genesis Version)
Even though Mortal Kombat popularised digital sprites and secret characters, it's been immortalised for the over-the-top violence.
Ed Boon and John Tobias' fighting title may be tame by today's standards but the excessive blood and finishing moves were shocking back in their day. Since MK depicted kombatants ripping out hearts and pulling out spines, there were concerns the content could negatively affect players, especially children.
Ed Boon himself thought the outrage was somewhat justified, saying, "I wouldn't want my ten-year-old kid playing a game like that".
Due to Nintendo's family friendly policy, the SNES port of Mortal Kombat toned down the finishers and had the blood replaced with sweat.
Sega, on the other hand, relied on a sneakier tactic to avoid controversy. When Mortal Kombat was released for the Genesis, the blood and Fatalities were seemingly absent. However, all the gore became accessible by punching in ABACABB in the opening screen.
This crafty trick worked, since the Genesis port outsold the SNES version exponentially, proving to some degree, that violence makes money. To maximise their profits, Nintendo and Sega left the gore uncensored in the sequels.
It just goes to show that there are times where breaking the rules is the only way forward.