6 Video Games That Didn’t Realise They Were Being Offensive

5. Bare Knuckle III

Released as Streets of Rage 3 in the US and Europe, Bare Knuckle III was the original Japanese version of the popular fighting game, and as such included a number of separate features that were not present in other versions. One feature which was partially removed from the English version was a sub-boss and unlockable character named Ash, a horribly stereotypical presentation of a gay man who would cry upon being defeated.

The decision to remove Ash from the English version of the game shows some awareness of the issue, but the fact that it wasn't removed entirely from the offset suggests that the game's developers and publishers didn't feel there was anything significantly wrong with it. Somehow a character that looked like a reject from the Village People and slapped his opponents whilst also pulling a series of effeminate poses made it into a relatively popular game.