As much as I'm enjoying this conversation (little bit of sarcasm there), I can't help but notice that we seem to have strayed away from the thread's original purpose. The purpose was to describe certain characteristics that you would prefer to see in an M-Rated Super Mario game. Now, since I've participated in pulling this thread off topic, I feel the responsibility to make an on-topic post as well (it's just a matter of principle). So here goes:
If an M-Rated Mario game were to be created, I prefer that the mature content be in good taste. Now, when I say mature content I don't just mean mature as is gore, cursing, and sexual references (even though I don't see the necessity for any of them); I also mean mature as in complex. For the storyline, I would probably want something along the lines of the Koopa Klan actually delcaring war on the Mushroom Kingdom. The M-Rating would probably stem from cutscenes that show the actual fighting on the battle-grounds (toads and koopas clashing with one another, Gladiator-style).
Maybe (and I do mean MAYBE) the H-word and the D-word could be used, as they aren't as offensive as other profanities, but that would be it. They should also only be used sparingly, maybe once or twice through out the game each.
In regards to gore, I don't think it's really necessary to put detail into the actual internal organs being spilled. The style of art used in the Mario games is like a cartoon, and thus usually not detailed enough to show such things. What I would approve of, however, would be some blood here and there. I don't mean copious amounts, but perhaps Mario gets a cut on his eyebrow and has a small streak of it running down his cheek; I think that would be ok. Or even if a character were fighting in battle and happened to get slashed across the arm, a small expulsion of blood would be appropriate. The blood should also not be too dark; once again, in keeping with the tradition of Super Mario's artistic style, the blood should be rather bright red, giving it a cartoonish feel, as opposed to the dark crimson that it would be in reality (if you've ever watched an anime where somebody gets sliced on the arm or something, then you know what I mean). I mean, you find that kind of stuff in the Pokemon TV show (not that I'm comparing Mario to it), so I think it would be appropriate for a Mario game.
Now nudity is a tough call to make. If there had to be a nudity, I would prefer it to be partial and not full frontal. The character should be viewed from the back and from the waist up, no genitals or buttocks exposed.
And of course, I would like the storyline to embody a sophistication that might label the game as "mature".
In short, my list of things that would make the game M-Rated are:
- Realistic battle scenes between the two warring nations/realistic fight scenes between individual characters.
- Some use of blood, where appropriate, but no full on gore.
- The occasional use of the H or D words (only when the characters are in stressful situations, not in casual conversation)
- A meaningful storyline that crosses the boundry from "kid's game" to "mature game" (by this I mean the kind of storyline that might be found in a Final Fantasy game)
-Partial nudity; the person's back should be the only thing seen.
Ok, so I guess that about sums it up. Feel free to flame me, but I just felt like I should respect the poster's original intent for the thread since I've already spoken against it.
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"The bigger they are, the harder I fight."
Edited by - Kamikaze Koopa on 7/15/2005 3:19:43 PM