The ESRB is hard at work already, pushing a cool 100 games through the ratings sieve since the start of the new year. PC earns the shovelware award for leading the pack in rated releases, while the Mac makes a rare appearance--graced with LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures. The intriguing titles of the week are prescient of dark days to come; one is a 360 exclusive, the other a PS3 exclusive. Both are eyebrow-raising.
Some of the best bets you’ll find in this batch are--duh--Killzone 2 (PS3); the Ninja Gaiden-looking clone, Ninja Blade (360); and Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop (Wii). The cross-platform performer of the week is SBK: Superbike World Championship (PC, PS3, PS2, PSP, 360, Wii).
Both the 360 and PS3 are playing nice with the following titles rated on both consoles: OutRun Online Arcade, Ead Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard, Street Fighter IV Collector’s Edition, and 3 on 3 NHL Arcade.
My intriguing titles of the week go by the name of Killzone 2 and Ninja Blade, both of which use suicide to seal their Mature ratings. In Killzone 2, one gravely wounded character retrieves a pistol and shoots himself in the head. And during a Ninja Blade cutscene, an enemy slits his own throat with a sword. Disturbing imagery indeed.
| Title |
Publisher |
Rating |
Platforms |
| Atlantica Online |
NDOORS Corporation |
Teen |
PC |
| Backyard Baseball '10 |
Atari |
Everyone |
DS |
| Blood Ties |
eGames Inc |
Everyone 10+ |
PC |
| Codename: Panzers Cold War |
Atari |
Teen |
PC |
| My Friends |
Oxygen Games |
Everyone |
DS |
| Mata Hari |
dtp entertainment AG |
Teen |
PC |
| MLB 09: The Show |
SCEA |
Everyone |
PS2, PSP |
| MLB 09: The Show |
SCEA |
Everyone |
PS3 |
| Puzzle Kingdoms |
Zoo Games, Inc. |
Everyone 10+ |
DS |
| Space Invaders® - The Original Game |
Taito Corporation |
Everyone |
Wii |
| Ultimate Ninja 4: Naruto Shippuden |
Namco Bandai Games America |
Teen |
PS2 |
| Monsters vs. Aliens |
Activision-Blizzard |
Everyone 10+ |
PC, 360, PS3 |
| OutRun Online Arcade |
Sega |
Everyone |
360, PS3 |
| World Mosaics |
eGames Inc |
Everyone |
PC |
| Imagine Family Doctor |
Ubisoft |
Everyone |
DS |
| Mini Ninjas |
Eidos Interactive |
Everyone 10+ |
DS |
| DCS: Black Shark |
The Fighter Collection |
Teen |
PC |
| Trivial Pursuit |
Electronic Arts |
Everyone |
PS2, 360, Wii, PS3 |
| Texas Hold'em Tournament |
Digital Leisure Inc. |
Teen |
Wii |
| Yosumin! |
Square Enix, Inc |
Everyone |
PC |
| My City |
Mumbo Jumbo |
Everyone |
PC |
| Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard |
D3Publisher of America |
Teen |
360, PS3 |
| Tokyo Beat Down |
Atlus USA, Inc. |
Teen |
DS |
| Monster Hunter Freedom Unite |
Capcom |
Teen |
PSP |
| Darkest of Days |
Phantom EFX, Inc. |
Mature |
PC, 360 |
| Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars - The Director's Cut |
Ubisoft |
Teen |
DS |
| Street Fighter IV Collector's Edition |
Capcom |
Teen |
360, PS3 |
| Saint |
UFO Interactive Games |
Everyone 10+ |
Wii |
| Savage Moon |
SCEA |
Teen |
PS3 |
| Sarah: Keeper of the Unicorn |
DreamCatcher Interactive, Inc. |
Everyone |
DS |
| Clueless Fashion |
Paramount Pictures |
Everyone |
DS |
| Buccaneer - The Pursuit of Infamy |
Blitz Games Limited |
Everyone |
PC |
| Birth of America |
CDV Software Entertainment USA |
Everyone |
PC |
| Dragon Master Spell Caster |
Stickmen Limited |
Everyone 10+ |
Wii |
| Space Rangers 2: Reboot |
eGames Inc |
Teen |
PC |
| SpongeBob SquarePants Obstacle Odyssey 2: Time Trouble |
Nickelodeon |
Everyone |
PC |
| Secret of Mana |
Square Enix, Inc |
Everyone 10+ |
Wii |
| Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen |
Square Enix, Inc |
Everyone |
Wii |
| Ninja Blade |
Microsoft |
Mature |
360 |
| LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures |
Feral Entertainment Limited |
Everyone 10+ |
Mac |
| Reel Fishing Angler's Dream |
Natsume Inc. |
Everyone |
Wii |
| SONIC™ and the Black Knight |
Sega |
Everyone 10+ |
Wii |
| X-Men Origins: Wolverine |
Activision-Blizzard |
Everyone 10+ |
DS |
| The Game of Life™ by Hasbro |
RealNetworks |
Everyone |
PC |
| Pimp My Ride: Street Racing |
Activision-Blizzard |
Everyone |
DS |
| Dream Day Wedding Destinations |
ValuSoft Inc. |
Everyone |
DS |
| PDC World Championship Darts |
Oxygen Games |
Everyone |
DS |
| Touch Mechanic |
Aspyr Media, Inc. |
Everyone |
DS |
| Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Stardust Accelerator: World Championship 2009 |
Konami Digital Entertainment |
Everyone |
DS |
| Ready 2 Rumble Revolution |
Atari |
Teen |
Wii |
| Buzz!™ Jr. Jungle Party |
SCEA |
Everyone 10+ |
PS3 |
| Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward |
Oxygen Games |
Everyone |
PC, Wii |
| Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward |
Oxygen Games |
Everyone |
DS |
| Gel |
Gastronaut Studios LLC |
Everyone |
360 |
| Free Realms |
Sony Online Entertainment |
Everyone 10+ |
PC |
| The Sims 3 |
Electronic Arts |
Teen |
PC |
| Lonpos |
Nintendo |
Everyone |
Wii |
| Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II |
Nintendo |
Everyone |
Wii |
| Super Punch-Out!! |
Nintendo |
Everyone |
Wii |
| Pop Town |
505 Games |
Everyone |
DS |
| My Fashion Studio Paris Collection |
Ubisoft |
Everyone |
DS |
| Gran Turismo TV - Top Gear S6EP11 |
SCEA |
Teen |
PS3 |
| Alabama Smith in Escape from Pompeii |
Viva Media LLC |
Everyone |
PC |
| The Destiny of Zorro |
505 Games |
Everyone 10+ |
Wii |
| Kira Kira Pop Princess |
505 Games |
Everyone |
DS |
| Heroes of Might and Magic V: Hammers of Fate |
Encore Software |
Teen |
PC |
| Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East |
Encore Software |
Teen |
PC |
| No Gravity - The Plague Of Mind |
Anozor S.A.R.L. |
Everyone 10+ |
PSP |
| Funky Python |
Viva Media LLC |
Everyone |
PC |
| CSI: NY: The Game |
Ubisoft |
Teen |
PC |
| Can You See What I See? Curfuffle's Collectibles |
Mumbo Jumbo |
Everyone |
PC |
| Beach Party Craze |
Viva Media LLC |
Everyone |
PC |
| 3 on 3 NHL Arcade |
Electronic Arts |
Everyone |
360, PS3 |
| CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder |
Encore Software |
Mature |
PC |
| Champion Dreams: First to Ride |
Encore Software |
Everyone |
PC |
| Equilibrio |
DK-Games |
Everyone |
Wii |
| Stand O' Food |
Viva Media LLC |
Everyone |
PC |
| The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match |
SNK Corporation of America |
Teen |
360 |
| Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II |
THQ Inc |
Mature |
PC |
| SingStar Queen |
SCEA |
Teen |
PS2 |
| Littlest Pet Shop Spring |
Electronic Arts |
Everyone |
DS |
| Scrabble |
Electronic Arts |
Everyone |
DS, PSP |
| The Tale of Despereaux |
Atari |
Everyone |
DS |
| The Tale of Despereaux |
Atari |
Everyone 10+ |
PC, PS2, Wii |
| We Ski & Snowboard |
Namco Bandai Games America |
Everyone |
Wii |
| SBK: Superbike World Championship |
Conspiracy Entertainment Corporation |
Everyone 10+ |
PC, PS2, PSP, 360, Wii, PS3 |
| AC-130 Operation Devastation |
ValuSoft Inc. |
Teen |
PC |
| Killzone 2 |
SCEA |
Mature |
PS3 |
| Little Magician's Magic Adventure |
Konami Digital Entertainment |
Everyone 10+ |
DS |
| Major League Baseball 2K9 Fantasy All-Stars |
2K Games |
Everyone |
DS |
| Elite Forces: Unit 77 |
Koch Media |
Teen |
DS |
| Monsters vs. Aliens |
Activision-Blizzard |
Everyone |
DS |
| Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. |
Ubisoft |
Teen |
PC, 360, PS3 |
| MLB Front Office Manager |
2K Games |
Everyone |
PC, 360, PS3 |
| Ski-Doo Snowmobile Challenge |
Valcon Games LLC |
Everyone |
PC, 360, PS3 |
| MySims Party |
Electronic Arts |
Everyone |
DS |
| Hot Shots Golf Fall Fashion Line 3 |
SCEA |
Everyone |
PS3 |
| Don King Boxing |
2K Games |
Teen |
Wii |
| Niki - Rock 'n' Ball |
Bplus |
Everyone |
Wii |
| Dead Rising Chop Till You Drop |
Capcom |
Mature |
Wii |
Here is the final tally on who, what and where everything was rated for last week. There were 100 rated titles on eight platforms: PC (35), PS3 (16), PS2 (6), PSP (5), Wii (22), 360 (14), DS (27), and Mac (1). There were 69 of the 100 titles rated E10+ or lower, 25 rated T for Teen, and six (Darkest of Days, Ninja Blade, CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, Killzone 2, and Dead Rising Chop Till You Drop) rated M for Mature.
The running tally of game ratings in 2009 is as follows:
| Rating |
Count |
| Everyone |
52 |
| Everyone 10+ |
17 |
| Teen |
25 |
| Mature |
6 |
| Adults Only |
0 |
Got a comment on the article or a rated game? Put it in the comments section or send me an e-mail. Until next week, make sure you know what your kids are playing……
*The weekly Intriguing Title of the Week (and any game that is tossed in that paragraph) is identified based on a game on the list that catches the eye of the author for any number of reasons. Good, bad or otherwise, feel free to agree, disagree or add some constructive input to the discussion.
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