The European market has always been a challenging one for game developers. With strict laws and regulations in place, some of the most beloved games have had to make significant cuts to their content to be eligible for release. Whether it’s due to concerns about violence, nudity, or other sensitive themes, many games have had to make major alterations to their gameplay to be allowed on European shelves. In this blog post, we’ll explore five such games that had to cut out content to meet European market requirements. From classic titles to modern masterpieces, these games have all had to make difficult decisions to ensure their success in one of the world’s most important gaming markets.
Number 1. Contra
Konami’s classic side-scrolling shooter, Contra, caused a stir in some European countries due to its graphic violence. In a bid to appease these countries, Konami made some significant changes, including replacing the human protagonists, Bill and Lance, with robots and swapping out human enemies for aliens. The game was also rebranded as Probotector. Although the name and human characters eventually returned to Europe with the release of Contra: Legacy of War, the series continued to face challenges. For instance, Contra 4 on the DS never made it to the continent outside of import sales. It’s worth noting that the Probotector alterations only applied to the NES, SNES, and Genesis versions, as the Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC versions still featured Bill, Lance, and other human characters under the Gryzor name. Perhaps it was less about the game’s violent content and more about its association with the Iran-Contra Scandal.
Number 2. Ninja Gaiden
Tecmo’s iconic action-packed title, Ninja Gaiden, faced a lot of obstacles upon its arrival in Europe. The game’s graphic depiction of violence caused an uproar in Germany, while the UK harboured a deep-seated fear of the word “ninja” at the time. To cater to European audiences, the game underwent a name change to “Shadow Warriors” and was toned down to suit their sensibilities. However, even these modifications weren’t enough to appease European standards. The third NES game of the series was never released in Europe, except for a port on the Atari Lynx that retained the original name. The trend continued for the 2000s Xbox reboots where the word “ninja” was no longer taboo, but decapitations still were. European gamers had to wait for later re-releases of the game to enjoy the full experience of lopping off heads.
Number 3. Carmageddon
Stainless Games’ 1997 racing game, Carmageddon, quickly earned a reputation for its controversial gameplay mechanics, which saw players rewarded for running over pedestrians. Its release coincided with the first Grand Theft Auto title, which also featured similar violent themes. However, there was something about the transition to 3D that made the experience feel even more gruesome than its 2D counterpart.
As a result, the game was banned in the UK for nearly a year until the developers opted to replace the human pedestrians with zombie-like creatures that spewed green blood. The German release went even further, with the zombies replaced by robots that leaked black oil. Despite these modifications, the game was still slapped with numerous 18+ ratings, giving it a seemingly mature reputation that belied its controversial content.
Number 4. No More Heroes
Grasshopper Interactive’s cult classic hack-and-slash game, No More Heroes, was notorious for its over-the-top violence and crude humor. Its protagonist, Travis Touchdown, was a foul-mouthed, katana-wielding assassin who would hack and slash his way through countless enemies. The game’s gratuitous blood and gore were so excessive that it would sometimes cause performance issues on the Nintendo Wii. However, this was only true for the North American version of the game.
The Japanese and European versions of No More Heroes had toned-down violence, with blacked-out stumps and pixelated death animations. This version of the game was more in line with the creator, Suda51’s, personal preference. While the censorship may have been a better reflection of the game’s intended style, it’s hard to deny that the gore was part of what made No More Heroes so appealing to its fans.
Number 5. The Last of Us
Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us has undoubtedly cemented itself as a modern classic, with multiple accolades, spin-offs, and even an HBO adaptation. However, it’s worth noting that the original game had some content changes for the European market. Specifically, the multiplayer mode had its violence toned down, making it impossible to decapitate or dismember opponents. Interestingly, these changes were only applied to the online mode and not the main story. Many speculate that the alterations were made to satisfy Germany’s strict regulations on violence in media. The only version of the game that hasn’t been subject to these changes is the PS5 remaster, as it doesn’t include a multiplayer mode at all
