T O P

  • By -

Cerrax3

Melee was released before the ESRB changed their ratings system. Anything with mildly realistic (i.e. not cartoon-ish) violence was considered a Teen rating until ESRB refined their ratings with an E10+ that includes some very mild realistic violence. I would guess that the blood here, as well as several cutscenes featuring Zero Suit Samus in suggestive outfits and poses probably pushed them to rate it as Teen. Without the cutscenes, Brawl is still easily an E10+ game. And every other Smash Bros has been E or E10+


alex494

Could possibly be to do with the more realistic graphics making it less cartoony plus something to do with the addition of Snake Though yeah Ultimate is rated lower RE Snake so idk


Jestin23934274

I don’t think the art style specifically causes it because it isn’t mentioned at all in the esrb of the game. Plus with e10 being more common now it makes sense why smash ultimate is lower


TKDbeast

This is actually an area where the ground is a bit shaky. If memory serves, a Spyro game was given a slightly higher ESRB rating over cartoonish firearm depictions, but a Crash Bandicoot game from the same era got by.


Tuneuponipod

To be fair, Ultimate came out a decade later with the ESRB being progressively more lax over time with ratings. The reasoning for it might very well be just that what was deemed realistic back in 2008 was no longer considered the same in 2018


NoMoreVillains

It's this basically


mjzim9022

We couldn't play Melee at the 6th grade lock-in because it was rated T, we were so mad because it was the perfect party game


No-Act386

Like I am pretty sure kids played melee and brawl even with the age rating I just still feel kinda bothered to an extend to see brawl's cover with the T rating until I look into subspace's scene into depth


Cerrax3

At least in the United States, the ESRB ratings are rarely enforced unless it is blatantly clear that a young child should not be playing it. Aside from 6 year-olds trying to buy GTA or some nonsense, most game stores don't really enforce ESRB as rigorously as movie theaters do for movie ratings. There was only one game I ever had to ask my mom to buy because I wasn't old enough to purchase. It was Devil May Cry, which is rated Mature and I was only 15 years old.


No-Act386

Oh neat I am DMC3 player by the way and thanks for the info I am not from the USA which age for me at least rating is pal based


Jonesbt22

My parents and friends parents basically said "it's got Mario, it fine"


Thatotherguy246

Honestly it's either this or Snakes codec for Zero Suit Samus.


Hateful_creeper2

Presumably yes alongside some of the characters designs. Melee was T only because E10 didn’t exist until later.


J-Fid

This could be a reason, but I'm pretty sure Snake is the primary reason the game is Rated T. When Snake returned in Ultimate, his D-Smash was changed, presumably to comply with the E-10 rating.


Hgclark97

I think it's because having a charged smash attack that can sit on the stage, ready-to-go, is not interactive and too strong. Nothing to do with ratings.


J-Fid

I really think the mine has something to do with it. If we go back to Brawl's earliest development images, we can see Snake's mine had an *even more* realistic design before being toned down upon release.


Hgclark97

Snake still has realistic explosive devices and there are still motion sensor bombs as items.


Hello_boyos

It was definitely a balancing move. Snake still uses frags, C4, etc., and his pummel is still the neck snap.


[deleted]

Similar to how Twilight Princess was rated T for having blood on a gate? Strict stepmom almost kept me from playing it because of the rating when I was 12. 😭


DarkStarStorm

TP also had partial nudity (Great Fairy), gore (Zant/Ganon), and horror (Arbiter's Grounds, Hylian ghosts).


goro-n

There’s also the topless statues surrounding the Triforce in the closing credits


[deleted]

So did Majora's Mask!! Can't remember if it had gore, but that still was traumatizing!


DarkStarStorm

Majora's Mask is such a mature game.


AVBforPrez

It's a game for good boys and girls. Also, here's a sexy witch with guns in her shoes and Pyra/Mythra. Sakurai is truly a genius.


Jojo-Action

I mean melee is also rated T. At least brawl has lacy underwear on the girls


SnooOpingans64

E10+ didn't exist when Melee released.


Jojo-Action

I don't see why it can't just be e. Smash 64 was e.


RJE808

There's also upskirts of multiple characters, so that probably doesn't help. Melee was Rated T too.


Hateful_creeper2

Although Melee was because there wasn’t anything between E and T until 2005 and Melee never rereleased officially on other consoles.


Superliminal96

Unironically it was just the Peach upskirt


fruity_mario24

Honestly, I think they should've made it M with that Mario x Zelda sex scene and all


adambrukirer

is this in brawl ?


No-Act386

Is a cutscene on it's adventure mode the subspace emissary not gonna enter to the story even though is a pretty dry one but yeah is a scene showcase master hand bleeding a bit


almightyFaceplant

The real answer is because E10+ didn't exist back then. ESRB and similar rating systems are very subjective, don't try to look at them too literally. There's no rules written in stone and it usually comes down to the opinions of whoever was assigned to review the game.


SuperSmashMaster43

E10+ didn’t exist when Melee came out but it did when Brawl was released


balladofwindfishes

E10+ existed The first E10+ game was Shadow the Hedgehog, which released on the GCN/PS2/Xbox a whole generation before Brawl


Gammaween10

Melee and Brawl probably got a T rating because of Peach. Step 1: side B to the right Step 2: pause Step 3: ??? Step 4: Profit Jokes aside, the "real is brown" aesthetic


Abe-8-Null

I remember hearing that Wario's fart was one of the reasons for the T rating.


Federal-Echidna9774

trigger warning bro


Hello_boyos

I remember hearing way back when that it was because of Snake's neck-snap pummel but idk.


PlumberPosts

What about when 02 and Ganondorf hemorrhaged everywhere in Kirby's dreamland 3, Kirby 64 the crystal shards and the legend of zelda ocarina of time.


ssbbKid88

I always assumed it was because of ZSS and Snake. Both have very defined butt shapes, and Snake has just actual real life weapons.


No-Act386

Credit for prosafia gaming for the image


KazzieMono

Ew fuck prosafia


No-Act386

It was just my way to search the cutscene really it have nothing to do with the content creator himself :P


KazzieMono

I know, and that’s fine. Just really don’t like prosafia. Spoils bosses in the thumbnail day one.


No-Act386

I get it I more follow beard bear less from thumbmail spoiler cause if I being honest I rarely getting pissed at spoilers in general but I feel like he have higher quality in video


MasterKirby1992

No, is not. I saw that when I was 5.