I'd like to know if there's any restriction on downloading an M-rated game on Wii. The question was just brought up on a comment thread related to Sexy Poker, but I would assume it could be answered by someone who had downloaded Splatterhouse 2 on Virtual Console.

So the question is: Does the Wii make any attempt to verify your age before you download the game? If so, what kind of attempt?

Never downloaded any game with an age restriction, but on the nintendo channel it will ask you for your birth date if you want to watch an M rated video.

Whether it does or not, the Wii has parental you can and should use if you're at all concerned about it. Press the "Wii" thing in the lower right, and follow the menus from there until you get to Parental Control settings.

I'm not concerned about it like that, feba. Just curious, really. Wanted to know how Nintendo would handle having M-rated games on their download service, which doesn't appear well set up for having them there.

To answer your question about SH2. I got Splatterhouse 2 a while back and I don't remember being asked my b-day or anything. Aside from credit card auth and wii parental controls, I don't see any way to control M rated downloads.

i would assume they would be restricted if you've got the Parental Control set up on your Wii. even if you could download it with no problems (which would be easily rectified with another Wii Shop update), you wouldn't be able to play it without the password or whatever.

what do you mean 'well set up for them'? They don't have to do anything but put them up there and sell them. It isn't their responsibility to see who's buying things.

It's a download service; Nintendo has the control if they want to block stuff they consider dodgy. I have yet to hear of a game Nintendo has kept off the service due to content and I own at least two titles with "dodgy" content, although they're both from the Japanese service.

Certainly House of the Dead has pushed some boundaries for a Nintendo console title; if you can have that I don't see why anything else would have a problem!

Here's a big IF,

IF parents actually controlled there children's game choices by using the parental controls, and those controls actually worked, there'd be no prob, but...

We shall have our hands held for all eternity, while mothers queue up to buy GTA4 for there 10yr old.

And Sean, its all about context, I found Manhunt 2 disgraceful and stopped playing cos I didn't see the need. Overkill however, whilst wrong in places, was hilariously fun.

What about Resident Evil 2 on the N64 or something?

So basically, we're saying that you can download them no problem, but they'd be blocked by parental controls after the fact? I find it more likely that having parental controls set on your system BEFORE using the Wii Shop Channel would somehow prevent the purchase of those games. I just can't see Nintendo putting M-rated downloads out there that kids might well get at, because Nintendo believes strongly in getting content appropriate for the user into their hands, and nothing else (look at friend codes to prove they're overprotective of the kiddies).

With all the bogus legal wars over M-rated games and whatnot, leaving them available to anybody no matter what would be a HUGE PR botch that I can't imagine Nintendo falling prey to. I think of their methods as similar to Toys 'R' Us, where they don't even put the M-rated games on the shelves (they're behind the counter, available for view only to those old enough)! Assuming that every parent uses the parental controls is a bit much, though. The whole thing's screwed up, anyway.

I don't see the big deal, Stuffgamer1, especially since the Parental Controls are there and are rather easy to set up. the splash image for Splatterhouse and Splatterhouse 2 are just the names in text on a dark background, so if push came to shove and the parents didn't restrict the Wii Shop along with the game ratings the kids could play (there is a separate option to restrict downloads and credit card transactions via the Wii Shop, I just checked through the Parental Controls), they could download it and just stare at the splash image or the PIN request all day.

as for 'assuming that every parent uses the parental controls is a bit much'... providing them is all Nintendo has to do, and in court their legal team is going to say 'hey, you had the option to restrict adding Nintendo Points and to restrict downloads to keep them from downloading a game without your supervision, you had the option to require a PIN for them to play games rated beyond what you want them to play, it was all right there in the user manual and easy to find in the System Menu, and you chose to not use them. It's your problem, not ours.'

Yep, I don't understand TV/games console as baby-sitter and have little time for parents who are unable to take responsibility for their kids' activities in their own home.

Liked you said, there are no restriction in putting M rated games on the Virtual Console, just that Nintendo of America thinks that were all casual gamers, that's why we haven't seen any Mortal Kombat installment (And that Midway went bankrupted.).

if only.....

The only giving M games to adults is a restriction retailers commonly use, it's a choice for them.

@SSBF1999

Midway was disappointed in the sales of the retail MK game that came out in the Wii's early months... They chose not to put the classics on VC because they were already losing money, and they figured it wouldn't sell. Now they're bankrupt, hopefully the company that buys their game rights will wise up and get all the MK1-4, UMK, and even Mythologies for 64... Because I would've downloaded them if Midway made them availible in the first place!

In fairness to Midway after the VCA announcement I mailed their support saying I hoped we would see their classic IP on the service (not that I care about MK, which I don't); the response was that they had no idea VCA was coming.

Of course now that they're trying to close a deal with Time-Warner or someone else (oh the irony, since Miday bought Atari Games from Warners over a decade ago) it's unlikely we'll see anything at all from them in the near future. I hold out hope I'll be able to play the original Defender on my Wii someday without using GeckoOS to launch an import of Midway Arcade Treasures Volume 1 for the Gamecube...

Yeah, NoA thinks everyone is a casual gamer, which is why they put up Mega Man. Casuals love Mega Man. And NES games in general!

Mega Man is the bomb diggy

AHHHHHHHHH THE PAIN!!!!

I've been punished for trying to use slang...

Seriously though, a new Megaman Legends would blown my pants off.