ESRB News, ESRB Features

ESRB rating paints a pretty picture

ESRB ratings are usually good for a laugh, as they have to spell out in quite a plain and matter-of-fact manner the themes which are contained within each game, and the rating for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is certainly no exception. The game has been deemed 'Mature' by the ESRB, and goes on to...

Jordan Mechner's martial arts classic is coming to Nintendo's new console

You may have heard of Jordan Mechner. He's the man behind a little game called Prince of Persia, one of the most successful and enduring video game franchises of all time. He also created a title called Karateka in 1984, an action game which involves plenty of martial arts...

ESRB rating outs eShop release

Nintendo and Intelligent Systems's 1989 Game Boy-based Breakout clone Alleyway is making its way to the 3DS Virtual Console, outed by a recent ESRB rating. If you've ever played Arkanoid or any number of brick-breaker games, you should know what to expect here. The ESRB's descripton is as follows: This is an action...

Sega to breathe new life into a PSP classic

Crush, a unique PSP puzzler/platformer from 2007, has been outed by the ESRB as heading to the 3DS as Crush 3D. Crush was a critical success, if not a commercial one, which may give hope to those of you hoping that your favourite less-than-successful franchises might see the light of day once more. Sega's official description of the original Crush is as..

UPDATE: New info and screens

We don't know much about Ubisoft's upcoming 3DS title Cubic Ninja, but recently an ESRB rating summary has appeared that clears a few things up – for one, will there be butt fragments? Yes, there will. This is a puzzle platformer in which players guide a boxy ninja through over 100 mazes. As players float and bounce around each level, they must trigger door..

A third egg in the DSiWare omelette

In 2010 we enjoyed the innovative DSiWare puzzler DodoGo! and its sequel DodoGo! Challenge, which tasked players with guiding the last remaining dodo eggs to safety. Well, it appears that the titular bird still isn't quite extinct as the third instalment, DodoGo! Robo, has just been rated by the ESRB. From the ratings summary: This is a puzzle game in which..

More localised Japanese budget fun from the GO Series

We've seen many Japanese DSiWare titles that we never thought would reach us thanks to the GO and G.G Series, featuring simple but entertaining experiences over a wide variety of genres and usually retailing for 200 Points. The latest to get a rating by the North American board, the ESRB, is GO Series: Earth Saver, published by Gamebridge and..

Let the flaming commence

Still recovering from all the thrills and spills of maintaining a virtual fire in Fireplacing on WiiWare? Well you might be in for a second thrilling instalment of fireplace action, as the ESRB has rated a new title: Cozy Fire. In this non-stop action adventure you must tend to virtual fireplaces and, in a first on the...

AiRace publisher getting into the culinary business [UPDATED, including new screens]

QubicGames, known to DSiWare players for AiRace and AiRace: Tunnel as well as the upcoming Remote Racers, just had a title of a different sort rated by the ESRB: My Little Restaurant: All Welcome. Already available for iPhone and iPod Touch, the game lets you run your own restaurant, choosing betwe

Beloved platformer finally coming to NA

Well it looks like Giana Sisters DS is finally coming to North America after a rather lengthy wait. The game was recently rated by the ESRB and hopefully we'll be seeing a release here in North America very soon. No word yet on the publisher or any release details, but we'll keep you posted as we find out more information. Until then, you can take a look at..

Ubisoft's old mascot is making a comeback

While the Raving Rabbids spin-off series has seemingly surpassed him in popularity, the berserk bunnies got their start tagging along with the limbless Rayman, once considered Ubisoft's mascot. It looks like one title on Nintendo's new handheld will see them take a backseat once more, however, as Rayman 3D...

ESRB description is less cryptic than Alex Neuse's clues

Until now, we've only had a set of screenshots and a mysterious statement from Gaijin Games's Alex Neuse to help us figure out what BIT.TRIP FLUX, the sixth and final title in the musical WiiWare series, is all about. The game has just received an ESRB rating, however, and the board describes it as follows: This is a musical paddle game in..

Arcade racer speeds toward the DSi Shop with an ESRB rating

QubicGames has to date published two NoWay Studio-developed DSiWare flight titles, and they've recently gotten their next racing collaboration rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Having already released AiRace and the more bite-sized AiRace: Tunnel, QubicGames and NoWay Studio are about to start their third lap with the..

Quirky platformer now rated by the ESRB

Back in August, we reported on the Japanese release of the Guilty Gear spin-off title Arc Style: Furo Jump!! Guilty Gear Gaiden!?, and if this quirky DSiWare title caught your interest then you're in luck as the game has been passed by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Known in North America as Towel Slappin’ Pro-Jumper!, the side-scrolling platform..

Perfect for gamers who live in apartment blocks

Back in September, we reported on EA announcing its first 3DS title that's currently in the works. The gardening game, previously known as My Garden, has now been renamed and rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Gardens is now the second 3DS title that's been passed by the ESRB, the first being Madden NFL Football, also published by EA..

ESRB outs galactic title

WayForward has created some of DSiWare's finest titles – in fact, Shantae: Risky's Revenge is the only game on the service awarded a 10/10 score – so the ESRB's rating of a new title from the studio should get your thumbs standing to attention. Called Mighty Milky Way, it's an action-puzzle game involving portals, platforms and a giant robotic T-Rex that shoots laser..

7 Raven Studios is bucking the trend

The majority of first-person shooters might require gamers to shoot at soldiers but Zoo Games is bucking the trend with its upcoming zombie-orientated on-rails shooter for the Nintendo DS. The creator of relatively low-key Wii and DS games has an upcoming handheld title called ZombieZ Seeker which has been rated by the ESRB. It's one of the few FPS games out..

DiCaprio in your pocket

Movie fans who enjoyed Martin Scorsese's nailbiting thriller, Shutter Island will soon be able to stroll off the boat into insanity themselves on the DS as revealed by a recent ESRB rating: This is a seek-and-find puzzle game, based on the movie Shutter Island, in which players assume the role of U.S. marshals who investigate odd occurrences in the Ashercliffe Hospital for..

It's still alive!

Earlier this year we quite favourably reviewed the GameCube release Intellivision Lives!, a collection of over sixty games from the presumed dead retro system. Among its catalogue were not only nostalgia-inducing favorites but demos and prototypes as well, including everything from Bomb Squad to Baseball and Thunder Castle to Crosswords and much more. The ESRB recently outed the..