Nintendo was once the strictest company in regards to the content that it would allow on its systems, which meant that games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI had to be censored when they were released outside of Japan.
Nintendo maintained a family-friendly appearance for the longest time, but things have been changing lately, as the eShop on the Nintendo Switch has become home to some increasingly explicit games that would never have been allowed on a Nintendo system in the past.
The Current Crop Of 'Off-Brand' Games On The Nintendo Switch
The eShop on the Nintendo Switch is home to several perverted games that wouldn't look out of place on the darkest depths of Steam.
In 2018, the Pure/Electric Love series of Japanese-language dating games that involve photos of real-life cosplayers appeared on the European and North American eShops. There was Panty Party in 2019, where the players take on the role of sentient women's underwear in order to do battle, while a mahjong game was taken off the Japanese eShop because it didn't quite censor its characters enough. The Nintendo Switch version of Omega Labyrinth Life was noticeably less censored than the PlayStation 4 version of the game.
The most recent example is an upcoming game called Pantsu Hunter: Back in the 90s, which is a visual novel that involves learning about a girl's personality from her choice in underwear.
Nintendo Was Once The Strictest Company In Regards To Censorship
Nintendo had a reputation for being incredibly strict in regards to censorship, as the company has always maintained a family-friendly image. Nintendo was a bit too harsh in this regard, as many companies jumped ship to the original PlayStation during the 32-bit era when it became clear that Sony would be less strict in regards to censorship.
Nintendo would slowly back away from its strict content guidelines over the years, especially in regards to games developed by third-party companies. There was still the occasional baffling act of censorship, such as altering Palutena's dress in Super Smash Bros. Wii U or adding a towel to a shot of Tharja wearing a bikini in Fire Emblem Awakening for the Nintendo 3DS that was added by Nintendo of America, but these were rare occurrences.
What Changed?
The loosening of Nintendo's standards is mirroring Sony's shift in regards to censorship. Sony was once regarded as the company that was ok with adult content appearing in its games, but everything changed during the PlayStation 4 generation.
The rise of streaming platforms means that games that were made exclusively for the Japanese market can now easily be seen around the world by everyone, which includes games that feature nudity with characters who are below the legal age. Sony is the current market leader in regards to sales and efforts have been made to protect the company's global reputation, which has led to sexual content in games being censored on the PlayStation platform.
The Nintendo Switch was partly designed with third-party developers in mind and it's reportedly a lot easier to make games for than the Nintendo Wii U. One of the main complaints about the Nintendo Wii U was a lack of support from third-party developers, which led to Nintendo opening the floodgates with the eShop on the Nintendo Switch. The fact that games with overtly adult content are appearing on the Nintendo Switch is just one symptom of the laxer standards regarding what Nintendo will allow on its latest system, while the lack of censorship means that people might be more willing to purchase Nintendo Switch versions of games over the censored PlayStation versions.